VERY quiet and PEACEFUL tonight in Ferguson- THEN, one PLASTIC bottle thrown and its a POLICE STATE!
Last edited Wed Aug 20, 2014, 05:37 PM - Edit history (5)
Keith Boykin @keithboykin · 6mVery quiet and peaceful here tonight in #Ferguson. Makes a big difference when police don't use intimidation tactics.
Keith Boykin @keithboykin · 1h
Peaceful demonstrators here tonight in #Ferguson. No armored vehicles in street.
Patrick R. Brown @iPRB · 17h
Proud of community on #Riverview tonight. Tense, but mostly calm, mostly focused on how we improve, @SLMPD tempered
Wesley Lowery @WesleyLowery · 18h
6yo Alerion Smith asked his mom to bring him to protest. "When someone has their hands up that means they surrender"
Keith Boykin @keithboykin · 1h
New chant in #Ferguson: We young! We strong! We marching all night long!
Antonio French ?@AntonioFrench 3m
"We young! We strong! We marching all night long!" #PeaceInFerguson
Ryan Devereaux ?@rdevro 1h
Back out on Florissant in Ferguson. Festive mood prevailing at the moment, hundreds of protesters doing laps and chanting
Ray Downs @RayDowns · 18h
Back in #Ferguson, all is calm. Streets clear, ppl marching on sidewalk. Big difference: No strong military presence - all that off to side.
Wesley Lowery @WesleyLowery · 18h
"We are, Mike Brown!" And "we young, we strong, we marching all night long" have replaced "hands up don't shoot" as the most-used chants
Wesley Lowery @WesleyLowery · 18h
Still relative calm on the streets. But most stunning many nights is how quickly it goes from party to chaos.
Keith Boykin @keithboykin · 2h
First announcement from police asking hundreds of protesters to walk on sidewalk instead of street. Protesters complying.
Keith Boykin @keithboykin · 2h
Missouri state attorney general walking the streets talking to protesters in #Ferguson right now.
Keith Boykin @keithboykin · 2h
Attorney general walking one side of W. Florissant. Hundreds of protesters chanting "hands up don't shoot" on other side. #Ferguson
Yamiche Alcindor @Yamiche · 18h
Mo. Attorney General Chris Koster said this when I asked why he came to visit protesters: "These are my bosses. I work for them." #Ferguson
Yamiche Alcindor @Yamiche · 18h
Mo. Attorney General Chris Koster said a grand jury will be convened at 9 am tomorrow. He gave protesters the news
Yamiche Alcindor @Yamiche · 16h
It's 10:49 pm and things are still calm. Protesters are still marching and a helicopter is circling ahead.
Wesley Lowery ?@WesleyLowery 25m
Tonight decision by police to not line up in standoff formation & to not strictly enforce "no standing" rule seems to be making difference
sandarcon ?@sandarcon 11m
@allinwithchris We are tear gas free at this hour. Not exactly good night & good luck; but I like it. #inners
justified agitator @Awkward_Duck · 16h
I want to be very careful not to romanticize what's going on here. This isn't "cool". There's nothing fun about being here.
Patricia Bynes ?@Patricialicious 5m
Walking the protest site. Peaceful out here #MikeBrown
Alan Blinder @alanblinder · 17h
So far, it is breathtakingly calm in #Ferguson.
Keith Boykin @keithboykin · 5s
Everything was calm until police moved in. Organizers keep protesters moving on sidewalk.
Keith Boykin @keithboykin · 23s
Police now clearing people from the parking lot in from of 911 Hair Salon.
JOE MIKE LEAHY ?@JOEMIKELEAHY 10m
Police line pushes pedestrians out of parking lot in #Ferguson. Chopper zeroes in overhead
Kevin Gosztola ?@kgosztola 13m
Here are police clearing parking lots along Florissant, trying to get people to go home #Ferguson
Yamiche Alcindor @Yamiche · 16h
Police are now saying people who don't want to move can go to a "media lot" that has been set up along West Florissant Ave
Alex Bolton ?@alexanderbolton 38m
Crowd is quieting but police still massing outside McDonald's with shotguns and riot batons. #Ferguson
Wesley Lowery ?@WesleyLowery 14m
Police randomly clearing parking lots. Pushing people INTO the street. No explanation
justified agitator ?@Awkward_Duck 16m
We're now being told by cops we better move #Ferguson
Amanda Wills ?@AmandaWills 19m
Interviewing a group of kids and turned around to see this. Police told us to move. Interview over. #Ferguson
Wesley Lowery ?@WesleyLowery 46s
Things aggressive now. Still unclear why police tactics suddenly changed
Willis Arnold ?@WillisRArnold 4m
Protestors remain peaceful, have resumed marching.
