Above: Lesley McSpadden (center) and Michael Brown Sr. (left), parents of 18-year-old Michael Brown. Mark Kauzlarich / Reuters
Michael Brown Sr. called in to a Ferguson radio station to say that he hoped protests would stop on Monday out of respect for his son as it is the day of his funeral
Also, Brown Sr. Speaks at “Peacefest” With Trayvon Martin’s Parents
The father of Mike Brown has asked that people call off all protests Monday, the day of his son’s funeral.
“I would like for no protesting going on,” Michael Brown Sr. said during an interview on Hot 104.1 FM, a hip-hop radio station in St. Louis. “We just want a moment of silence that whole day. Just out of respect for our son.”
Brown went on air this morning with the Demetrious Johnson Show, which runs from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m.
Michael Brown’s funeral is set for 10 a.m. on Monday, Aug. 25, in a church in St. Louis that can accommodate up to 4,500 people. Three White House officials, Rev. Al Sharpton, and thousands of community members are expected to attend.
Protests and riots, many of which turned violent and led to a number of arrests last week, have taken over Ferguson since Michael Brown was shot by police officer Darren Wilson on Aug. 9.
Video: Brown Also Spoke at the Annual “Peacefest” Against Gun Violence With Trayvon Martin’s Parents
Source: Huffington Post
ST. LOUIS — Michael Brown Sr. spoke briefly at a gathering here on Sunday night to call for peace ahead of the Monday funeral for his son.
“Tomorrow all I want is peace while my son is being laid to rest,” Brown said. “Please, that’s all I ask. And thank you.”
Since a Ferguson, Missouri, police officer shot and killed Michael Brown Jr. on Aug. 9, the small St. Louis suburb has been consumed by daily protests and a militarized police response. But in the past few days, the Ferguson protests have been mostly quiet. Hundreds of protesters have marched peacefully up and down the road near where Brown died.
Michael Brown Sr. seemed to be holding back tears as he spoke to the crowd of hundreds at the annual Peacefest, an event in St. Louis calling for an end to gun violence in inner cities. The Rev. Al Sharpton, who spoke at Brown’s side, said Brown told him that he had come out to show support for the community that had shown support for him.
“Even if I just show my face, I want them to know even in my pain, I appreciate what they’re doing,” Sharpton said Brown told him. “Tomorrow he lays his son to rest, but tonight he wants to show you he loves you.”
Trayvon Martin’s father, Tracy Martin, and mother, Sybrina Fulton, also attended Sunday’s event, as did U.S. Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.), who was born in St. Louis.
Tracy Martin, an East St. Louis native, spoke at Peacefest last year. He had already been scheduled to speak again this year before Brown was shot — but Brown’s death added a somber resonance.
“Y’all stood with the Trayvon Martin family, we’re gonna stand tall with y’all,” said Martin, who appeared on stage after Brown left. “Our kids need to be treated as equals, so it’s time to stand up.”
Video by Emily Kassie of the Huffington Post.