This is good news. Notwithstanding the acts of a few opportunists, the protests in Ferguson have been largely non-violent and non-destructive. Watching the news last night, the protesters were at most yelling insults and kicking police cars as they went by. A few people chose to take advantage of the events to trash a Quick Trip, steal beer and other items, and vandalize and loot, but that was a few. The majority of people protesting did not do those things, and the mini-riot in a few blocks of Ferguson should not distract from what appears to have been a police crime by one police officer. There is a lot of partial information going around, but even if there was a struggle in the police car and a shot fired in the car, gunning down an unarmed man violated law and police procedure. What happened was a terrible wrong, a murder.
Antonio French on twitter has video of the peaceful demonstration and of the cleanup this morning of some of the vandalism. The people with a pickup truck loading an ATM stolen from the Quick Trip do not represent the Ferguson community and the protesters.
Here are some of the demands:
Antonio French @AntonioFrench · 17m
Protestor Demand #4 - that the racial composition of the #Ferguson police dept reflect the racial composition of the #Ferguson community.
Antonio French @AntonioFrench · 18m
Protestor Demand #3 - circulation of the #Ferguson police handbook to the citizens of Ferguson
Antonio French @AntonioFrench · 19m
Protestor Demand #2 - the firing of the officer who killed #MikeBrown
Antonio French @AntonioFrench · 19m
Protestor Demand #1 - The identity of the officer who killed #Mike Brown
Ferguson is a working to middle class suburb that is about 67% African American. It is a couple miles east of the airport and just north of the University of Missouri in St. Louis. This is not the inner city, as some may have assumed. While not wealthy, this is not abject poverty.
The suburb has been changing over the last 20 to 30 years from a majority white to majority black place, but the police force has remained majority white. I have driven through Ferguson a few times (it's 10 or 15 miles from where I live) and it has normal houses and restaurants, seems like a nice place.
Here's the story about Rev. Sharpton. He and local African American leaders and activists will help channel the anger and rage of people into political action:
The Rev. Al Sharpton says the shooting death of an unarmed 18-year-old black man by a St. Louis-area police officer is "very disturbing," and the civil-rights leader is planning a visit to that suburb to make that known.
Sharpton tells The Associated Press that he's spoken with a grandfather of Michael Brown and plans to meet with the family in person Monday night or Tuesday in Ferguson.
Sharpton also stated in a press release: “I just spoke with Leslie McSpadden, the grandfather of Michael Brown. He has asked me to come to St. Louis in light of the police killing of his grandson to assist the family in achieving a fair investigation and justice. I assured him that National Action Network will stand with the family, as we have done for families around the country and assist in any way that we can. I am dispatching Rev. De-Ves Toon of our National Action Network field department to St. Louis immediately to prepare for my visit, and to work with groups in the area as we pursue justice in the tradition of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr..”
Sharpton plans visit following deadly shooting in Ferguson
What happened on Saturday was terrible, but perhaps action by people to pursue justice in the tradition of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., can help prevent a future murder and police crimes and brutality.
Justice for Michael Brown requires more than criminal charges against the shooter. It requires change in Ferguson and a police force that looks more like the people there.
Update I: The Brown family last night asked for peace and a stop to vandalism:
Early on in the evening after the protest transitioned from the initial vigil, a member of the Brown family condemned the actions while speaking with Fox 2.
“[We] just want everyone to know and understand that the stealing and breaking in stores is not what Mike will want, it is very upsetting to me and my family. Our family didn’t ask for this but for Justice and Peace…. Please let my family grieve in Peace in stop the violence in the street tonight, we don’t want this happening when we protest for justice for my cousin Mike Brown, please get this message out to the people that the Mike Brown family do not want this.”
St. Louis American