Tag Archives: riots

Police Accountability, Videos

Peaceful Protests End In Violence As Gunfire Erupts On Anniversary Of Michael Brown Shooting

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Ferguson, Mo. – A day of peaceful protests commemorating Michael Brown, the 18-year-old unarmed man who was shot and killed by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson one year ago on Sunday, turned violent after gunfire erupted Sunday night leaving one man in critical condition.

Police claim that gunfire was initially exchanged between two groups of protesters, and that officers only engaged after one of the protesters opened fire on four detectives in an unmarked vehicle. They returned fire, and the man was critically injured.

The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported that gunfire erupted after police officers had threatened to arrest any protesters who stayed in the street, and at that point protesters were “estimated at fewer than 100 and were outnumbered by members of the media.”

At a 2:30 a.m. press conference on Monday, St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar said that the groups exchanging gunfire “were criminals” rather than protesters, and that he believes there is a “small group of people out there that are intent on making sure we don’t have peace that prevails.”

The man injured by police has been identified as Tyrone Harris Jr., 18, from St. Louis. His father, Tyrone Harris Sr., told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that his son went to high school and was good friends with Michael Brown, and that, regarding Sunday night’s shooting, he thinks “there’s a lot more to this than what’s being said.”

Belmar said that in addition to being in an unmarked vehicle, the four detectives were not wearing body cameras. This decision was criticized by coalitions such as the Ferguson Action Council, who said that “having plainclothes officers without body cameras and proper identification in the protest setting leaves us with only the officer’s account of the incident, which is clearly problematic.”

[RELATED: Ferguson Police Have Body Cameras… But Don’t Wear Them]

Reuters noted that the gunfire on Sunday night was in “marked contrast to a day of mostly subdued, peaceful commemorations” in Ferguson, where about about 1,000 people gathered together to share 4-1/2 minutes of silence in honor of the 4-1/2 hours Brown’s body lay in the street after he was shot, and to release doves and embark on a “silent march through Ferguson to honor Brown and others killed in confrontations with police.”

On Sunday night, a few local businesses were looted and robbed, and Post-Dispatch reporter Paul Hampel said that he was beaten and robbed while covering the protests.

Politics, US

Video: Brawl Gets Bloody At The SC Confederate Flag Memorial

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Columbia, S.C.-  On Monday, a fight erupted between a group of flag supporters and protesters at the South Carolina Statehouse.

“The blood on my face, the blood in my teeth, the blood on my hands is no comparison to the Southern blood that runs through my veins,” Joe Linder told CBS News.

Linder, who was hit during the fight, supports the Confederate flag and says “racism has no part” in it.

SC confederate flag rally

One Confederate flag supporter told her side of the story to Truth In Media.

“We had flags and we were talking to the press and media, defending our heritage, which is under attack, and we made the message very very clear that we are not about racism or any of the sort, we are all for peaceful demonstrations and having logical discussions on this issue,” said the flag supporter.

“Unfortunately a black group showed up and began confronting us, shouting ‘racist’ in our faces, cursing at us. Twice i saw the cops had to intervene. I have over 30 minutes of video that I recorded of the black group circling us, shouting at us, and being very confrontational, despite the fact that we had a sign that read, ‘all lives matter’ and one that had pictures of black confederate veterans with a message that read, ‘these confederate lives matter.'”

According to witnesses, when a Confederate Flag was taken by a protester, a fight broke out into a busy street in front of the Statehouse.

“We were having a peaceful demonstration to defend out heritage which is now under viscous attack. The hate and racism came from the other side not us,” said flag supporter.

Racial tensions are increasing on both sides as the debate of the Confederate flag continues in South Carolina.

Activism, Featured, Police Accountability, Police State, US, Videos

The Powerful Baltimore Protest on Monday That Media Ignored

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Baltimore, MD- It is the scene that most media is ignoring. While the wall-to-wall focus of national media on Baltimore is on the rioting and violent imagery, most media ignored the growing crowds calling for an end to the violence and demanding that young people stop burning buildings and looting stores. Over 100 clergy marched through the streets of Baltimore last night in an effort to end the violence, and they did it without riot shields and military vehicles.

