Ferguson, MO is a warzone.

[Gravekeeper]

Scratch that, sounds its destabilizing again. The police swept in to try and clear the protesters out of the streets even though the curfew was lifted. Things seem to be going predictably from there. I'm not entirely sure there's any quick way to defuse this anymore.

The police let it stew for too long and mishandled every possible thing they could and keep doing it. Ferguson has become a focal point for more than just the residents of Ferguson.

[FMA_Fanatic]

Scratch that, sounds its destabilizing again. The police swept in to try and clear the protesters out of the streets even though the curfew was lifted. Things seem to be going predictably from there. I'm not entirely sure there's any quick way to defuse this anymore.

The police let it stew for too long and mishandled every possible thing they could and keep doing it. Ferguson has become a focal point for more than just the residents of Ferguson.

Yeah..I'm not sure what's going to happen if this keeps up. I'm honestly worried it's going to spill over into other areas and we live in a neighborhood that isn't bad, but it's not good either.

[Gravekeeper]

Welp, here we go:

The store owners did not report a robbery. The cops issued a warrant for the footage. The store did not provide it to them. Neither the manager or any employees was asked to nor did identify Brown either. Then the incident report and footage were released coincidentally on the same day they released the officer's name.

Chief Wiggum said he released the incident report due to a Freedom of Information request. Something that normally takes weeks to months and despite the fact there have been numerous requests for the the incident report for the shooting. Which is referred to in the incident report for the robbery. So he can just magically fill the DoJ request for the incident report that would muddy the waters for a jury against Brown. But not the ones regarding his own officer.

>.>

[Eisa]

I haven't listened to all of this yet, but here's live footage (although it's just audio because it was too dark), of what was going on in Ferguson today with all the tear gassing of entire neighborhoods: link here

[Gravekeeper]

Yeah..I'm not sure what's going to happen if this keeps up. I'm honestly worried it's going to spill over into other areas and we live in a neighborhood that isn't bad, but it's not good either.

I'm worried the longer it goes on the longer it gives outside elements a chance to show up and stir things up from within the crowd. Its repeatedly been a small group of people doing crap to provoke the police. But its also repeatedly been the police rising to the bait every single time and unleashing everything they have on everyone within range regardless of guilt or innocence. Be they civilian or journalist or Amnesty observer.

One of these morons that's stirring things up is going to get beaten to death by a mob at this rate. The protesters turned on one of them already this evening when they spotted him throwing shit at the cops. But only grabbed him and told him to knock it off. How many more nights of being teargassed before they just flog one of these idjits within an inch of his life?

The community seems to think most of the agitators are from outside of town. Which wouldn't surprise me. We had a similar problem here during the Vancouver riots. The worst offenders were the ones who didn't live here and thus had no reason to care about the damage caused. And the problems in Ferguson have gone on so long its given shit disturbers lots of time to drive over to join in.

[Canarr]

An entertaining video sum-up:

http://goodmenproject.com/featured-c...ightmare-xela/

EDIT to add: not just entertaining, but also making a few very good points about the handling of the whole situation by police and politicians, as well as the problems with the militarization of the US police.

[Gravekeeper]

An entertaining video sum-up:

Saw that earlier. I rather like Oliver's new show. More so than the Daily Show even. Pity its only on once a week.

Also from this morning: "Egypt urges U.S. to use restraint in Missouri".

>.>

[KabeRinnaul]

Saw this one on Fark:

How the US Media would cover Ferguson if it happened in another country

[Gravekeeper]

Saw this one on Fark:

How the US Media would cover Ferguson if it happened in another country

All that's missing is a picture of Anderson Cooper standing downtown wearing a press flak jacket. >.>

Latest news says the police have shot someone to death that was brandishing a knife and begging police to kill him. I doubt this will help matters.

Also, there are Communist agitators. Like.....seriously? Communists?

The protestors are not responding well to out of town assholes.

[Greenday]

Man in Ferguson attacked cops with a knife in front of tons of people. Naturally, he gets shot and is kill. Suicide by cop. Protesters are up in arms about it.


Short of the military setting up a machine gun and mowing down hundreds of people, I'm not sure how this could get any worse.

[Gravekeeper]

Short of the military setting up a machine gun and mowing down hundreds of people, I'm not sure how this could get any worse.

I'm still kind of in awe that there are Communist revolutionaries in small town Missouri in 2014. Word on the ground is one of them in particular is one of the Molotov guys that keeps succeeding in baiting the police into their ape shit responses. If these idiots are there, who the hell else has rolled into town since this started?

Fittingly, it turns out the police have been using tear gas from the Cold War era on them.

The protests have started to spread into Canada now.

[TheHuckster]

I'm still kind of in awe that there are Communist revolutionaries in small town Missouri in 2014. Word on the ground is one of them in particular is one of the Molotov guys that keeps succeeding in baiting the police into their ape shit responses. If these idiots are there, who the hell else has rolled into town since this started?

They come out of the woodwork when these kinds of things happen. Just looking at my Facebook feed of casual acquaintances I know (mainly on my wife's side of the family ) I've got communist revolutionaries, extreme satanists, militant anarchists, 9/11 truthers, Obama-is-from-Kenya believers, and others.

Speaking of which, I gotta do some housecleaning on my FB friends list.

And can we stop referring to this as a "small town" thing? Ferguson has a small population, but it's part of a pretty large metropolitan area, and isn't in the middle of nowhere. People are referring to "outsiders" as if they hopped on a plane or made a long road trip to come there. I'd imagine the "out-of-towners" are still largely made up of people from the 2.8 million people who live in the metropolitan area surrounding it.

[Kheldarson]

And can we stop referring to this as a "small town" thing? Ferguson has a small population, but it's part of a pretty large metropolitan area, and isn't in the middle of nowhere. People are referring to "outsiders" as if they hopped on a plane or made a long road trip to come there. I'd imagine the "out-of-towners" are still largely made up of people from the 2.8 million people who live in the metropolitan area surrounding it.

Ehhh...I think it depends on how Ferguson sees itself, honestly. One of the places I lived had a small town that was basically blended with the larger city. As in, take one turn from the main road and you're in the city limits kind of place. But you wouldn't know it if you talk to the locals.

[EricKei]

Standard riot control techniques? Like arresting reporters in a McDonalds?

Older bit -- didn't the Chief order them released as soon as he heard about this? Granted, that brings his record in this debacle up to 1W and 100+L, all the same >_>

The potential litigation is just too high ...
A guy from CNN pulls that stunt and there's a lawsuit. Individuals carrying the story is only as good as the type of individuals you're dealing with.

I must beg to differ. Due, at least in part, to a early/mid-aughties case in Florida that involved Fox News, which Fox won (it could have been any of these channels, really; they're not all THAT different aside from their preferred spin), cable news agencies are considered to be entertainment channels, not news channels. They are not obligated in any way to tell the truth about anything. As a result, they are unlikely to be successfully sued for spreading their preferred flavor of compost all over the place.

Ugh, that sucks. I heard they cancelled school in Ferguson?

For the sake of the kids'/parents'/school employees' safety, I sure as hell hope so o_O

The police let it stew for too long and mishandled every possible thing they could and keep doing it. Ferguson has become a focal point for more than just the residents of Ferguson.

Agreed 110%, on both counts.

[Gravekeeper]

Annnd there goes Ferguson. ><

The cops were doing so well tonight.