ST. LOUIS, MO, August 25 (RIA Novosti) - Ferguson, Missouri, the city that has been rocked by protests since police killed an unarmed African-American teenager this month, is among the “most segregated cities in the country”, a peace-rally participant told RIA Novosti Sunday.
“St. Louis is one of the most segregated cities in the country. The situation here is much more deep-rooted than one particular instance and getting uncomfortable conversations about racism can hopefully lead to positive outcomes,” Robert Little, 28, said during a peace rally in the port city.
“I want to see a more integrated St. Louis because we have a lot to learn from each other that we miss out on because we’re so segregated. Maybe once we realize that our prejudices are self-induced they will erode away,” he said.
Ferguson, a mostly African-American suburb of St. Louis with some 21,000 residents, has been shaken by often violent protests since Wilson shot and killed Brown, an unarmed teen walking with a friend on a leafy backstreet on the afternoon of August 9.
The grand jury began the hearing of evidence on the shooting Wednesday and is expected to decide on the possible charges against Wilson by mid-October. The inquiry hinges on whether Wilson fired in self-defense.
Brown’s mother was set to appear alongside the parents of Trayvon Martin, a Florida teenager shot dead in 2012, at Peace Fest 2014, a music event encouraging peace over violence, in St. Louis’ largest park, which was arranged before the killing.
Missouri National Guard troops have begun withdrawing as protests have calmed in recent nights. Police have been criticized for using military tactics, toting assault rifles and using tear gas, rubber bullets and other heavy-handed measures.
