St. Louis police arrested more than 80 demonstrators that vandalized city businesses and assaulted police officers in a series of protests against a not guilty verdict in a fatal police shooting Sunday night.
About 100 demonstrators broke off after an official protest ended and began vandalizing property, knocking down flower pots and smashing windows, reports CNN. Some protesters also began spraying an unknown substance on officers, the St. Louis Police Department said.
âSome criminals assaulted law enforcement officers and threw chemicals and rocks at them. All of the officersâ injuries were minor or moderate. All will be returned to duty soon,â Police Commissioner Larry OâToole said late Sunday night.
Riot police eventually showed up to arrest the demonstrators, taking them into custody and confiscating a total of five weapons from people.
âWe have work to do here in the city. We need more and better opportunities for all our citizens but destruction cannot be tolerated,â St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson said. âLaw enforcement has my full support.â
St. Louis people have been marching in the streets since Friday when a judge ruled ânot guiltyâ in former police officer Jason Stockleyâs 2011 shooting of Anthony Lamar Smith. A total of 11 officers were injured while guarding the protests Friday night, and some of the protesters threw rocks at the windows of the mayorâs house.
More protests are planned for Monday, one organizer said. They plan to disrupt peopleâs routines in order to get their message of injustice across to the local community.
âThere will be a lot of things that will be planned that we wonât talk about that will disrupt and make people uncomfortable,â Reverend Darryl Gray, an activist, told KMOV.
Source: The Daily Caller