To put it bluntly, the number of Saint Swisher protesters are dwindling.
St. Louis County Prosecutor Robert McCulloch, under fire for months for how he handled the grand jury that investigated the Ferguson police shooting of Michael Brown, on Friday did something he’s been thinking about for awhile.
He spoke — at length, and directly to a public audience — about the decisions he made then, the reflections he’s had since, and how he sees the St. Louis region moving forward to soothe a deep divide between law enforcement and some of the communities it serves.
McCulloch, delivering opening remarks at the St. Louis University law school symposium titled “The Thin Blue Line: Policing Post-Ferguson,” said he deliberately held off on a wide-ranging public dialogue until now. He wanted to wait for things to calm.
He may not have waited long enough.
Three times during his remarks, McCulloch had to contend with vocal protests from within the audience. His appearance, announced in advance, had already faced opposition from some professors and students, including from the Black Law Students Association.
The protesters were scattered throughout the campus’ mock courtroom, unassuming until they stood and let themselves be known. One young woman donned a judicial robe and held a “sentencing” in which she chastised McCulloch for his “gross injustice” in handling the grand jury, which was tasked with deciding whether to charge Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson with the Aug. 9 fatal shooting of Brown, 18.[…]
“I’m always amazed when those who profess their right to free speech won’t let anyone else speak,” he said. To the chants of “black lives matter,” McCulloch responded, “I’m pretty certain all lives matter.”
Campus security escorted about a dozen of the protesters out. The building was on lockdown and the public had to pre-register to attend.
McCulloch, an alumnus of the law school, was otherwise on friendly territory. Several people praised him for having the dialogue in the face of criticism. The prosecutor said one of the things he learned from Ferguson was the need to communicate better with the public.