WHOSE STREETS?

Protesters: St. Louis Police Used Brutally Excessive Force

Claim cops targeted those who weren’t even protesting, including residents on the way home.

Demonstrators in St. Louis say police used excessive force and chemical spray against bystanders who were not even taking part in this weekend’s protests after the trial of a former cop who shot a black driver. Activists question whether police went overboard in trying to control the crowd, by reportedly using the controversial tactic known as “kettling” on protest groups—by surrounding them with officers and forcing them to remain in place. Pedestrians were arrested along with doctors, legal observers, a freelance photographer, and others, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported. “It was the most brutal arrest I’ve ever experienced in my life,” said activist Tony Rice. “I thought I was going to die.” Meanwhile, police are investigating whether some officers were chanting “Whose streets? Our streets” during Sunday evening protests, as numerous press outlets reported. A judge found Jason Stockley not guilty of murder last Friday.