ST. LOUIS (AP) – After defeating three leading black candidates, the new white mayor of St. Louis is carefully navigating racial strife that culminated in days of protest over the acquittal of a white former police officer who fatally shot a black suspect.
Lyda Krewson watched as her city and some suburbs filled for days with thousands of protesters angry at the acquittal and upset with broader issues of racial inequality. The mayor says St. Louis can be a leader in addressing inequity, but she also faces criticism from those who want her to do more and pushback from others who want strong support for police or insist racism is not an issue.
“At the end of the day, she doesn’t ever want to come off as being insensitive to the anger and the frustration that people are exemplifying as a result of the verdict,” Democratic state Sen. Jamilah Nasheed said. “However, she doesn’t want to go too far and not be supportive of law enforcement. It’s a balancing act for her.”
Protesters took to the streets Friday after a judge acquitted Jason Stockley of first-degree murder for fatally shooting 24-year-old Anthony Lamar Smith in 2011.
While the protests have been mostly nonviolent, there was some vandalism and unrest in the hours after organized demonstrations ended last weekend. Police in some instances have given demonstrators a wide berth and essentially acted as traffic control.