There have been many occasions when protesters have taken their protests to high-profile sporting events that are either related to or at least nearby the basis of the protest. It makes sense. Protesters want their protest to be visible, so you go where the people are whom you want to reach and where there are a lot of cameras so that your protest can be seen. It was no different last night in St. Louis, where people protesting the shooting death of Mike Brown and the subsequent events in nearby Ferguson, Missouri set up outside of Busch Stadium.
The racial undertones of the Brown shooting and the immediate aftermath are unmistakable. And they revealed themselves again at Busch Stadium, as several people, apparently Cardinals fans going to the game, engaged in some counter-protesting that was, quite frankly, ugly.
Deadspin has the whole rundown, including a lengthy video of the events. Among the lowlights: people calling the protesters -- who were black -- “crack heads,” another chanting “Africa! Africa! Africa!” at them, saying that they should get jobs and telling the black protesters that “We’re the ones who gave all y’all the freedoms that you have!” It was odious.
I understand if various people see the world and the events in Ferguson differently than I do, this person, that person or the next person does. But when you see stuff like this, don’t even think of saying “race has nothing to do with it” or accusing those who have a problem with what went down there with “playing the race card” or whatever such nonsense people bring up in order to avoid the conclusion that, yep, race has an awful lot to do with it.
