Our Streets - Davis Winborne

Mel Moffitt drags a U.S. flag toward a St. Louis police cruiser parked on an overpass. Behind Moffitt, thousands of protesters shouted "whose streets? our streets." as they marched toward a police blockade along highway 40.

Our Streets:

Over the course of four days in September, 2017, thousands of demonstrators flooded the streets of downtown St. Louis to protest the acquittal of police officer Jason Stockley, who fatally shot unarmed motorist Anthony Lamar Smith in 2011.

As the protests raged on, demonstrators grew violent and attacked police and vandalized storefronts, resulting in a militant police response against journalists and protesters alike.

Protest leaders shout into a megaphone as they lead the crowd in a chant on the steps of the St. Louis justice building. Monday night's protest was aimed at securing the release of over 100 people arrested by St. Louis police the previous night.

Demonstrators lie in the middle of the intersection of Delmar Boulevard and Skinker Boulevard in St. Louis, blocking traffic from four sides. Protesters laid in the street for nearly half an hour, despite a growing presence of police and angry motorists.

Two protesters ride atop a car as it rolls slowly through throngs of people near St/ Louis' "Delmar Divide," a district known for it's racial and economic inequality. Moments later, a different car tried to force its way through the crowd, causing a brief panic.

Mell Moffitt shouts at a line of St. Louis riot police. After the official Black Lives Matter protest ended, dozens of remaining protestors clashed with police, resulting in the deployment of riot and SWAT teams.

A woman uses a handheld projector to display images from the killing of Anthony Lamar Smith onto a building in a residential area. Protestors chanted the name of Judge Tim Wilson, who handed down the not guilty verdict to Officer Jason Stockley.

Derk Brown, center, a reporter for Real News STL, a citizen journalism site in St. Louis, live streams to Facebook shortly after police turned pepper spray on a group of people including reporters and other media. Brown was hit directly in the eyes before other reporters escorted him away to pour milk on his face.

A protester prepares to swing again after using a piece of debris to shatter a glass window during a clash with police. Multiple businesses suffered damage as people used objects off the street to destroy windows.

People inside a hookah lounge watch nervously as protesters swarm the streets, destroying storefronts. One protester had come within inches of throwing a trash can though the lounge's front window before people inside were able to turn him away.

St. Louis police in riot gear march down Delmar Boulevard toward a small group of remaining protesters. Authorities used a megaphone to announce that the protest had been deemed unlawful and threatened the use of chemical munitions and arrest.

A St. Louis police officer kneels over a woman as he arrests her. Police swept through Delmar Street, catching and arresting several people after protests became violent.

Elisheva Heit, left, cleans up damage to her shop with the help of some friends after end of the protest. Heit's shop was slate to have a grand opening the next morning.

Local artist Adell Blackmon III paints a three-sided mural on a boarded up storefront in the Loop. Despite a planned protest on the Loop Monday, the area was quiet and peaceful as demonstrators moved to the city's justice system building instead.