A celebration of the life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was interrupted by roughly two dozen unannounced Ferguson protesters who burst into the Harris-Stowe State University auditorium in St. Louis shortly before 1 p.m. Monday and took over the stage.
The St. Louis-Post Dispatch reports the protesters chanted, “No justice, no peace,” and waved upside-down American flags. Once the protesters took control of the microphone, they then accused the university and even clergy in the audience of being part of the “establishment.”
Protesters take the stage unannounced during #MLK celebration event inside Harris-Stowe. https://t.co/KUoX5xTme4
— Koran Addo (@KoranAddo) January 19, 2015
St. Louis police are leaving auditorium as Michael Brown's mom takes the stage and demonstrators calm down. https://t.co/4KxNti9ErG
— Koran Addo (@KoranAddo) January 19, 2015
Police face-off with protesters outside Harris-Stowe after demonstrators briefly shut down #MLK prayer even... https://t.co/57AhTZu67M
— Koran Addo (@KoranAddo) January 19, 2015
Also reportedly in attendance was Michael Brown’s mother, Lesley McSpadden. She apparently asked the protesters to calm down.
The Post-Dispatch also reports that the protesters and Harris-Stowe students who wanted to celebrate MLK Day clashed with each other outside the auditorium after the disruption.
Harris-Stowe freshman Shaquell Humphries, 18, told the newspaper that the protesters were “so very disrespectful” and were cursing in front of the children and elderly people in attendance.
