Over the weekend, protesters took to the streets in St. Louis following the acquittal of former police officer Jason Stockley. Stockley, a white police officer, had been on trial for murdering a black motorist after a police chase in 2011.
After a day of peaceful protest, things took a turn for the worse on Sunday night. Tensions between protesters and police officers in riot gear had been mounting, when the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department started telling protesters to disperse.
However, according to multiple accounts, police encircled protesters, prohibiting them from being able to disperse. The standoff became violent as more than 80 protesters were arrested.
During the arrests, police officers began chanting “whose streets, our streets” - a popular protest chant frequently used by Blacks Lives Matter - while arresting demonstrators. In a press conference,
Interim Police Chief Lawrence O’Toole bragged that “the police owned tonight,” repeatedly calling protesters “criminals.”
Please sign this petition demanding that Interim Police Chief Lawrence O’Toole be fired!According to its website, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department’s mission is to “to protect, serve and assist citizens.” By showing up in riot gear, trapping demonstrators, and inflaming tensions by chanting, police clearly showed they had no interest in protecting these particular citizens. They came to exercise power and prove that they “own” the streets.
If Police Chief Lawrence O’Toole is proud of the behavior of the officers at the protest, he is clearly unfit to protects, serve and assist the citizens of St. Louis. Please sign this petition demanding he be fired.
Photo Credit:
Bob Bob / Flickr