Ferguson Protesters Scare Children’s Choir, Take Over Stage As Young Performers Forced To Leave

Ferguson protesters scared a children’s choir at a mall in Seattle to the point that the performance had to be cancelled. Excited kids eager to sing at Westlake Center in Seattle were severely disappointed — and terrified — at the protesters demonstrating over the shooting of Michael Brown, an 18-year-old black man in Ferguson, Missouri, who was shot by white police officer, Darren Wilson.

The choir from the 5th Avenue Theater was slated to sing Christmas carols at the annual tree lighting ceremony at the mall. Protesters reportedly surrounded the stage where the children were to perform and participants had to be ushered out when the tree lighting ceremony had to be interrupted, My Northwest reports. The incident happened on Black Friday, when about 200 Ferguson protesters took to the streets blocking the main shopping areas chanting, “Black lives matter” and “Justice for Michael Brown.” They also chanted, “Hands up, don’t shoot.”

According to a Facebook post by TV anchor Mark White of KING 5 TV and KONG 6/16 in Seattle, a first hand account of the scene was revealed.

“Some of you may know that tonight’s tree lighting at Westlake Center was cut short by protesters. I feel really bad for a group of children from the 5th Avenue Theater. They came tonight, excited to sing. When the protesters overtook the balcony, the children were absolutely terrified. I helped usher them to the far end of the balcony where they would be safe. They huddled with their chaperones and each other, some of them crying, until police got the protesters out of there. As a journalist, I’m absolutely in favor of the right to free speech. This was not free speech tonight. The protesters appear to simply want to disrupt, and in doing so, traumatized some beautiful young kids.”

A statement from Seattle Mayor Ed Murray was released over the Ferguson demonstrators.

“While I understand the hurt and frustration that our city has experienced in the past days, this is a city that respects the rule of law. I support the First Amendment rights of protesters, but violence against property or police officers will not be tolerated in our city.”

In spite of pleas from city and government officials for peace by Ferguson protesters in the Michael Brown shooting, their requests have been met with much defiance.

The Inquisitr wrote about blacks and whites coming together in the city of Ferguson during the riots, when armed black residents were standing guard over white-owned businesses.

[Image via Opposing Views]