Yamiche Alcindor ?@Yamiche 6m
There were some tense moments as police forced people out of parking lots. After initially resisting protesters have moved back to sidewalks
Ray Downs @RayDowns · 17h
A few minutes ago, kids were racing in the parking lot. #Ferguson
Wesley Lowery ?@WesleyLowery 10m
Crowds now restricted to just sidewalks, with police lining street in front of them and parking lots behind them pic.twitter.com/rjaKRk7brc
Yamiche Alcindor ?@Yamiche 13m
Protesters are angrily saying they don't want to keep moving which police have ordered. "I'm not here for exercise," man screams #Ferguson
Wesley Lowery @WesleyLowery · 17h
At this point, some in crowd have been marching in continuous loop for upwards of three hours.
Willis Arnold ?@WillisRArnold 28m
Cops push protesters down parking lot. Instruct them to keep moving on sidewalk. #Ferguson
Wesley Lowery ?@WesleyLowery 15m
Not a joke, police now claiming that they cleared everyone into street to "protect" McDonalds/private property. There was no threat to McDs
Wesley Lowery ?@WesleyLowery 14m
For context, police REFUSED to collect security cameras / investigate destruction at stores that were looted last week. (*we know why*, they would show that girl trying to wash the tear gas from her eyes that we all saw stills of)
Keith Boykin ?@keithboykin 7m
Marchers still moving peacefully: "We want, we want justice!"
Wesley Lowery ?@WesleyLowery 7m
"We want, we want: justice! If we don't get it? Shut it down!"
Wesley Lowery @WesleyLowery · 1m
Tense situation diffused by ministers, protest leaders and those in "peacekeeper" shirts. No longer tense
Willis Arnold ?@WillisRArnold 31s
Marchers gather for prayer in #Ferguson
Keith Boykin ?@keithboykin 4m
Group prayer in front of Sam's Meat Market to end the evening.
Jessica C. Machetta ?@jmachetta 10m
Peace advocates talk to officers about forming a prayer circle. #Ferguson
Wesley Lowery @WesleyLowery · 16h
Organizers requested to be allowed to gather people for a prayer to end protest. Man on police radio: "and I told them absolutely not"
Jessica C. Machetta ?@jmachetta 10m
And then that circle happened. #Ferguson
Wesley Lowery ?@WesleyLowery 4m
These people had mostly been marching and chanting. Now gathered in tense group in parking lots
Yamiche Alcindor ?@Yamiche 2m
This man is telling people to go home and meet at 9 am at St. Louis County Prosecutor Bob McCulloch's office office
Willis Arnold ?@WillisRArnold 9m
March official ends. Call made for protestors to be at justice center in Clayton tomorrow at 9:00 am. #Ferguson. All appears peaceful.
Michael Calhoun ?@michaelcalhoun 11m
"We're going to go home and we'll be back tomorrow." #Ferguson
Wesley Lowery ?@WesleyLowery 14m
Organizers succeeding in clearing bulk of the crowd. More than half have left
Keith Boykin ?@keithboykin 12m
The crowd is dispersing after the prayer and many heading home. #Ferguson
Michael Calhoun @michaelcalhoun · 17h
Crowd's been thinning out. Still marching. Other than a fight, I've seen no problems. #Ferguson
deray mckesson ?@deray 42m
Best moment of the night. This trolley comes down playing soul music. Immediate happiness. #Ferguson
Alex Bolton ?@alexanderbolton 10m
Getting surreal as a mini blue train pulls down the strip pumping Marvin Gaye's "Inner City Blues." #Ferguson.
Ryan J. Reilly ?@ryanjreilly 7m
The train is from an amusement company. Rider tells me it's a peace train. #Ferguson
M ?@ArmyofCicolluis 17m
@Patricialicious @Newsweek #Ferguson it appears the gentlemen and gentlewomen have owned the night.
Yamiche Alcindor ?@Yamiche 12m
Still a large crowd as protesters are back in the parking lot that cops ordered them away from about 15 minutes ago
Yamiche Alcindor @Yamiche · 16h
The 'peace' train has been ordered away by police. #Ferguson
Wesley Lowery ?@WesleyLowery 5m
Oh no
Patricia Bynes ?@Patricialicious 2h
Damn. Something is happening
Wesley Lowery ?@WesleyLowery 7m
One kid throws one water bottle at police. Everyone scatters. Police restrain themselves but nearing chaos
Akilah Johnson @akjohnson1922 · 16h
Water bottle thrown. Cops run. More cops scream get on the side walk. #Ferguson
Alex Bolton ?@alexanderbolton 3m
Plastic water bottle flies at crowd of officers, snapping them to attention. Crowd is running now. #Ferguson
Amy K. Nelson ?@AmyKNelson 6m
A group of dudes started chanting, one threw bottle at cops. "I've been saying it the whole time those are your bad apples right there."
