Protests turn violent for 2nd night near St. Louis
St. Louis, Sept. 17: Protests turned violent for a second night near St. Louis following the acquittal of a white former police officer in the fatal shooting of a black man, as a small group of demonstrators refused to disperse, breaking windows at dozens of businesses and throwing objects at police, who moved in with hundreds of officers in riot gear to make arrests.
The confrontation took place late on Saturday night in the Delmar Loop area of University City, a suburb about 16km west of St. Louis near Washington University.
The area is known for concert venues, restaurants, shops and bars and includes the Blueberry Hill club
Several protesters were seen in handcuffs, and city and county police later tweeted that they had arrested at least nine people for unlawful protests, arson
where rock legend Chuck Berry played for many years.
University City had been the scene of a tense but calm march earlier in the evening to protest a judge’s ruling on Friday clearing ex-officer Jason Stockley of first-degree murder in the 2011 shooting of 24year-old Anthony Lamar Smith.
That march ended with organisers calling for people to leave and reconvene on Sunday afternoon.
But a few dozen protesters refused to go. Police ordered them to disperse, saying the protest was unlawful. Hundreds of police in riot gear eventually moved in with armored vehicles. The demonstrators retreated down a street, breaking windows with trash cans and throwing objects at police.
Several protesters were seen in handcuffs, and city and county police later tweeted that they had arrested at least nine people.
After the spasm of violence ended, a reporter for The Associated Press found at least half of the businesses on one side of the street with broken windows along a two block area.