Cornel West Arrested in Ferguson
Dr. Cornell West arrested. #ferguson pic.twitter.com/HwlXPLNOqc
— Craig Cheatham (@CheathamKMOV) October 13, 2014
Princeton University Professor Emeritus Cornel West was arrested while demonstrating in Ferguson, Missouri today as part of a day of action demanding the arrest of the police officer who shot unarmed black teenager Michael Brown. West and other protesters said they went to Ferguson to get arrested.
Los Angeles Times reporter Matt Pearce wrote on Twitter that West was joined by clergy in a march to the Ferguson Police Station and was handcuffed this afternoon. Pearce wrote that the demonstration was highly coordinated with “organizers clearing paths, sending clergy in waves willing to get arrested.”
West was in Ferguson as part of the Ferguson October rally, which has been attended by several thousand protesters. He attended several events in Ferguson Sunday, including a gathering called Hip Hop 4 Justice that was led by well-known hip hop artists. West was also a keynote speaker at a mass meeting at the Chaifetz Arena on Sunday night.
Ferguson October was created to call for justice and lasting change in the wake of the shooting and death of Ferguson teenager Michael Brown by police officer Darren Wilson.
Krystal Knapp is the founding editor of Planet Princeton. Follow her on Twitter @krystalknapp. She can be reached via email at editor AT planetprinceton.com. Send all letters to the editor and press releases to that email address.
This is highly irresponsible for Dr. West to be involved with mob rule mentality. If Mike Brown was the aggressor than the police officer had no duty to retreat. Dr. West is not privy to all of the information being presented to the grand jury. There is audio recording of an eyewitness that Mike Brown assaulted, taunted and then bum-rushed the officer.