Ferguson, Missouri Protest Update: Thousands Rally for Justice for Michael Brown During 'FergusonOctober' March
Thousands of protesters marched in St. Louis on Saturday demanding justice for Michael Brown, the unarmed teenager who was shot and killed by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri a little over two months ago.
A string of protesters in the St. Louis suburb ignited shortly after Brown, an 18-year-old African-American, was fatally shot by white police officer Darren Wilson on Aug. 9. Wilson says that he opened fire after Brown reached for his weapon. However several eye witnesses testify that Brown was shot execution style while he was surrendering with his hands in the air. A grand jury is currently deciding whether or not to prosecute Wilson.
The weekend of protests began Friday and continued Saturday with a peaceful march downtown and rally at Keiner Plaza, partly organized by the activist group Hands Up Unite, reports Reuters.
Protesters could be heard chanting "We are Mike Brown," "Hands up, don't shoot," "No justice, no peace," and "United we stand, divided we fall."
"We're fighting for our lives,'' activist and St. Louis rapper Tef Poe said to the crowd.
Unlike the protests in August, law enforcement officials should no sign of force during Saturday's march. Instead, St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson spoke with protesters in the crowd.
"What's important is that we're out here dressed in our normal uniforms. We're not in tactical gear," Dotson told the Post-Dispatch. "What's also important is that everybody has a right to be here and have their message heard."
The march, which was titled "FergusonOctober," drew supporters nationwide.
"We felt we had to come out here to be part of change," said Antonio Cuffee, a policy worker who drove 13 hours from Baltimore. "It's a shame so many black people are getting killed by police. Just by the nature of being black we are targeted, we are suspect," he added.
Marlene Sinquefield said that she and her two sisters traveled from Oakland, California, to participate in the march.
"There's no way we weren't going to come here for this," Sinquefield said. "It matters. It's important. When I have kids someday, I want them to know I stood up for their future."