On Monday evening, with a very large media presence on hand, violence once again erupted during protests in Ferguson. Monday represented the first night without a curfew in Ferguson since the widespread looting that followed Friday night’s protests and marches. It was also the first night that the National Guard was on hand after Missouri Governor Jay Nixon’s announcement early Monday morning to deploy troops to assist law enforcement with security. Additional rules were put in place in the area regarding the protests. The burned down QuikTrip that has become a focal point for protests was declared off-limits and protesters were told they could not stand and gather in groups. Instead, demonstrators had to be in constant movement (i.e. marching).
As has been the case nearly every every day since protests started after the shooting of Mike Brown last Saturday, daytime hours were filled with peaceful demonstrations while the evening devolved into periods of chaos and violence as police used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse demonstrators. Protesters marched with little to no incident until about 10 PM local time. Suddenly, police descended upon a group of protesters. While national media and protesters further from the scene angrily denounced the actions of police at the time, the reality is there were a small handful of agitators in the crowd that was trying to force a confrontation with police. Eyewitnesses from the scene state that there was at least one man carrying what appeared to be a jug full of flammable liquid, and he was looking to toss it towards police.
Police also confronted another group and dispersed them with flash grenades, smoke bombs and sound cannons. That group pulled street signs out of the ground and created makeshift barricades. Police also had bottles and rocks tossed at them. Police also started arresting people who refused to keep moving and stayed in one spot. One man was arrested as he sat on the ground and told police that he had something for them if they came near him. In all, 31 people were arrested. Also, two people were shot by others within the crowd. Four officers were injured by objects thrown at them from the crowd.
Captain Ron Johnson of the Missouri Highway Patrol, who is in charge of the scene, gave a late-night/early-morning press conference to go over the night’s events and explain why he had to resort to the use of tear gas and rubber bullets once again. Johnson explained that as the night went on, a “dangerous dynamic” took hold. Johnson has witnessed over the past few nights a certain element that has infiltrated the protest crowds in the evening with the specific intent of dragging the demonstrations into protests with police. He stated early Tuesday morning that he only has officers move in to quell the situation when there is a direct threat of deadly violence. He also showed reporters Molotov cocktails and handguns recovered from demonstrators.
Prior to his press conference, Johnson spoke with CNN’s Jake Tapper and Don Lemon. Earlier in the evening, Tapper loudly admonished the police’s use of force and claimed they were grossly overreacting and attacking peaceful protesters. To his credit, Johnson fully explained his actions to Tapper and Lemon. He also pointed out the conundrum he is stuck in when it comes to the amount of police presence and the type of tactics to use. Johnson told the CNN crew that on Friday evening, he went with an extremely soft approach and was roundly criticized by business owners and residents alike for allowing stores to be looted and property to be damaged. At this point, Captain Johnson really is stuck between a rock and a hard place.
St. Louis Alderman Antonio French, who has been on the scene every night and has provided invaluable on-the-ground accounts of the internal machinations of the protests, has said that there is a very dangerous element lurking in the protests that comes to the forefront in the evening. He calls them “the fighters” and says they are mostly concerned with engaging in physical confrontations and provoking reactions from law enforcement.
We were able to keep the peace at the front line, even after some very tense moments. But back at Canfield, the fighters are still fighting.
— Antonio French (@AntonioFrench) August 19, 2014
The guys police are battling right now on Canfield are the fighters I described earlier. Reporters, you don’t want to be over there now. — Antonio French (@AntonioFrench) August 19, 2014
For reference, Canfield is the street where Mike Brown was shot and killed. Apparently, it is being used as a staging area for violent demonstrators due to the relative lack of streetlighting in the evening. There are also numerous homes, trees and a large apartment complex to provide cover.
In my personal opinion, I feel that much of the message and meaning behind the protests has gotten hijacked by various groups looking to build their own narratives and push their own causes. Initially, people from Ferguson gathered to protest over the gross act of a police officer shooting an unarmed black teenager. They wanted to see justice for Mike Brown and give voice to the other young black men who feel targeted by police. However, over the past week or so, we’ve seen the focus shifted in all kinds of different directions. Monday evening gave rise to the monster that has developed out of these protests.
Increasingly, more and more of the people gathered in Ferguson are not from the town or even the surrounding areas. We already know that there are groups of anarchists and agitators looking to provoke confrontation with police. However, you also have other activists traveling in and using these protests to support their pet causes. There are people using the protests more as an excuse to party. Local politicians, religious leaders and community figures are taking an opportunity to expand their profiles through national coverage of the protests.
Finally, you have the media itself. More and more, you see reporters and journalists trying to directly interject themselves into the story going on in Ferguson. At times, you see far more media on hand than actual protesters. There seems to be a jackal-like attitude by many of the media covering this situation now. They see this as an opportunity to make a name for themselves. Many just want to get that perfect image or video. And increasingly, they are hoping to get arrested so they can cry oppression of free press. Media personalities providing live national coverage have generally overreacted to scenes on the ground without getting the full story.
What is being lost in all of this is that all of these outside protesters and media outlets have descended upon a small community where people are trying to live their lives. Local businesses are not making any money and have to repair damaged buildings. Ferguson schools have been closed until at least next week. Residents are unable to move freely within their town due to the mass of protesters, police and media. Sadly, I think the people of Ferguson have been largely forgotten during this whole situation.
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