As over 5,000 law enforcement officials are converging on Baltimore as well as another 5,000 National Guard troops, the nation continues to watch the city that exploded with violent riots on Monday. Images of a CVS looted and burning, buildings set ablaze, juveniles in the streets who have thrown rocks at police. These are the images that most of the nation will associate with Baltimore, and yet most media has all but ignored more than a week of peaceful protests demanding answers into the death of Freddie Gray.

The question that must be answered: how did Freddie Gray’s spinal cord become severed while in police custody? I had the chance to interview the attorney for the Gray family as the riots in Baltimore took place. Jason Downs points out the family of Gray has specifically called for no violence in the wake of Freddie’s death, and also points out that while media will turn their head to watch the violence, the Gray family continues to wait for answers.

Police Accountability, Police State, Politics, US, Videos

VIDEO: Baltimore Police Throw Rocks Back at Protesters after Being Bombarded With Rocks and Bricks

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Baltimore, MD- More than 1,000 police officers have been called into Baltimore to help contain the growing violent protests over the death of Freddie Gray. The Governor of Maryland has also activated the National Guard after protests today turned into a riot.

As of Monday evening at least 8 officers have been injured after a group of youth protesters began throwing bottles, rocks, bricks and other debris at police. The officers, most of whom were wearing riot gear including helmets and holding shields began closing off intersections around 3:00 pm.

In the video above you can see dozens of young people throwing rocks at police and at times, Baltimore SWAT Officers throwing rocks and bricks back at those youth.

The “purge” as it was called on a flyer was called for on Saturday. On the flyer, which was distributed to high school students called for the “purge” to begin around 3:00 pm EDT at a Baltimore mall and included a picture of protesters smashing the windshield of a police cruiser.

Armored vehicles were brought in to also help contain Monday’s rioting which included the burning of two police cruisers and the looting over several stores including a CVS.

 

You can watch a live feed by clicking here.

US

Michael Brown’s stepfather may face criminal charges

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Police and investigators are currently considering charging Michael Brown’s stepfather, Louis Head, for attempting to incite a riot after it was announced Officer Darren Wilson would not be indicted for the shooting death of Brown.

After the announcement against indictment came late on Nov. 24, various videos taken near protests in Ferguson show Head shouting “burn this bitch down.”

Ferguson Police Chief Tom Jackson told Sean Hannity, “We are pursuing (an investigation into) those comments, and there is a lot of discussion going on about that right now… But I really can’t get into that…”

Head is also not being singled out, according to CNN.  Ferguson spokesman Jeff Small said Head is one of many people currently being investigated for their part in the lead up to the riots, looting, and the various arson cases following the announcement.

Benjamin Crump, the lawyer representing Brown and his family, has called Head’s rants prior to the rioting inappropriate at the time.  However, Crump also said, according to USA Today, he does not condemn Head’s reaction to the announcement because of the large amount of emotional stress the family was under at the time.

Lesley McSpadden, Brown’s mother, also told CNN she does not think her husband’s words or actions incited a riot, but said the emotions in the area were building up since her son was shot on Aug. 9.

Since the investigation has started, Head has come forth and said he apologizes for his comments after the announcement.  According to ABC News, Head said, “Something came over me as I watched and listened to my wife, the mother of Michael Brown Jr., react to the gut-wrenching news that the cop who killed her son wouldn’t be charged with a crime… My emotions admittedly got the best of me.”

Ben Swann reported from Ferguson this week and talked about the importance of understanding the proximity of Brown’s stepfather to the buildings that actually burned. In the video below, Swann explains why it would be very difficult to claim that the stepfather was “inciting a riot.”

Politics, Swann TV, US

Ben Swann: Ferguson Clashes 30 Years in the Making

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Racial issues have long simmered in Ferguson, Missouri and many residents are not surprised at the recent unrest.

Long before Mike Brown was shot and killed by Officer Darren Wilson, there were decades of tensions. Many of the issues that existed thirty years ago continue today, and it was only a matter of time before people became fed up, they claim.

