Many Arrested at St. Louis Demonstrations

According to Reuters, just a little less than 100 people were arrested Sunday night in St. Louis in demonstrations protesting the acquittal of the white police officer who shot Anthony Lamar Smith, a black man.

MSN says that the acquittal took place on Friday, Sep. 15, and havs since then sparked protests. The protests, for the most part, have been peaceful, but later in the night, demonstrations became more aggressive. There was vandalism, including breaking windows, and according to police on the scene, demonstrators sprayed a sort of substance at the police.

Many police officers, dressed in riot gear, showed up the scene. They pepper-sprayed the protesters and arrested many of them.

Anthony Lamar Smith was shot and killed by officer Jason Stockley back in 2011.

Police brutality against black people is a severe issue in America, with the peaceful demonstrations being very much justified. It is also important to understand the anger of the more aggressive demonstrators. Police brutality against black people is not just discrimination; it shows a history of racial prejudice and violence against black people in America.

It is crucial to know that American society is racist, even if that racism is not outwardly obvious. The fact that police officers don’t receive punishment from American courts for shooting black people is very telling. Whether or not we support the more aggressive demonstrations, we have to understand that racism still has a part in the American justice system.