NEW YORK
As the city of St. Louis, Missouri braces itself for a grand jury’s decision regarding potential charges against a white police officer for fatally shooting an unarmed black teenager, the tensions in the city remains palpable as apprehensions ahead of the ruling persist.
On Sunday night, around 200 people staged a protest through the streets of St. Louis, with chants of “Black lives matter” and “Not one more” filling the air.
The march of peaceful protesters was held in the Shaw neighborhood, which was the scene of the shooting death of another black man, Vonderrit Myers Jr., by an off-duty police officer on Oct. 9.
No arrests were reported at the march.
A grand jury is currently deciding on whether to bring charges against police officer Darren Wilson for the shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown in the city of Ferguson, in Missouri.
The jury, which has been meeting since Aug. 20, is expected to announce its decision imminently.
Earlier on Sunday, St. Louis county authorities had set up barriers and parking restrictions near the courthouse where the jurors have been convening.
U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder on Friday had urged law enforcement forces to show restraint in the face of possible confrontations during demonstrations.
"It is vital to engage in planning and preparation, from evaluating protocols and training to choosing the appropriate equipment and uniforms," he said in a video posted on the Justice Department's website.
The Aug. 9 shooting of 18-year-old Brown triggered weeks of intense protests, with violent clashes occasionally erupting between police and protesters.
According to the human rights group Amnesty International, police in Ferguson had committed abuses in dealing with the protests.
“The U.S. government must do much more to address systemic racial discrimination and ensure policing practices nationwide are brought into line with international human rights standards,” it said in an Oct. 24 report.
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