Although the official day of civil disobedience for what has come to be known as Ferguson October is scheduled for Monday morning, several protesters got a head start late Saturday night. More than 100 demonstrators stage a sit-in at the QuikTrip at Vandeventer and Chouteau as the finale for a day of marches and protests that began downtown Saturday morning.
Thousands have converged on the St. Louis area for the weekend in response to the killing of 18-year-old Michael Brown by a Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson and what they see as a lack of justice for the unarmed teen.
A steady stream of demonstrations have taken place since Brown was killed in Ferguson’s Canfield Green Apartments on August 9, giving Ferguson an international spotlight. The Week of Resistance was organized to invite others from around the nation – and the world – to take part in marches, breakout meetings and a lecture featuring Dr. Cornel West.
Participants marched down Market Street and rallied in Kiener Plaza in the morning and afternoon, held a vigil at the site of Mike Brown’s death and demonstrated in front of the Ferguson Police Department before heading south to protest the death of Vonderrit Meyers – who was shot by a St. Louis Metropolitan Police Officer Wednesday night.
They then headed to what would be their designated site of their civil disobedience – keeping the information close to their chests as to not alert law enforcement and prompt preemptive measures.
According to the Washington Post, The QuikTrip was chosen in part because of the role a QT gas station in Ferguson played in the aftermath of the Brown shooting — it was burned down on the first day of protests and then became an impromptu town square and meeting place for protesters until the owners erected a fence around the lot.
Organizers reportedly decided to “occupy” another QuikTrip early Sunday.
They marched through the Shaw neighborhood where Myers was killed before meeting at the QT for the sit in.
More than a dozen were said to have been arrested and tear gas was deployed before the crowd was forcibly dispersed by police.
Information from The Washington Post contributed to this report.
For a full schedule of activities for Ferguson October, visit http://fergusonoctober.com/schedule/
