Some St. Louis Cardinals fans clashed with Ferguson protesters Monday in a back-and-forth that included a slew of racist remarks.
Ahead of the Cardinals-Dodgers game, protesters gathered outside Busch Stadium in St. Louis to call for justice for 18-year-old Michael Brown, who was unarmed when he was shot and killed by Officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, Missouri, Aug. 9. DeadSpin posted a live stream video, via Argus Streaming News, from the demonstration. The video, shot by Argus News' Mustafa Hussein, captured the offensive remarks some Cardinals fans made to Ferguson protesters.
Cardinals fans countered chants of "Justice for Mike Brown" with "Let's go Darren." When protesters began chanting "U.S.A.! U.S.A.!" someone yelled "Africa! Africa!" One fan called a protestor a "crackhead" and told him to visit a dentist, while another later said "remove your hat" and "pull up your pants."
"If they'd be working, we wouldn't have this problem," an older, white man says at the opening of the video. "We're the ones who f***in' gave all y'all the freedom that you got," a young, white woman yells later.
A woman recording the protesters with her phone confronted Hussein, a Marine, about why he was there.
"Why are you here? I don't believe you're a veteran. What are you?" she asks.
"What do you mean what am I?" Hussein responds. "What race am I? I'm a f***ing Marine."
"OK ... from ... uh ... what ... what level?" she says. Hussein then explains the United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces. "I know it. But how far did you get?" she asks before walking away.
Hussein discussed the implications of the video Tuesday while speaking with the Riverfront Times.
"That's sad that it gives our city a really bad look ... The sad part about it is the fans that were there, you have no idea if they came in for the playoff game from outside the St. Louis area," he said. "It really portrays St. Louis as super racist and shitty, but there's no way to prove those fans were from here."
The Cardinals were aware of a potential demonstration at Busch Stadium before Monday's game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Team officials spoke with Major League Baseball and law enforcement about bolstering security, according to KTVI. Despite the tense climate, the protest was peaceful.
Wilson has not yet been charged with a crime. He testified in court before a grand jury last month. The jury has until January to decide if Wilson should be charged. Protestors have called for the officer's arrest.