Dozens arrested at Ferguson protests
POLICE have arrested nearly two dozen people in Ferguson, Missouri, during a fourth consecutive night of demonstrations marking the anniversary of the fatal shooting of teenager Michael Brown.
The gathering that stretched into the early morning came a day after a protest that was interrupted by gunfire and a police shooting that left an 18-year-old critically injured. The violence set the St Louis suburb on edge and had protest leaders worried about whether tensions would escalate.
St Louis County executive Steve Stenger declared a state of emergency, which authorised county police chief Jon Belmar to take control of police emergency management in and around Ferguson.
Ferguson resident Hershel Myers, 46, criticised the police response as aggressive and unnecessary. A military veteran, he added, “It’s wrong for me to have to go overseas and fight with ‘Army’ across my chest, but we can’t fight on our own street where I live.”
Approximately 23 arrests were made, though police were still confirming official totals, a police spokesman said.
There were no shots fired and no burglaries, looting or proper t y dama ge during the protest. No smoke or tear gas was used, and no police or civilians reported injuries.
Protests also spilled outside Ferguson on Monday. Almost 60 people, including scholar and civil rights activist Cor nel West , were arrested for blocking the entrance to the federal courthouse in St Louis.