Four days of protests, including possible civil disobedience, are planned in and around St. Louis, Missouri, following a recent fatal shooting of a black man by a white police officer.
The planned protests coincide with similar demonstrations in the nearby St. Louis suburb of Ferguson, which was rocked by violence in August following the killing of an unarmed 18-year-old black man, Michael Brown, by a white police officer.
Activists resurfaced after this week's death of another 18-year-old black man in an apparent shootout with an off-duty St. Louis police officer. Conflicting accounts of what led to the shooting this past Wednesday were put forward by police and eyewitnesses.
Differing descriptions of the August shooting of Brown contributed to angry demonstrations in Ferguson in which several people were injured. That incident brought reaction from U.S. President Barack Obama and United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. A federal investigation into what happened is ongoing while a local grand jury is considering indicting the officer who shot Brown.
In the wake of the most recent shooting, police were expected to face major crowd control challenges during demonstrations led by high profile activists over coming days.
Organized demonstrations began Friday. No arrests were reported. Among the largest planned events is a march Saturday in downtown St. Louis. Organizers say marches, concerts, rallies and acts of civil disobedience are planned through Monday.
