Missouri authorities declared a state of emergency Monday after police arrested dozens of demonstrators outside the federal courthouse in St. Louis — and after another night of violence in nearby Ferguson.
Among those arrested was Princeton professor and civil rights activist Cornel West, one of several hundred demonstrators who marched to the courthouse from the Christ Church Cathedral banging drums and chanting, “If we don’t get no justice, then they don’t get no peace.”
When they arrived, demonstrators linked arms and sprayed anointing oil on the courthouse steps.
“This is what democracy looks like,” they chanted as cops began arresting them.
TEEN HURT IN SHOOTOUT WITH COPS IN FERGUSON WAS ‘CLOSE’ FRIEND OF MICHAEL BROWN
St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger said he declared the emergency because of Sunday night’s mayhem, which included the wounding of an 18-year-old black man who allegedly fired at police.
More disturbances — by protesters still seething over last year’s killing of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown by a white cop — were expected Monday once the sun went down.
“The recent acts of violence will not be tolerated in a community that has worked so tirelessly over the last year to rebuild and become stronger,” Stenger said in a statement.
In a statement, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon condemned the most recent violence in Ferguson.
“Those who terrorize communities with gunfire and commit violence against police officers are criminals, and their reprehensible acts must not be allowed to silence the voices of peace and progress,” Nixon said.
On the campaign trail, Hillary Clinton said he thoughts were “once again with the people of Ferguson as they mark this painful anniversary.”
“Violence has no place in our streets and we should all be working for peace and justice there and everywhere in our country,” the Democrat said.
Over in Ferguson, business owners were cleaning up the damage done by vandals who used the protests marking the one year anniversary of Brown’s death as an excuse to loot.
“It’s stressful, it’s so frustrating,” Dellena Jones, whose hair salon on W. Florissant Ave. was ransacked, told NBC News. “This isn’t the way to solve anything.”
ON A MOBILE DEVICE? WATCH THE VIDEO HERE
With News Wire Services
