St. Louis police shut down entire mall to violently arrest black lawmaker for protesting racial inju

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Raw Story


Bob Brigham BOB BRIGHAM
24 NOV 2017 AT 22:29 ET

Police in St. Louis shut down a large shopping mall on “Black Friday” to arrest activists protesting police violence. The arrests included a state Rep. Bruce Franks Jr. (D), a black lawmaker who could be heard screaming in pain in video that shows multiple officers on top of the handcuffed officer, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

Dozens of people waited outside the St. Louis County Jail for the release of the one woman and six men arrested during the peaceful protest.

“When they come out the door, we want them to know we’re here for them,” said the Rev. Darryl Gray outside the jail.

Early in November, black clergy announced targeted economic boycotts that included the St. Louis Galleria in Richmond Heights, the scene of today’s police altercation.

Read more: https://www.rawstory.com/2017/11/st-louis-police-shut-down-entire-mall-to-violently-arrest-black-lawmaker-for-protesting-racial-injustice/

[Judi Lynn]

1. State Rep. among seven arrested during mall protest in St. Louis

Friday, November 24, 2017 5:16:00 PM CST in News
By: The Associated Press

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A protest forced a large suburban St. Louis shopping mall to close for an hour on one of the year's busiest shopping days, and renewed concerns by protest leaders about how police handle demonstrations.

Protesters marched Friday at the St. Louis Galleria mall. Richmond Heights, Missouri, police say seven people were arrested for failure to disperse. One of the seven also was cited for assaulting an officer. Among those arrested was state Rep. Bruce Franks Jr.

Activist Darryl Gray says protesters were leaving when police forced a man to the ground. Gray says Franks tried to intervene on the man's behalf and was pushed to the ground and arrested.

Franks and Gray are leaders of the protest movement that began in September after white former St. Louis officer Jason Stockley was acquitted in the 2011 death of a black man. Franks was also part of Black Lives Matter protests in Ferguson in 2014.

http://www.komu.com/news/state-rep-among-seven-arrested-during-mall-protest-in-st-louis/page/2

[msongs]

2. so is the protestors' goal to shut down the mall as economic boycott? if so, mission

accomplished. and shame on the cops for an apparent over reaction

[Abouttime]

3. Trumpism

This is the rascist face of America today. We must resist, shut this down! Take the streets back!

[bdtrppr6]

4. the true violent race war

will begin in the midwest/midsouth. it's coming and our government is fomenting it daily. multiple levels. and that's not counting judiciary fuckarounds occurring as i breathe.

gather yer friends and gird yer loins. i'm not a conspiracy nut or fatalist, i feel a huge boil of shit is about to explode in our country. i hope i'm wrong.

[7962]

6. I don't think it will come to that. Everyones armed.

Too many armed individuals for any one group to think they'd get an advantage over another.

[Oneironaut]

7. That seems to be the trend. Its the Neo-Confederates vs. everyone else.

All it would take is more nutjobs like Roy Moore to get elected. You could see these types getting people killed and not worrying at all about it.

[get the red out]

5. Oh no

I just heard Rep Franks interviewed on a podcast and was so impressed by him, he seems like a fantastic elected official. This attack on him and the other protesters is wretched!

[dalton99a]

8. Kick

[pintobean]

9. They were attempting economic sabotage on private property.

That doesn't fall under legal protesting. Looks like they were trying to get arrested.

[BronxBoy]

10. So were the lunch counter sit ins in the 50's and 60's...

lead by young Black folks in the south from CORE and SNCC. And they did so with the full intention of getting arrested so we could fight segregation issues in court. Here they are fighting yet another White cop who should have his ass in jail after killing another unarmed Black man and responding with the only tools they have at their disposal.

Your choice of the shoulder shrugging emoji is apropos as it perfectly captures your total fucking ignorance of what people of color have had to do to get fair and equal treatment under the law. There are lots of people of color on this site...Maybe you could engage us in a dialogue about why our communities think this is an effective form of protest and maybe, just maybe you wouldn't post ignorant and offensive bullshit like you just did

[mr_lebowski]

11. I found his/her post less offensive than your response, myself

One can stipulate that a given form of protest may not be constitutionally-protected, and that the protesters appeared to desire getting arrested ... whilst also saying 'good on them'!

I, for one, have done so regarding a great many forms of protests over the years, whether it was lying down in roadways or chaining oneself to a tree, or a fence outside a military installation.

Maybe you shouldn't be so quick to assume ... without actual evidence.

Just sayin'

[psychopomp]

12. I found BronxBoy's post less offensive than your response, myself

I, for one, think you're sniping at a DU'er for starting a conversation about protest and perspective. Maybe you shouldn't be so quick to assume they are being inflammatory or "offensive" and try to shut them down...without actually engaging them with dialog.

Just sayin'

[0rganism]

13. of course you did

just sayin'

[pintobean]

14. Meh, these protesters have been destructive since Ferguson.

They've recently vandalized The Loop, The Central West End, and the mayor's house - all progressive areas of St. Louis, as well as assaulted people all over town. Most people here have had enough. Pissing off allies is no way to reach people. And, you want to call me fucking ignorant from New York.

[BronxBoy]

15. Meh

Not in New York Homie.....

And I’m calling you fucking ignorant because of your obvious lack of knowledge about the history of our struggles and how you shit on them in your post. Try to keep up or at the very least understand what we needed to do to get where we are