Ferguson Flash Mob Disrupts St. Louis Symphony with Michael Brown Requiem
Saeed Ahmed, CNN, October 6, 2014
It was a protest of an altogether different sort.
Rather than take to the streets of Ferguson, these demonstrators took their demands to the seats of the symphony.
As the St. Louis Symphony returned from intermission Saturday night and readied to launch into Brahms’ ‘Ein deutsches Requiem’ (A German Requiem), two audience members stood up and began singing an old protest song–modified for a new cause.
“Justice for Mike Brown is justice for us all,
Which side are you on friend? Which side are you on?”
Then, others slowly joined in–in the balcony, on the floor, in various parts of the auditorium.
The protesters unfurled banners. “Mike Brown 1996-2014,” said one. “Racism lives here,” said another.
The reaction was mixed. There was applause among many in the audience. Other patrons remained unimpressed.
“He was a thug,” a man was captured on camera saying.
Brown, an unarmed 18-year-old African-American, was shot to death by a white police officer in August, fueling protests and spurring a debate on police use of force.
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The flash mob was the idea of Sarah Griesbach and Elizabeth Vega.
Two weeks ago, the pair were booed and handcuffed after hanging banners at a St. Louis Cardinals game.
“People were just outraged: How dare we interrupt a baseball game! They were saying really racist things,” Vega said.
As they were escorted out of the stadium in handcuffs, Griesbach joked, “We probably need a different venue.”
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The singing lasted for about a minute and a half.
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As they left, the demonstrators chanted “Black lives matter.”
Red hearts floated down from the balcony onto audience members below. “Requiem for Michael Brown, May 20, 1996 – August 8, 2014,” said one side. Information on how to get involved was listed on the back.
The musicians on stage clapped.
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