A weekend of resistance called Ferguson October took place Oct. 10-13 — with thousands of protesters taking to the streets, marching and demanding justice for Brown’s death.
United arm in arm, protesters of all ages and ethnicities chanted together as they marched in downtown St. Louis toward the city’s famous arch. Buses arrived and dropped off hoards of people decked out in shirts saying “not one more” and wielding signs stating that “black lives matter.”
Hailing from Brooklyn, N.Y., Justin Myles traveled more than 950 miles to fight for what he said is a war for equality. Taking part in protests day and night, he said he was surprised by police behavior.
“They were beating their batons against their shields,” he said. “It’s kind of very ‘300’-ish, and it just seemed to be more like a war readiness than it was, ‘Let’s make sure that these protesters are doing what they need to do to peacefully protest.’”
Racial tensions in the area have come to a boil in the aftermath of Brown’s shooting. Two-thirds of Ferguson residents are black, and only three of the city’s 53 police officers are black. Citizens say they are tired of police brutality against minorities.
Protests and displays of support for Brown have taken place nationwide, including at UNC-CH, North Carolina Central University and N.C. Agricultural and Technical University.
