By Michael Hernandez
ST. LOUIS
Thousands of protesters demonstrated Saturday against police violence in St. Louis, Missouri.
The demonstrations were called after the shooting of a black 18-year-old, Vonderrit Myers, by an off-duty officer Wednesday. It was the second shooting of a young black male by police in two months.
On Saturday morning, protesters gathered at a park in downtown St. Louis and walked about a mile to the Old Courthouse where they assembled to hear a variety of speakers, including community leaders and activists. The "Justice For All" march was part of four days of events scheduled from Friday through Monday in what organizers call "Ferguson October."
Michael Brown, 18, was killed during a confrontation with white police officer Darren Wilson in the suburb of Ferguson in August. His death also sparked weeks of protests that brought thousands to the area where he was killed.
Lew Moye, the president of the St. Louis chapter of the Coalition of Black Trade Unionists, said that Brown’s death has highlighted problems within the black community that are in desperate need of remedy.
"We need to try to deal with the situation, clean up some of the policing, some of the bad cops that we have out here. Also, we have to deal with the economic situation in a lot of these communities."
Having traveled nearly a thousand miles from New York City, Eljeer Hawkins, a member of Socialist Alternative, a political solidarity group, said that Brown’s death brings nationwide issues to light.
"We speak of democracy all around the world, but in a number of cities around this country, communities of color, immigrant communities, our young people, they feel like they're occupied by a militarized police force, and that really shows the weakness of American democracy," he said.
Saturday night protesters gathered at the site of Brown’s shooting and again marched on the Ferguson Police Department where they chanted slogans, such as "Hey hey, ho ho, these killer cops have got to go."
Despite a tense atmosphere, Saturday night's protests did not result in the violent confrontations seen two months prior in the St. Louis suburb. A bottle thrown from inside the crowd of hundreds at police sent protesters fleeing from the protest line. But police did not crack down on the crowd.
A group of protesters harshly criticized the action, calling on all to avoid further escalation.
A moment of silence was observed for Brown as protesters took a reprieve from their chorus of chants to sit, some with heads bowed.
On Sunday, a hip hop concert featuring artist Talib Kweli will take place in St. Louis followed by a keynote mass meeting by racial justice advocate and intellectual Dr. Cornel West.
Protesters are expected to carry out acts of civil disobedience throughout the city Monday. Additional details have yet to be released.
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