Ferguson Grand Jury Verdict Sparks Tampa, St. Pete Protests

Protesters in both St. Petersburg and Tampa have taken to the streets, braving heavy rains, to voice their disapproval of the grand jury’s decision against indicting police officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo.

Brown was unarmed when he was shot and killed following an Aug. 9 theft. The grand jury’s decision came down Monday night, sparking protests across the country.

While riots broke out in Ferguson following the announcement, Tampa and St. Pete’s protests have been peaceful so far.

In Tampa, protesters met outside the George E. Edgecomb courthouse, representing groups such as the Dream Defenders, The Tampa Tribune reported.

“I’m out here because the police have hurt yet another innocent person and gotten away with it,” Melinda Piquette was quoted by the Tribune as saying.

St. Petersburg’s protesters gathered along Central Avenue and Fifth Street where police blocked off traffic, the Tampa Bay Times reported. That gathering was led by the International People’s Democratic Uhuru Movement, the paper said.

Protesters there carried a host of signs bearing slogans such as, “No Justice, No Peace,” “Not one more black life,” and “Jail Killer Cop Darren Wilson,” the Times reported.

See Also:

• No Indictment for Officer Wilson in Shooting Death of Michael Brown