The mother of the slain Missouri teenager whose death has sparked a movement led hundreds of protesters marching along West Florissant Avenue in Ferguson--the site of tear gas and tanks two months ago--on Saturday night, as the crowd demanded justice for her son, Michael Brown.
In addition to asking protesters to refrain from agitating police, who remained stoic Friday night when demonstrators took over the Ferguson Police Department parking lot, Lesley McSpadden and other relatives led a prayer near Canfield Green Apartments, where her unarmed son was killed by a white police officer in August. The 18-year-old's memorial was covered with flowers and stuffed animals.
Brown family speaks. "We love y'all back. This is a struggle, a long, long struggle." Now a prayer. #FergusonOctober pic.twitter.com/ApPLhkh9nb— Imran Garda (@ImranGarda) October 12, 2014
Mother of Michael Brown walking with hundreds of protesters behind her. https://t.co/ei8cLjyoeZ— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) October 12, 2014
But the protest eventually unraveled into a street party, upsetting dedicated activists who blamed out-of-towners for the change of tone, which they described as disrespectful to the deceased.
After a moment of silence at the Ferguson Police Department--where demonstrators gathered Friday night as well-- protesters sang along to Lil Boosie's "Fuck the police" and dozens began dancing to other songs playing on speakers, shifting into the party atmosphere.
Crowd is standing in the street doing this. #FergusonOctober https://t.co/aFXIGVB5cT— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) October 12, 2014
Some protesters seemed to heed McSpadden's call for peace, but others continued to yell at cops standing on the police line. Many in the back of the crowd just quietly talked amongst each other as the night went on. McSpadden and her family reportedly returned home and did not join the demonstrators at the police department.
Conflicts betw protestors trying to keep peace and those angry at police. Majority of crowd is calm. #FergusonOctober pic.twitter.com/P3mV4zYiKc— Shadi Rahimi (@shadirahimi) October 12, 2014
Earlier in the evening, the activists who walked roughly two miles from Brown's memorial site to the Ferguson Police Department shouted familiar slogans on the second day of a weekend of action dubbed "Ferguson October." They chanted "No justice! No peace!" and "Hands up, don't shoot!"
The evening rally came after thousands had gathered at organized rallies in the St. Louis area and elsewhere throughout the day.
Marchers started assembling in the morning hours in downtown St. Louis, where later in the day the Cardinals were set to host the San Francisco Giants in the first game of the National League Championship Series. Earlier in the week, a small group of protesters verbally clashed with Cardinals fans who support the Ferguson officer outside the stadium.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department added extra officers in response to "Ferguson October" and St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson said the city will do the same when the St. Louis Rams host the San Francisco 49ers in a nationally televised game Monday night — the same day protesters are planning organized acts of civil disobedience.
#FERGUSONOCTOBER: Monday we take direct action. Nonviolent Civil Disobedience Training Sunday at 11:00am. 2300 Lafayette Ave.— Alison Dreith (@alidreith) October 12, 2014
Since Brown's death, three other fatal police shootings of black males have occurred in the St. Louis area. The most recent happened Wednesday night on St. Louis' south side when police say an off-duty city officer working for a private neighborhood security patrol shot and killed 18-year-old Vonderrit D. Myers.
Additional reporting by The Associated Press
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UPDATE Oct. 11, 2014, 10:15 p.m. ET: More details about protesters at Ferguson Police Department included.
UPDATE Oct. 11, 2014, 10:40 p.m. ET: Information about Ferguson Police Department gathering added.