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U.S. NEWS Tuesday 19 sepTember 2017

Protesters make good on threat to disrupt St. Louis business

By JIM SALTER ering broken windows into
Associated Press art. Restaurants and shops
ST. LOUIS (AP) — When a for- were busy with people who
mer police officer was ac- “came in to shop and show
quitted in the fatal shooting support,” he said.
of a black suspect, protest- Protests resumed for the
ers vowed to show their dis- fourth straight day just after
dain by disrupting business dawn Monday.
in downtown St. Louis. They A racially mixed crowd
quickly succeeded. of roughly 150 people
The unrest that followed marched silently to City
Friday’s ruling closed large Hall for a rally, then to a city
corporate offices, shut court building for another.
down restaurants and bars Police did not intervene.
and even forced U2 to call It was a far cry from the
off a concert that would scene hours earlier, when a
have drawn 50,000 fans small crowd left over from
into the heart of the city. an earlier peaceful protest
And protest organizers may marched into downtown
not be done. late Sunday. Once they
The demonstrations en- started breaking windows
gulfed the St. Louis region and throwing things at offi-
after a judge acquitted Ja- cers, police reinforcements
son Stockley of first-degree People run after vandalizing as demonstrators march in response to a not guilty verdict in the trial quickly emerged and pro-
murder in the 2011 death of of former St. Louis police officer Jason Stockley, Sunday, Sept. 17, 2017, in St. Louis. Stockley was testers scattered.
24-year-old Anthony Lamar acquitted in the 2011 killing of a black man following a high-speed chase. For the next several hours,
Smith. (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson) hundreds of officers in
Within hours, down- Louis Symphony and a nomic cost. broken window will proba- riot gear lined downtown
town came to a stand- Shakespearean Theatre “But in the long term, there bly cost him at least $2,000. streets.
still as marching protest- group canceled perfor- are greater economic Damage to merchandise More than 80 people were
ers blocked traffic. The mances too. impacts from the racial will cost him about $2,000 arrested, including onlook-
demonstrations went on Democratic state Rep. disparity and the mistrust more. ers who refused orders to
through the weekend, with Bruce Franks, a protest or- many have in the criminal Joe Edwards, owner of the disperse. Among those ar-
protest crowds swelling to ganizer, said making the justice system,” Reagan Blueberry Hill restaurant rested was reporter Mike
thousands of people and entire community uncom- said. “This is not new to St. and concert venue and Faulk of the St. Louis Post-
spilling into a posh area fortable is an important Louis or unique to St. Louis, many other Delmar Loop Dispatch, according to the
of restaurants and bars in part of the demonstrations. but this is a challenge.” businesses, said he was newspaper.
western St. Louis, the hip Franks said protests would Many business owners are particularly frustrated be- The cause for the escala-
Delmar Loop area of near- continue, but he did not dealing with more than lost cause much of the dam- tion was not clear. Protest-
by University City and even say when or where. time or canceled events. age occurred at businesses ers blamed police for show-
into two shopping malls. “Folks got to pay attention, Police said nearly two doz- owned by minorities. ing up in riot gear. Police
More than 140 people were right?” Franks said Monday. en businesses were dam- “Forty-five years ago, this said demonstrators began
arrested. “Do we just say, ‘Oh, it’s aged Saturday night in Uni- street was in great decline throwing things at them.
The protests forced U2 to another case where an of- versity City, mostly by hav- and by embracing diversity One officer suffered a leg
cancel a concert at the ficer’s found not guilty and ing their windows broken. we overcame it,” said Ed- injury and was taken to
Edward Jones Dome, St. leave it at that?’ No, we On Sunday, more windows wards, who is white. a hospital. His condition
Louis’ largest venue. Police get out here and disrupt were broken in downtown “Whoever threw rocks wasn’t known.
said they could not provide and make our presence St. Louis, and several large doesn’t care. They just “I’m proud to tell you the
normal protection because felt.” decorative pots with plants want anarchy.” city of St. Louis is safe and
of the unrest, the band and Joe Reagan, president and were smashed. But Edwards said it was the police owned tonight,”
concert promoter Live Na- CEO of the St. Louis Region- Chris Rubin de la Borbolla, heartwarming Sunday interim Police Chief Law-
tion said in a statement. al Chamber of Commerce, owner of a clothing, jew- when artists from around rence O’Toole said in an
Singer Ed Sheeran also said it’s too early to put a elry and accessories store the region turned out to early morning video posted
called off a show. The St. dollar amount on the eco- in University City, said his transform the plywood cov- on Twitter.q