A Missouri state senator was arrested in Ferguson on Monday in another night of protests following the fatal police shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown.
Sen. Jamilah Nasheed spent the night in jail, later telling reporters that the arrest was a “symbolic” act to peacefully demand justice for the slain teenager, who was killed Aug. 9 by Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson.
“I wanted to send a message to all the protesters that we have a long road ahead of us these next three weeks,” the Democrat said, in reference to when the St. Louis County Grand Jury is expected to decide whether to charge Officer Wilson, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.
“It’s OK to protest, it’s OK to exercise your First Amendment rights, it’s OK to go to jail for a cause, but it’s not OK to destroy communities,” she said. “It’s not OK to protest violently in the name of Michael Brown. We all want justice, but we don’t want violence.”
CNN footage broadcast by a local NBC affiliate showed Ms. Nasheed shouting “No Justice,” with replies of “No peace,” from several protesters, as she was handcuffed along with another man, Reuters reported.
Ms. Nasheed was arrested for blocking traffic outside the Ferguson police station and refusing to move despite repeated warnings from police. She spent the night in the St. Ann jail, and was released about 10:50 a.m. Tuesday on $600 bond, the Post-Dispatch reported.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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