ST. LOUIS, MO, August 23 (RIA Novosti) – Supporters of Darren Wilson, the policeman who shot and killed an unarmed African-American teen and sparked a wave of protests, rallied in St. Louis on Saturday as donations flooded in for the lawman.
“Our mission is to formally declare that we share the united belief that Officer Wilson’s actions on August 9 were warranted and justified and he has our unwavering support,” activists said in a joint statement that was read aloud in Lindenwood Park.
Scores of people waved placards as passing cars honked horns in support. Online donations via pages on the gofundme website climbed above $300,000 to cover the officer’s legal costs and possible relocation.
“Many of us have received death threats against ourselves and our families… We will not hide. We will no longer live in fear. We ask this question: Can justice ever be attained if one side’s supporters are living in fear of speaking out?”
Ferguson, a mostly African-American suburb of St. Louis of some 21,000 residents, has been shaken by often violent protests since Wilson gunned down Mike Brown, an unarmed teen, as he walked with a friend on a residential street.
A grand jury of three African-American and nine white people began hearing evidence about the shooting on Wednesday and is expected to decide on charging Wilson by mid-October. The inquiry hinges on whether Wilson fired in self-defense.
Missouri Governor Jay Nixon withdrew National Guard troops on Thursday as protests 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.
