BLACK SOCIAL HISTORY SAYS - JUSTICE FOR "MICHEAL BROWN "
St Louis protesters demand murder charges for police officer who shot teen dead
Largely peaceful protests in suburb of Ferguson took place after riots that followed death of unarmed teenager Michael Brown :
Sunday night’s riots gave way to more peaceful protests on Monday as residents of Ferguson, Missouri, took to the streets to demand justice for an unarmed black teenager who was shot dead by police over the weekend.
Hundreds of protestors attended a rally outside the Ferguson police station demanding murder charges be brought against the officer who shot and killed 18-year-old Michael Brown.
The circumstances of Brown’s death are still unclear and very much in dispute. St Louis County police chief Jon Belmar said an autopsy indicated the teen had been struck multiple times by gunfire.
Brown’s mother, Lesley McSpadden, said her son had recently graduated high school and was looking forward to starting college classes.
“We can’t even celebrate. We’ve got to plan a funeral,” she said during a press conference on Monday. McSpadden, very shaken, continued to shake her head in disbelief and as she quietly repeated: “He didn’t deserve this.”
There are conflicting accounts of the events that led to Brown’s death. Authorities have said Brown got into an altercation with an officer but awitness said there was no scuffle and Brown was shot as he raised his hands to show he was unarmed.
After the shooting, Brown’s body was left bleeding and lifeless in the streets for hours. Authorities said they would look into why the body’s removal was delayed.
Brown’s family has hired civil rights attorney Benjamin Crump, the same lawyer who represented the family of Trayvon Martin.
Crump urged authorities to conduct a swift and transparent investigation.
“Don’t make us wait forever because the pot will continue to boil,” he said during a press conference. He made clear that the family “rejects” the police’s account of the incident, and is asking witnesses to come forward with statements, videos or photos.
The St Louis County police and the FBI are conducting concurrent investigations into the shooting, authorities said Monday.
US attorney general Eric Holder said in a statement on Monday that FBI agents from the St Louis field office would work together with attorneys from the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and US Attorney’s Office to conduct a “fulsome review” of the incident.
Brown’s death sparked overnight looting and vandalism in the St Louis suburb after a vigil for the teen turned violent. Police said two dozens businesses had been damaged in the riots, 32 people arrested, and two officers injured.
By Monday, the rage had ebbed but the anger still pulsed.
“People are angry, people are hurt, people are fed up. You have to direct it somewhere – and you can’t direct it at the people who made you angry because they’ll shoot you and kill you,” Derek Laney, 49, of St Louis told a Los Angeles Times reporter in Ferguson. “So they express it outward … I wouldn’t go out and smash things, I wouldn’t go out and burn things. But I understand why people do it.”
Speaking to the St Louis Post-Dispatch, DeAndrew Smith, 30, compared Brown’s death to the death of Martin, the 17-year-old Florida teenager who was shot and killed while walking home from the store.
“You ain’t got to kill him,” Smith said. “He ain’t got a gun in his hands. Why did you kill him? You said Trayvon had a hoodie on. You didn’t know what was going on with him. He didn’t have no hoodie on. His hands was up when you shot him. So what’s your excuse?”
Some carried signs that read “We are Michael Brown,” an homage to the rallying cry protestors used after Martin’s death.
Social media exploded in reaction to news of Brown’s death in what’s becoming a ritual following such incidents.
The hashtag #iftheygunnedmedown emerged, asking viewers which photo would be published if they were to be shot by police.
On Youtube, the hacker collective Anonymous published a video encouraging Ferguson residents to demand justice for Brown’s death.
To the good people of Ferguson, take heart and take your streets. You are not alone, we will support you in every way possible. Occupy every square inch of your city. Demand justice. Staying silent today could result in the death of your kid tomorrow.
Anonymous demanded that Missouri congressmen introduce “Mike Brown’s Law”, a bill that sets strict national standards for police conduct. It threatened to publish officers personal information if any protestors are harmed.
Brown’s family has asked for an end to the street violence, according to a statement obtained by KTVI television station.
Monday’s gathering appeared nonviolent, with protesters shouting “Stop the killer cops” and “No justice, no peace.” Four people were arrested, according to KSDK-TV.
Police said Brown was shot on Saturday afternoon after a struggle over a gun in a police car. It was not immediately clear why Brown was in the car. At least one shot was fired during the struggle, and then the officer fired more shots before leaving the car.
The officer, who was not identified, is a six-year veteran and has been put on administrative leave, police said Sunday. The officer’s race has not been disclosed.
The first day of school in the nearby Jennings School District was canceled in the aftermath of the rioting.
More than 300 police officers, many in riot gear, tried to control the crowd on Sunday night, said St, Louis County Police spokesman Brian Schellman. The 32 people arrested will face charges that could include assault, larceny and burglary, he added.
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