Officer quits, protests continue

Fight for ‘justice’ gains momentum

THE WHITE policeman who shot dead an unarmed black teen in the St Louis suburb of Ferguson has resigned, but this has failed to deter angry protesters demanding justice and reform.

Darren Wilson left the force citing fears for the safety of local residents and fellow officers, according to a letter published by local media on Saturday. Wilson wrote: “It is my hope that my resignation will allow the community to heal.”

A grand jury decision last Monday not to charge Wilson in connection with the shooting in August of Michael Brown, 18, sparked days of sporadic violence in Ferguson and demonstrations in several major cities across the US.

The decision revived long-standing questions about how police, especially white officers, interacted with African Americans – questions raised again after last week’s shooting in Cleveland of Tamir Rice, 12.

“It was my hope to continue in police work, but the safety of other officers and the community are of paramount importance to me,” Wilson wrote in his letter.

Dozens of demonstrators again gathered outside Ferguson police station despite his decision to quit, with protesters setting fire to a US flag and jeering at police officers.

There was also a brief stand-off outside a bar between demonstrators and riot police before organisers moved protesters along.

Earlier on Saturday, a core group of about 100 marchers set out on a 192km “Journey for Justice”, heading from Ferguson – a mainly black suburb – to the Missouri state capital, Jefferson City. The marchers, organised by the National Association for the Advancement of Col- ored People, are demanding the sacking of the Ferguson police chief, nationwide police reforms and an end to racial profiling.

“We will fight until hell freezes over, and then we will fight on the ice,” the group’s president, Cornell William Brooks, told supporters.

“We’re endeavouring to seek justice for a grieving family as well as systemic, fundamental reform in terms of policing for an outraged community.“– Sapa-AFP

PICTURE: REUTERS OUTRAGED: A protester shouts at police as he blocks traffic before being arrested in Ferguson, Missouri, where unarmed black teen Michael Brown, 18, was shot and killed.

PICTURE: AP RESIGNED: Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson, who fatally shot Michael Brown in August.