Ben Swann reports from Ferguson.

Featured, Swann TV, US

Ben Swann Live in Ferguson Missouri on “eve” of Grand Jury Decision

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Ferguson, MO- As the community of Ferguson, Missouri prepares for the reading of a grand jury decision on the police killing of African-American teenager Michael Brown, Ben Swann is on the ground taking a hard look at the issues behind the unrest that shook the nation.

Broadcasting live with RT America, Ben Swann goes beyond the headlines to examine the growing militarization of American police, the emerging “policing for profit” trend and why the issues in Ferguson are much bigger than just the case of Officer Darren Wilson and the Brown family.

Featured, Police State, US

Another Violent Night in Ferguson, 2 Shot, 31 Arrested

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Ferguson- Thirty one protestors were arrested and several police officers were injured as another day of protests in Ferguson, Missouri turned into a violent night. According to police, among the protestors arrested were people from as far away as New York and California.

Two people were shot within the protest site, Missouri State Highway Patrol Capt. Ron Johnson said.

One group of protesters made a barricade with portable toilets and orange cones.

For almost two hours, police in riot gear formed a barricade and stood watch as hundreds of peaceful protesters marched in a single-file line that stretched so long that different parts chanted different slogans.

“Hands up, don’t shoot,” some repeated. “No justice, no peace,” others said. Still others were singing church hymns.

At about 9:40 p.m., a small group of about 200 “loud but not aggressive protesters” faced off against a line of police officers on the corner of Ferguson and West Florissant avenues. Since the National Guard was protecting the command center, their presence wasn’t obvious..

“Police did not react,” Johnson said. “That’s when bottles were thrown from the middle and the edge” of the crowd. These criminal acts came from a tiny minority of troublemakers.”

The midnight curfew that had been in place over the weekend had been lifted.

Johnson said his troopers were pressed into action only after being prompted by gunfire and Molotov cocktails.

“Our officers came under heavy gunfire,” Johnson said, adding that no police officers fired any bullets Monday night.

Police again shot tear gas and smoke canisters into the crowds to disperse them. A photographer from New Mexico was hit with a tear gas canister, which then exploded at his feet. At one point, all journalists at the designated media area were forced back to the police command area, because their safety could not be guaranteed, a police spokesman said.

On Monday, with President Obama calling for peace in Ferguson, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder made plans to fly into town on Wednesday, establishing a federal presence here.

Politics, US

In the midst of riots and protests, Michael Brown named as robbery suspect

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The events preceding the shooting death of Michael Brown have been unclear since they occurred, but new security footage from a convenience store in Ferguson, Mo., allegedly shows Brown and his accomplice Dorian Johnson, stealing a box of cigars valued at just under $50.

A police report released by the Ferguson Police Department details the events leading up to the shooting, beginning with a call around noon to a police officer concerning a robbery in progress at a Ferguson Quiktrip convenience store.  The report goes on saying how the investigating officer obtained a brief description of the two suspects and the direction they had run off in.

Upon not being able to locate the suspect, the investigating officer returned to the Quiktrip and observed security footage showing two suspects, reportedly Brown and Johnson, enter the store, and grab a box of Swisher Sweet cigars before a confrontation with the store staff begins.  As Brown and Johnson attempted to leave the store, an employee tried to block their exit and Brown grabs the employee before pushing him into a nearby rack.  Johnson exits without further incident, but Brown stands over the employee and, as the report claims, “intimidates” the employee, before leaving.

It was after this incident Brown and Johnson were located by Officer Darren Wilson, who was not the investigating officer, outside of an apartment complex, and Brown was fatally shot after a struggle with Wilson.

In the days after the death of Brown, Johnson has been in multiple interviews stating Brown was unnarmed at the time of the shooting, but he failed to mention his and Brown’s previous involvement in what could be robbery and assault.

Brown’s family have reacted strongly to the new accusations of their son being involved in a robbery before his death, and Ferguson residents have called the new evidence a “cover up.”

