For four hours yesterday, protesters took to the streets in and around the Delmar Loop, peacefully expressing their anger over a judge’s acquittal of former St. Louis police officer Jason Stockley — and calling for systemic change in the region. More than 1,000 people showed up.
Around 8:50 p.m., organizers announced the action was over. State Representative Bruce Franks strongly encouraged those in the crowd not just to stop marching, but to go home. “Everybody. We need everybody, go into their vehicles. We are leaving together. No one gets left behind. Everybody leaves together. No bullshit. No bullshit. We did it differently. They expected us to do something else; we did it like we were supposed to do it. Leave together as a family.”
The majority of the protesters listened to Franks, but a smaller group remained. While things remained peaceful for another hour, around 10 p.m. things took a turn. Windows were smashed as police made a hard push to clear the area, arresting at least six. See our coverage of that here.