ST. LOUIS (AP) – Police have given demonstrators in the latest St. Louis protests a wide berth, applying a lesson learned in nearby Ferguson to offer protesters ample room to have their say, at least until trouble starts.
But critics complain that the tactic comes with an unjust catch: If vandalism or rock throwing begin, officers order crowds to disperse and block all exits. The result, they say, is an arrest net that sweeps up journalists, bystanders and peaceful demonstrators.
The most recent round of protests began Friday after a judge acquitted former St. Louis police officer Jason Stockley, who is white, of murder in the death of a black drug suspect, Anthony Lamar Smith.
In Ferguson, police drew heavy criticism for their militarized response to protests after unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown, who was black, was fatally shot on Aug. 9, 2014, by white officer Darren Wilson, who was not charged and later resigned.
This time around, officers standing near protests do not respond to verbal abuse, nor do they intervene when demonstrators engage in minor civil disobedience like blocking streets. In fact, officers reroute traffic to keep them safe.