Requiem for Mike Brown
Last night, right before the Brahms Requiem at Powell Symphony Hall in St. Louis, brave singers stood up, and sang "Which Side are you on?" for Mike Brown, unfurling banners from the balcony, and at the end, before walking out chanting "Black Lives Matter!!", showered the main floor with paper hearts with the phrase, "Requiem for Mike Brown" on them.
This is some seriously creative protesting. I had friends in both the audience as well as on stage.
From the St Louis American
Just after intermission, about 50 people interrupted the St. Louis Symphony’s performance of Brahms Requiem on Saturday night, singing “Justice for Mike Brown.”
As symphony conductor Markus Stenz raised his baton to begin the second act of German Requiem, one middle-aged African-American man stood up in the middle of the theater and sang, “What side are you on friend, what side are you on?”
In an operatic voice, another woman located a few rows away stood up and joined him singing, “Justice for Mike Brown is justice for us all.” Several more audience members sprinkled throughout the theater and in the balcony rose up and joined in the singing.
The best video I can find on it.
I think many white, suburban, and privileged folks in STL think that the only people who care about Mike Brown are uneducated criminals. They comfort themselves with that. That people who know Classical music?! That understand the word Requiem! They care?!!!? GASP!!! Being a resident of STL for both the early part of my life as well as about 14 years into my 40s, I can tell you that this is a way of thinking there, and that this kind of action shakes up that kind of BS thinking and important to do.
Next weekend is a call for major protests, and I wonder what is up their sleeves.
I hope that this goes viral.
And Kudos to the organizers of this.
8:31 AM PT: Top of the rec list? Long time commenter, never did a diary before because there were always so many good ones to read, that summed up my feelings about a subject.
Thanks, and spread this great protest action around! We need more of this! Next weekend there is a call for protestors to come to Ferguson from around the country. Hoping to see more of this type of unexpected action. It gets notice from people who are not paying attention!
An Addition:
From the ST Louis Post Dispatch
The orchestra and chorus were preparing to perform Johannes Brahms' Requiem just after intermission when two audience members in the middle aisle on the main floor began singing an old civil rights tune, "Which Side are You on?" They soon were joined, in harmony, by other protesters, who stood at seats in various locations on the main floor and in the balcony.
And additional update Thanks from Just Bob in the comments.
Washington Post
The group was surprised by the response, said Derek Laney, an organizer for Missourians Organizing for Reform and Empowerment. Instead of being ushered out in handcuffs by police, some patrons of the symphony — and some symphony members themselves — applauded the tuneful message. The group left on their own after about a minute and a half of singing, while they chanted “Blacks Lives Matter.”
“It went to show that there are people among that crowd who think that the protests matter and that it’s not okay to just kill black children, and they’d be receptive to hear that message,” Laney said. “It was a perfect moment. As we left, people were smiling and reaching out to shake our hands.”