By Andres Cruz
Last Thursday, hundreds of mostly white protesters hit the streets in downtown St. Louis to protest the acquittal of former officer Jason Stockley in the shooting and killing of Anthony Lamar Smith in 2011. The purpose for the demonstration was to showcase white support for the black lives matter movement. As they marched, protesters were heard chanting “White silence is violence”.
https://twitter.com/TrappistTime/status/910949024156577793
The “White Allies Only” rally began at Keiner Plaza. From there, protesters made their way to Busch Stadium where icon Billy Joel was scheduled to perform in front of about 50,000 spectators. Concerts scheduled for later dates, for artists such as Ed Sheeran and U2, were canceled amid tense protests.
According to ABC news, hundreds of protesters blocked traffic near Forest Park. After a 30-minute face-off with police, the group eventually dispersed.
Right now in the Delmar Loop #delmarloop #stlouisprotest pic.twitter.com/DHliBJwwMW
— Complete Sentences (@TyandRockyK) September 17, 2017
Police were present at both protests, heavily equipped with riot gear. The crowds reacted by chanting “I don’t see no riot here, why do you have riot gear?”
Police already getting into riot gear. Not one protestor yet. #stlouisprotest #StockleyProtests #StockleyVerdict pic.twitter.com/gjhZf48kXU
— Swimn' Chicken (@markcyclesstl) September 22, 2017
The protest on Thursday adds on to numerous other demonstrations that have been held in St. Louis since Friday.
Over the weekend, over 150 people were arrested. However, since Monday all other protests have been law-abiding and peaceful.
“When you look at the history of St. Louis, the racial divide is very intentional,” said one female protester at the “White Allies Only” protest.
“I think it’s great for people to know there are white people that believe black lives matter and aren’t afraid to show it, that want to tear down systemic racism,” said Cori Bush, the organizer for the “White Allies Only” protest.
The acquittal and protests have only added fuel to the flame as racial tensions are rising in this country, especially after President Trump being elected into office. Bush later confirmed a plan to protest Steve Bannon, who is once again chief of Breitbart news and former member of the Trump administration. Bannon is to make an appearance at an alt-right rally in St. Louis.
In this year alone, eight people have already been killed by police in St. Louis, with most victims being black men. Even though the police have stated that all killed by officers were armed, Rev. Phillip Duvall said police are “not being too cautious.”
