Michael Brown shooting: T-shirts supporting Darren Wilson, the officer who killed the teenager, sold out at counter protest
The protesters had gathered outside a local TV station
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.T-shirts emblazoned with a slogan supporting the white police officer who fatally shot an unarmed black teenager sold out on Monday, during a protest countering tense demonstrations against the police which have entered their second week.
The killing of 18-year-old Michael Brown by 28-year-old Darren Wilson has sparked volatile demonstrations in the town of Ferguson, Missouri, and heightened tensions between the city’s majority black community and its majority white police force.
Police have said little about the encounter between Brown and the officer, except that it involved a scuffle in which the officer was injured and Brown was shot. Witnesses say the teenager had his hands in the air as the officer fired multiple rounds.
On Sunday afternoon, a group of around 100 counter-protesters, all but one of whom were white, picketed against what they regarded as biased reporting of Brow's death. They gathered outside the local KSDK-TV station in St Louis, which had broadcast images of Wilson’s home.
The station later removed the footage from its website and apologised “to our audience, to the surrounding neighborhoods, to the greater St Louis community and to the officer for our mistake”, the Guardian reported.
The protests was organised via a pro-Wilson Facebook page which was established on Saturday and had garnered over 25,000 ‘likes’ by Monday evening (GMT).
Tweets from the scene show t-shirts featuring a police officer badge embossed with the slogan: “Officer Darren Wilson I stand by you” alongside the date the teenager died. Selling for $7 each, the 55 t-shirts quickly sold out, according to the Huffington Post.
The protesters also passed around a card, in which they wrote messages of support for the officer.
“He was doing his job,” said Kaycee Reinisch, 57, of Lincoln County, Missouri told the Guardian on Sunday.
“And now because of public uproar in Ferguson, he is being victimised. He is being victimised by the whole city, the state and the federal government.” Reinisch said she had relations in law enforcement who would be “frightened to do their jobs” if Wilson were punished for the incident.
Earlier in the day, violence in the city was renewed as a private autopsy report was released showing that Michael Brown, the unarmed black teenager killed by a white police officer in the St Louis suburb last weekend, had been shot six times – twice in the head.
Later on Monday, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called on US authorities to ensure that protesters rights were protected in Ferguson.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments