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U.S. NEWS Friday 6 OctOber 2017
New wave of protest leaders emerged after Ferguson

By JIM SALTER franchise, became ac-
Associated Press tive in Ferguson “from day
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Young one” after Brown’s death.
people thrust into activism He emerged as a quiet but
by the fatal police shoot- charismatic leader and
ing of Michael Brown in decided to run for the Mis-
Ferguson are leading a souri House. He beat an in-
new wave of civil disobedi- cumbent in the 2016 Dem-
ence in St. Louis, mentored ocratic primary and won
by a civil rights movement easily in November.
veteran and driven by the Besides selling insurance
belief that change won’t and serving as a politician,
happen until the entire re- he has battle rapped using
gion is confronted with the the stage name “Ooops.”
uncomfortable reality of Franks also is founder of
racism. an organization aimed at
Protests have been plen- reducing gun violence,
tiful in St. Louis since the a role that often has him
mid-September acquittal working with police lead-
of Jason Stockley, a white ers. The latter doesn’t stop
former officer who fatally him from leading protests
shot a 24-year-old black against police or criticizing
drug suspect, Anthony La- their use of chemicals and
mar Smith, in 2011 while force in some of the more
still on the city’s police Darryl Gray, a pastor with deep roots in civil rights activism who serves as a mentor to the unof- than 300 arrests since the
force. The demonstrators ficial leaders of the so-called Frontline protest movement poses for a photo in St. Louis, Thursday, Stockley acquittal.
have blocked traffic on a Oct. 5, 2017. (AP Photo by Jim Salter) Bush, 41, said she found her
major highway, marched calling in Ferguson. “We
through shopping malls of the list are Bush, a pastor center of 1960s protests. “St. to lead Frontline. became a family day af-
and filled the streets of up- and registered nurse, and Louis is the heart of Amer- Franks, 33, has seen first- ter day, night after night,
scale suburban neighbor- Bruce Franks Jr., one of Mis- ica. It’s America’s center. hand the horror of gun 24 hours a day being in the
hoods. souri’s youngest state rep- And the racism in St. Louis violence. He was just 6 streets,” she said.
The locations are not ac- resentatives. is similar to Selma where it years old when his 9-year- While in her early 20s, Bush
cidental: Leaders say all The unofficial leaders, rang- is deeply embedded.”For old brother was killed in a lived in a car with her then-
of St. Louis and its suburbs ing in age from their early many young protesters, St. Louis gunfight in which husband and two young
must understand the pain 20s to early 40s, are men- their activism started with someone used him as a children for four months
and frustration of the black tored by 63-year-old pastor Ferguson, the St. Louis sub- human shield.Franks, who when they couldn’t afford
community over police Darryl Gray, who has deep urb where white police of- owns an Allstate insurance rent. q
shootings and economic roots in civil rights activism. ficer Darren Wilson fatally
and educational dispari- Gray worked for nearly 40 shot Brown, an unarmed
ties. years for the Atlanta-based black 18-year-old, on Aug.
“Change hasn’t hap- Southern Christian Leader- 9, 2014. A St. Louis County
pened yet,” protest orga- ship Conference, whose grand jury and the U.S.
nizer Cori Bush said. “That first president was the Rev. Department of Justice de-
tells us we have to keep Martin Luther King Jr. clined to charge Wilson.
pushing.” Gray sees fierceness in the He resigned from the po-
Bush is part of what’s called St. Louis protesters, and he lice force months after the
the Frontline movement. senses they’re in for the shooting.
It’s organic enough that long haul. The protests that rose from
there are no designated “This is the new Selma,” he Ferguson created a new
leaders, but clearly some said, comparing St. Louis mission for Bush, Franks and
have emerged. At the top to the Alabama city at the many others now helping

Judge intends to dismiss 2nd suit against BLM

By M KUNZELMAN therefore can’t be sued. filed on behalf of a sheriff’s
Associated Press Last Thursday, Jackson deputy wounded in the
BATON ROUGE, La. (AP) — threw out a police officer’s July 2016 attack that killed
A federal judge says he lawsuit blaming Black Lives three other officers in Baton
intends to dismiss a lawsuit Matter and movement Rouge.
that accuses Black Lives leader DeRay Mckesson The same Baton Rouge-
Matter and several move- for injuries he sustained based attorney, Donna
ment leaders of inciting during a protest over a Grodner, filed both suits.
violence that led to a gun- deadly police shooting in The judge is giving her until
man’s deadly ambush of Baton Rouge last year. The Oct. 13 to respond to his or-
law enforcement officers in officer’s lawyer also at- der and present arguments
Baton Rouge last year. tempted to add “#Black- why the deputy’s case
U.S. District Judge Brian LivesMatter” as a defen- shouldn’t be dismissed.
Jackson issued that warn- dant, but Jackson ruled a Grodner declined to com-
ing in an order Wednes- hashtag can’t be sued ei- ment Thursday on the
day, less than a week after ther. judge’s order or say wheth-
ruling Black Lives Matter is Now the judge is vowing er she plans to appeal last
a social movement and to dismiss a separate suit week’s ruling.q