Stunned St. Louis Symphony Interrupted by Protest Song for Mike Brown. So How Did It Go Over?

ST. LOUIS (TheBlaze/AP) — Several dozen people protesting the shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown interrupted a performance of the St. Louis Symphony.

Image source: YouTube

Just before the musicians were about to start performing a song Saturday night, the demonstrators began singing and unfurled from a balcony three banners related to Brown's shooting in August by a Ferguson police officer, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Image source: YouTube

The signs read:

• "Requiem for Mike Brown 1996-2014" (along with a similar one with a drawing of his face)
• "Racism Lives Here" (with an arrow pointing to a drawing the St. Louis arch)
• "Rise Up and Join the Movement"

The protesters sang, "Justice for Mike Brown is justice for us all," as well as, "Which side are you on, friend? Which side are you on?"

Image source: YouTube

While the protest was met with applause from some members of the audience as well as the symphony, not everyone seemed pleased.

Some audience members appeared visibly annoyed; another person is heard on a video of the performance saying out of frame, "He was a thug."

After the song, the protesters chanted "black lives matter!" about 10 times while making their way out of the hall.

The conductor watches the protest... (Image source: YouTube)

The protesters were ticketed members of the audience, symphony publicist Erika Ebsworth-Goold told KMOX-TV and the Post-Dispatch.

St. Louis Police said they received no calls about the demonstration.

Here's the video: