Activists from Ferguson disrupt traffic in downtown Clayton
Approximately 100 Ferguson, Missouri activists protested for the second consecutive day in frigid temperatures by disrupting lunch-hour traffic in downtown Clayton for about an hour on Monday.
The protesters united from two staging arenas — Shaw Park and the Forsyth MetroLink station — to circle the Clayton business district once before ending the demonstration in front of the St. Louis County Justice Center.
The route resulted in blocked traffic at several intersections. Clayton Police, backed by officers from Hazelwood, Richmond Heights and other departments, did not attempt to clear the blockages.
Elizabeth Vega, a demonstration organizer, said marchers hoped to send a signal that the vast majority of Ferguson activists are committed to non-violent, peaceful protest.To drive home their message, the march was led by white activists who warned passers-by that “the protesters are coming! the protesters are coming!”
“We wanted to mock people with a fear of protest,” Vega said. “The tension right now is palpable and if we can’t laugh then we’ll cry.”
As a play off the cold weather, activists chanted “Brrr, it’s cold out here. Must be oppression in the atmosphere.” Monday’s protest came during heightened speculation that a grand jury will soon decide whether to charge Officer Darren Wilson who fatally wounded Mike Brown.
Black lives matter.
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