Benjamin Crump, the lawyer for the Brown family, said, according to the BBC, “The devious way the police chief has chosen to disseminate piecemeal information in a manner intended to assassinate the character of their son, following such a brutal assassination of his person in broad daylight.”

Details of the shooting are still cryptic as the police are saying, according to FOX News, Brown and Johnson assaulted Officer Wilson before the shooting, while Johnson claims he and Brown were running from Wilson as he fired shots at them.

Police State, US

Death of a black teenager sparks riots in Missouri

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The shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown by police over the weekend prompted riots in Ferguson, Mo., a suburb of St. Louis, on Sunday.

Brown was shot by police Saturday after what many sources are saying was a struggle between an unnamed officer and Brown.

St. Louis police chief, Jon Belmar, spoke at a news conference Sunday, saying Brown, another unnamed civilian, and the officer in question had met on the street outside of an apartment complex in Ferguson.  Brown then reportedly had pushed the officer back into his patrol car, according to a CBS News report from Sunday.

The officer and Brown fought inside the patrol car, and according to the New York Times, the office’s firearm came into play around this time as the two began to fight for possession of it.  Chief Belmar continued, saying at least one shot was fired inside the patrol car before the fight spilled into the street where more shots were fired, resulting in Brown’s death.

The number of shots fired has not yet been released by the police, but this same report says all shots were fired from the officer’s gun and “it was more than just a couple” shots, according to Chief Belmar.

Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson said Brown was unnarmed throughout the entire confrontation.

The second civilian who accompanied Brown has not been charged or arrested as of right now.

After the shooting Saturday, people from the surrounding area confronted police who had arrived on the scene, shouting “kill the police,” according to the AP.

On Sunday, mourners came to the site where Brown was killed and held vigils for the slain and protested what they viewed as an unjust use of force.  As the protests went on, officers showed up in riot gear in anticipation of potential violence, and people became angered at this and began to riot.

Thirty-two people were arrested over night, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, all charged with either assault, theft, burglary, or a combination of the three.

Cleanup of the incident has started this morning, but some don’t believe the rioting is over just yet.

According to the BBC, Deandre Smith, 30, of Ferguson, has said, “I don’t think it’s over honestly… I just think they got a taste of what fighting back means.”

The St. Louis Police have given all investigative information of the shooting over to the FBI, who are now in charge of determining what happened Saturday night.

The officer involved is now on paid administrative leave.

Politics, US

Food Stamp Riots: A Looming Domestic Threat?

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One in six Americans are now on food stamps, amounting to 20 percent of all American households and 47.6 million individuals.

A record $80 billion was spent on the food subsidy program last year, but an across-the-board cut is scheduled to go into effect on November 1. According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), food stamp payments will decrease by $36 per month for a family of four (currently each household receives an average of $272 per month).

Could the decrease in funding lead to riots?

On Fox Business, anchor Neil Cavuto reported that the US government will spend $80 million preparing for possible violence as a result of the food stamp decrease. This money will go towards protecting the IRS and other government buildings from American citizens.

“This could be all Hell breaks loose day,” Cavuto said.

Cavuto’s guest, TeaParty.net Chief Strategist Niger Innis, said that people often act out when entitlements are threatened. He compared the situation to what previously happened in Greece.

“This is really frightening. We are on a slow march to becoming Greece,” Innis said. “When 50 million people are on food stamps then you have a situation where it’s obvious that what government can give to you, government can take away.”

Innis later pointed out that cutting food stamps may increase chances of violence in the short term, but in the long term people will likely find themselves in a better situation if they get off food stamps.

Food stamp “rioting” too place on October 14 in two Louisiana Wal-Mart stores when food stamps were temporarily down due to Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) outages.

During this outage, the spending limit on EBT cards was removed but Wal-Mart allowed individuals with EBT cards to buy food anyways. Not surprisingly, the shelves were left totally empty. Some food stamp recipients exited the stores with $700 worth of food and merchandise.

Should the government be concerned about possible food stamp rioting as a result of November’s decrease in funding? Or is the government reacting and overspending?

Tell us what you think in the comments section below.