MOSCOW (Sputnik) — A rights pressure group in Missouri is pushing for Ferguson Mayor James Knowles to step down amid the ongoing police violence scandal, and has launched a petition for his recall, CNN reported Sunday.
The minority rights group, called the Organization for Black Struggle (OBS), said it filed an affidavit on Friday calling for a referendum to remove the 31-year-old mayor of a city that has become a symbol of protests against racial discrimination.
OBS needs to collect signatures from at least 15 percent of the city's voters in the next two months to have a chance at forcing Mayor Knowles out of office.
This is the latest episode of housecleaning in the city government following a scathing federal report that found widespread racial bias in the Ferguson police. The exposure has led to resignations from the city's police chief and several other officials.
