FERGUSON, Mo. (AP) — Police arrested dozens of protesters during the final of four days of rallies and civil disturbance to express anger at the fatal shooting of Michael Brown, a black 18-year-old, by a white police officer in a St. Louis suburb.
Organizers of the Ferguson October protests dubbed the day “Moral Monday” and committed acts of civil disobedience in and around St. Louis. More than 50 people were arrested.
Hundreds of protesters marched on Ferguson police headquarters where they stayed for almost four hours — despite torrential rain and tornado watches — to mark how long Brown’s body was left in a Ferguson street after he was killed.
Some protesters used a bullhorn to read the names of people killed by police nationwide. Christian, Jewish and Muslim clergy members — some of whom were among the first arrested — led a prayer service before marching to the police station two blocks away.
Protests have been common since Brown, who was unarmed, was killed by Darren Wilson on Aug. 9. Tensions escalated last week when a white police officer in St. Louis fatally shot another black 18-year-old, Vonderrit Myers Jr., who police say fired the first shots.
“My faith compels me to be here,” Bishop Wayne Smith of the Episcopal Diocese of Missouri said outside Ferguson police headquarters. “I want to show solidarity, and call attention to the structural racism of St. Louis.”
Protesters were met by about 40 officers in riot gear. Several clergy members approached individual officers and asked them to “repent” for Brown’s killing and other acts of violence. Some officers engaged the protesters, while others ignored the efforts.
“My heart feels that this has been going on too long,” Ferguson officer Ray Nabzdyk told the clergy. “We all stand in fault because we didn’t address this.”
Outside Emerson Electric headquarters in Ferguson, six people were arrested for failing to disperse after blocking a street, St. Louis County Police spokesman Brian Schellman said. Emerson is one of the region’s largest employers.
Among several other rallies, about 100 protesters blew whistles at St. Louis City Hall that echoed off the marble walls. Protest leader Kennard Williams presented a list of four demands to Jeff Rainford, chief of staff for Mayor Francis Slay. Slay was not in the office Monday.
The demands called for an end to participation in a program providing military equipment to police, body cameras for all officers, a civilian review board for police and mandatory independent investigations whenever police kill someone.
Rainford said St. Louis is not part of the militarization program; he promised the other demands would be taken seriously.
At the Edward Jones Dome, where the St. Louis Rams were playing the San Francisco 49ers Monday night, protesters briefly draped a banner over a Jumbotron video board that read “Rams fans know on and off the field black lives matter.”
Ferguson October began Friday with protesters marching to the St. Louis County prosecutor’s office and renewing calls for charges against Wilson. A grand jury is reviewing the case, and the U.S. Justice Department is conducting a civil rights investigation.
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The poignant drama of the first demonstration cannot be understated.
The other “protest disturbances” of life in St Louis throughout the day will be an essential part of the civil rights movements until America becomes what it should be.These “interruptions” into daily lives of people have a different potency and reach people who can ignore traditional forms of non-violent protest. Police “guards” against fictitious damage of people and property costs more than costs of Justice.
There was an important demonstration outside the hotel where Sen. Claire McCaskill was sponsoring a fundraiser for Democratic incumbent candidates. The Senator has not spoken publically for weeks about the death of either Michael Brown or VonDerritt Myers for weeks. Democrats St. Louis County McCullouh, County Supervisor Stener and State Rep Roorda (running for State Senator and business manager/spokesman for the Police Union) are all active players in the police cover-up of the deaths and government disregard for African American citizens. Clair should be ashamed to be in the same room with them: party affiliation should not trump the best interests of her constituency and the future of the Missouri Democracy. A coalition of Black Democratic elected officials have already endorsed the Republican candidate for Co. Supervisor over Steney. Donors who came to the fundraiser had to slip past 4 seated women holding a large banner with armed St. Louis cops standing over them. Not a good image for Democratic PR!
Four Walmarts were targeted for demonstrations but managers (grightened about peaceful demonstrators closed the stores to all customers and required “police protection” before protests could do much, one Walmart there 20 cops. At the last Walmart, protestors were able to enter and walked down the aisle chanting “Toys Don’t Kill John Crawford”. One of the Ferguson protest leaders was arrested for walking and the Legal Observer, a Law Professor was arrested. Both were charged and released several hours later.
One car in a traveling in a caravan carrying protestors late night was stopped and a St Louis Identified police officer approached with his gun drawn. Tense moments but because there was no traffic violation (the stop was because the cars’ licenses had been tagged by cops) the driver insisted on leaving and did.
It should be remembered Emerson Electric may have Corp. offices in Ferguson but the bulk of production was sent overseas several years ago, leaving Americans out of work.