Prominent Ferguson Activists DeRay Mckesson and Johnetta Elzie Arrested in St. Louis During Planned Protests

Prominent activist, Netta Elzie, being arrested for filming the protest

Prominent activist, Netta Elzie, being arrested for filming the protest

At  least 160 people were arrested in massive acts of civil disobedience throughout St. Louis on Monday afternoon, including several prominent activists of the Black Lives Matter Movement.

Cornel West, DeRay Mckesson, Johnetta “Netta” Elzie and Kayla Reed, were among 57 protesters who were arrested during a sit-in at the federal courthouse in St. Louis. The protesters blocked the entrance to the federal building as part of a series of planned acts of civil disobedience to commemorate the one year anniversary of the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo.

Later in the afternoon, another group of protesters, lead by youth activist group, Millennial Activists United, shutdown highway I-70 in both directions.

There were a total of 110 protesters arrested during the demonstration, although some were immediately released according to sources.

Additional acts of protests occurred throughout the night.

Democracy needs journalism it can trust.

This election season, the stakes are higher than usual — and so is the pressure on newsrooms to soften their coverage, stay quiet, or just disappear. Independent reporting, the kind that answers to readers instead of advertisers or political pressure, matters more in a moment like this, not less.

For over 14 years, Atlanta Black Star has stayed independent and reader-funded. We have no corporate owner and no shareholders telling us what to cover or how to cover it. That independence is also our biggest vulnerability: nothing protects it except readers choosing to fund it directly.

Newspaper ad revenue has fallen more than 80% since 2005, and local newsrooms are closing at a rate of roughly two a week nationwide. When outlets go under in a moment like this, it's rarely the independent, reader-funded ones that get to stick around.

We know a request for support isn't why you came here. But without readers choosing to fund this work directly, the depth of reporting we can do at home and abroad shrinks along with everyone else's. If you're not in a position to give, that doesn't change how much we value you as a reader.

If you are able to, a recurring contribution does more for us than a single one-time gift, because it lets us plan the next investigation instead of just the next invoice. It takes about 30 seconds, no long form, no account. Thank you for continuing to support independent journalism and freedom of the press.

Back to top