St. Louis police shut down entire mall to violently arrest black protester 

On Friday afternoon the St. Louis Galleria was closed for a half hour while seven people were arrested during a Black Friday protest.

Among the people arrested was Democratic state Rep. Bruce Franks Jr. He, along with three others who were arrested was released by 7 pm that same night.

The protesters got to the mall just after 2 pm and walked around chanting, “Shut it down.” Some of the stores even closed their doors and security gates even though it trapped shoppers inside.

A large number of police officers responded to the scene and Richmond Heights cops said that the protesters must disperse by 2:25 pm or they would get arrested. At one point, police rushed in on one person and when Franks questioned the officers he was thrown to the ground and his hands were tied behind his back.

It was one woman and six men who were arrested. Each was handcuffed and lined up on the second floor. The mall closed down completely at approximately 2:40 pm and was open again by 3:20 pm after most of the protesters had left.

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About 50 people, including the media and fellow protesters, gathered in front of the jail in Clayton, where the protesters were taken.

“When they come out the door, we want them to know we’re here for them,” said the Rev. Darryl Gray, one of the organizers.

The protests were carried out as part of an economic boycott effort that had been announced earlier this month by black clergy and activists over issues such as bank loan practices, the police treatment of black people as well as infrastructure neglect in northern St. Louis.

“We pay taxes. … We spend our dollars in other communities, other venues, and we have not received an equitable return for those monies that we have invested,” said the Rev. Dinah Tatman, who helped organize the protest. “We’re now taking our money and investing in ourselves.”