Police and protesters in St. Louis were gearing up Sunday for more civil disobedience after 17 people were arrested during weekend demonstrations over fatal police shootings in the area and elsewhere.
Organizers for “Ferguson October,” a four-day series of marches, panels and demonstrations that began Friday, were training protesters Sunday for more nonviolent, civil disobedience action, St. Louis Fox TV affiliate KTVI reported.
“Non-violence is really important because you’re not going to change someone’s mind by being violent,” Jasmin Maurer, who is taking part in the training, told the station. “There is just so much more power in taking a stand and doing it nonviolently.”
A focal point of the demonstrations has been the Aug. 9 fatal shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown, who was black and unarmed, by a white officer in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson.
On Monday, a “direct action” led by local and visiting clergy members is planned for Ferguson and other St. Louis-area spots. Protest leaders don’t plan to release details until shortly ahead of time to avoid tipping off law enforcement.
Early Sunday morning, several protesters made their way to the south St. Louis neighborhood where another black 18-year-old was killed recently by a white police officer, the Associated Press reported. Demonstrators occupied a Quicktrip gas station convenience store and staged a sit-in.
Seventeen people were arrested on suspicion of unlawful assembly, a police spokesperson said. There were no reports of injuries or property damage, the AP said.
St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson took to Twitter to defend his officers’ response.
“Protestors attempting to storm Quicktrip at Vandeventer & Chouteau. All protesters engaging in illegal behavior will be subject to arrest,” he tweeted.
He later posted that protesters were “throwing rocks at the police” and that “arrests have been made for continued illegal behavior.”
Demonstrations are expected Sunday evening outside Busch Stadium in downtown St. Louis, where the the Cardinals will host the San Francisco Giants in the second game of National League Championship Series.
Several dozen protestors were outside the stadium Saturday evening before Game One of the baseball playoff series. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that fans headed to the game mainly went around the protesters without stopping to look, though a few cheered their efforts.
Organizers have predicted up to 10,000 participants will attend the weekend’s events.
