Protests in St. Louis subsided Monday morning after three tense nights that were sparked by the acquittal of a white former police officer in the shooting death of a black drug suspect in 2011.
On Monday, about 100 people were silently marching through downtown St. Louis. One of the participants on Monday was state Rep. Bruce Franks Jr., D-St. Louis, who had also been part of the more violent protests throughout the weekend.
.@brucefranksjr and other organizers led the silent march to the barred front doors of City Hall. Then he led a chant. pic.twitter.com/boqXJHGZAc— Ashley Jost (@ajost) September 18, 2017
“It’s not about peace,” Franks said in an interview with reporters, according to St. Louis Today. “Peace is not an option but we have to realize that there’s a difference between peaceful and non-violence. Non-violence is an option. The point of an action is to disturb. The point of an action is to make folks uncomfortable.”
According to St. Louis police, more than 80 people were arrested downtown Sunday night. Local media reported roughly 1,000 people had gathered outside a downtown police station and marched peacefully until after sunset. Then, a part of that group splintered off to smash local business’ windows.
Around 1 a.m. Central Standard Time Monday, Mayor Lyda Krewson and Interim Police Chief Lawrence O’Toole held a brief press conference. Krewson described that though the day protest are “calm,” the “the nights have been destructive.”
“This is unacceptable. Destruction cannot be tolerated,” she said.
O’Toole added that those arrested are “criminals” and that the city and its law enforcement is in “control” of the streets, despite a few minor injuries to officers.
“These criminals that we’ve arrested should be held accountable and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” he said. “We’re in control. This is our city and we’re going to protect it.”
“I’m proud to tell you the city of St. Louis is safe and the police owned tonight,” O’Toole added. “Once again, a group of criminals set out to break windows and destroy property. Tonight, those criminals are in jail.”
O’Toole’s comments early Monday echoed reports of St. Louis police officers chanting “whose streets, our streets” after making arrests Sunday.
Photojournalist David Carson said he heard the chants twice and confirmed with witnesses, as did the Associated Press.
I spoke with the commander at the scene, he said he did not hear the chant, but said chant was not acceptable, said he would deal with it.
— David Carson (@PDPJ) September 18, 2017
That phrase has often been used by Black Lives Matter protesters.
The flared tensions come following the acquittal of Jason Stockley on Friday after an August bench trial of first-degree murder charges. He shot Anthony Lamar Smith, who was a drug suspect, multiple times in late 2011. Prosecutors argued Stockley planted a gun in Smith’s car after a car chase, but they failed to disprove that Stockley acted in self-defense beyond a reasonable doubt.
The acquittal also comes to an area that has dealt with numerous police shootings of black men that have resulted in no charges, including Michael Brown in August 2014.
