Human RightsNorth America

Democratic and Humanist (!) US police arrest at least 80 protesters in St. Louis area

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Police in the United States have arrested more than 80 people protesting against a Missouri grand jury’s decision not to indict a white police officer, who shot and killed a black teenager last summer in Ferguson.

St. Louis County police said on Tuesday morning that 61 people were arrested in Ferguson on charges including burglary and trespassing.

And, according to St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay, 21 protesters were arrested in St. Louis.

Protests were held on Monday night in at least 90 cities and towns across the United States after St. Louis County prosecutor Robert McCulloch said that Darren Wilson would not be indicted and that he would not even face charges for killing 18-year-old Michael Brown on August 9.

Commenting on the decision, the Congressional Black Caucus said, “It is a slap in the face to Americans nationwide who continue to hope and believe that justice will prevail.”

The Congressional Black Caucus, organization representing the African American members of the US Congress, called the decision a “miscarriage of justice” in a written statement issued on Monday night.

Meanwhile, Brown’s family said in a statement that the grand jury ruling was “profoundly disappointing”.

“While we understand that many others share our pain, we ask that you channel your frustration in ways that will make a positive change,” the Brown family said. “We need to work together to fix the system that allowed this to happen.”

The 12-member grand jury, including nine whites and three African Americans, had been meeting in secret for months on whether probable cause existed to bring charges against Wilson.

Following the decision, violent protests against racial discrimination and police brutality in the United States broke out across the country.

During a press briefing, President Barack Obama urged protesters to be calm and said these protests are “an understandable reaction.”

Obama also acknowledged that the United States is suffering from racial discrimination.

“The fact is, in too many parts of this country, a deep distrust exists between law enforcement and communities of color. Some of this is the result of the legacy of racial discrimination in this country.”

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