A group calling themselves “front line” protesters and their allies held a press conference in front of City Hall on Sept. 29, sending the message that protests against the acquittal of Jason Stockley are just getting started, not winding down.
The conference followed a list of demands issued by some activists in a “town hall” meeting on Sept. 28 at Christ Church Cathedral. The demands included, among others, calls for several city officials to resign, for protesters arrested to be released and for the city to abolish cash bail.
Occupying the streets outside City Hall, the group calling themselves frontline protesters and their allies made it clear that this was not their list of demands, and that they had not issued one.
Before the press conference, the group of about 50 marched from the intersection of 16th and Market to City Hall and attended the end of a Board of Alderman meeting.
Tory Russell, introduced as a front line organizer, said the protests should be expected to continue until significant change takes place.
“We told you what it was gonna be,” Russell said. “I don’t know why city officials thought that we was gonna go away a couple of days, that it wasn’t gonna look like Ferguson, that we was gonna sell out, quit or get tired.”
Russell said it might take weeks to read a list of demands from every group or individual with different requests, but those grievances are legitimate and those in positions of power should hear them.
“We are divided first by race,” Russell said. “We have to understand that. We all live under this Delmar divide. But more importantly, it’s a social-economic problem that’s going on. As you see behind us, we have Bloods, Crips, clergy, religious leaders, we have workers, low-wage workers, we have all these people galvanized for one reason.”
Melissa Mckinnies, another organizer, spoke to the assembled media with her grandson in her arms. Mckinnies underlined the point that protesters would not be easily placated or give up after a short period.
“Are we tired? No,” Mckinnies said. “We’re not near tired. This is only the beginning.”
Eliza Corriell, owner of the Crow’s Nest restaurant, also addressed the press. Corriell authored a statement which has now been signed onto by about 100 small businesses, expressing solidarity with protesters and calling on business owners to put property damage into perspective.
“It has been confused with an anti-police statement,” Corriell said. “And I’d like to go on record saying it is a pro-reform statement, not an anti-police statement. But it’s a call for perspective, that broken windows are not dead bodies. And I think it’s high time for everyone to stop talking about a small number of infractions by vandals that we don’t support, but do understand.”
The last speaker was Missouri house representative Bruce Franks (D.-St. Louis), who has been a presence at the protests since the Stockley verdict was announced. Franks said media should understand that protesters are asked about their strategy, they cannot reveal all of it, saying that would be equivalent to sharing football plays with the opposing team.
Although Franks attended the town hall on Sept. 28, he said he did not see lists of demands as the most effective tool protesters hold.
“At the end of the day, we can throw out a million demands, we can throw out legislation,” Franks said. “One thing we gotta realize is that there is no legislation or list of demands that we could put forward to get you to understand that y’all gonna stop killing us. That’s why we’re out here in the streets.”
Franks was asked about the demand presented at the Christ Church Cathedral town hall for St. Louis mayor Lyda Krewson to resign. Franks did not endorse that demand, but did call for the dismissal of interim police chief Lawrence O’Toole.
Overall, those assembled wanted St. Louis to understand that unless major change comes to the city, the resistance movement will not be temporary.
“We protested in Ferguson for 400 days straight,” Franks said. “So you take those same folks that were on the front line, those same folks that were pepper sprayed and tear gassed together, and you put them together… Not only do we expand, we empower, we educate, so now those 400 days can turn into 800 days, can turn into 1200 days. This is not a fly by night movement.”
Jessica Karins is an editorial intern for the St. Louis American from Webster University.