Yamiche Alcindor ?@Yamiche 7m
People are running after a protester threw a water bottle at police. That's partly how the chaos started yesterday
Robert Cohen @kodacohen · 5h
Rock throwing protestor is run out by others in #Ferguson #MikeBrown
Julie Bosman ?@juliebosman 8m
Police shouting and advancing rapidly. Lots of activity. Sirens, shouting. #Ferguson
Ryan J. Reilly ?@ryanjreilly 1m
Protestors forming line in front of police #Ferguson
Matt Pearce ?@mattdpearce 2m
Right now. Peacemakers joining hands in the street.
JOE MIKE LEAHY ?@JOEMIKELEAHY 4m
Police line forms with heavy trucks in #ferguson. Photog downed, detained. Media ordered to designated area.
Amy K. Nelson ?@AmyKNelson 4m
Media being ordered back to media area, cops fighting w each other over which space is media area.#Ferguson
samgo @samgo · 14h
Video of confused protesters,media as police yelled 'move back' via stringwire @erindelmore @trymainelee http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/watch/move-back-protesters-confused-where-to-go-319974979603 …
Ryan Devereaux ?@rdevro 6m
So much anger and intensity right now, a man is calling for media to keep cameras on. Police ordering media out
Robert Klemko @RobertKlemko · 16h
The police have dogs and they are barking hard. Adds a new element to this.
Ryan Devereaux ?@rdevro 7m
Media being ordered to designated media area. The dogs are out.
Karen Finney ?@finneyk 1h
Disturbing to see police have police dogs with them tonight in Ferguson.
Ray Downs ?@RayDowns 7m
Water bottle thrown. Chaos ensues. Not many protesters (more media than them). The few protesters left are just adamant and angry. #Ferguson
BuzzFeed News ?@BuzzFeedNews 11m
Police: "You need to stop throwing objects and disperse immediately.” — Live coverage: http://www.ksdk.com/videos/news/local/2013/11/12/3144211/ …
Yamiche Alcindor ?@Yamiche 11m
Police just sprayed what looked like mace at protesters
Akilah Johnson @akjohnson1922 · 16h
Some members of the crowd say they've been sprayed with mace. #ferguson
[bi]Wesley Lowery ?@WesleyLowery 12m
Rubber bullets
Amanda Terkel ?@aterkel 15m
Cop pointing gun at people. Reporter asked him his name. Cop told him to go fuck himself. #Ferguson
Amanda Terkel @aterkel · 3h
Here’s video of the cop pointing gun last night and saying “go fuck yourself” when asked his name #Ferguson
http://bit.ly/1mmq2X2
Ryan J. Reilly ?@ryanjreilly 16m
"Get that camera out of my fucking face." -- officer who pointed gun at protestors #Ferguson
{Young}ist @theyoungist · 16h
"Stand down, quit pointing guns at us and gassing our children." Then was threatened with arrest by PD #ferguson
Jim Dalrymple II ?@JimDalrympleII 16m
Police marching at protesters now.
Julie Bosman ?@juliebosman 16m
Police seem extremely agitated, all of a sudden. #Ferguson
Matt Pearce ?@mattdpearce 20m
Okay, everybody is moving now. Cops came running up. Young guys running way. Cops shouting OUT OF THE STREETS!
Karen Finney ?@finneyk 4m
“@xor: Police urgently corralling media in #Ferguson to "designated" first amendment zones right now does not bode well.” That is not good!
Wesley Lowery ?@WesleyLowery 1m
These officers are facing the media pen. The media pen
Matt Pearce ?@mattdpearce 4m
Police line starts strobing me as I take this picture.
Wesley Lowery ?@WesleyLowery 5m
Media being removed from where remaining crowds are. Police lining up facing crowd
Yamiche Alcindor ?@Yamiche 9m
Protesters are livid that police officers used mace in an effort to calm them down. This man was maced.
Yamiche Alcindor's post on Vine
Talib Kweli Greene ?@TalibKweli 23m
Cops just rushed in pulled out on us. Keep your hands up or I will blow your brains out is what I was just told by police.
Kevin Gosztola ?@kgosztola 16m
Small group surrounded by armored vehicles & police w/ rifles. Everyone ordered to disperse, including "non-credentialed" press #Ferguson
Patricia Bynes ?@Patricialicious 20m
The police have an area and a crowd boxed in #Ferguson
Ryan J. Reilly ?@ryanjreilly 15m
Line of officers in #Ferguson
Amy K. Nelson ?@AmyKNelson 22m
People are pleading with cops, "how are we going to get home?" response: "I don't know I don't live here."
Ryan Devereaux ?@rdevro 24m
Community members link hands to separate police from the crowd
AdamSerwer ?@AdamSerwer 25m
Trying to prevent an escalation
Matt Pearce ?@mattdpearce 7m
Police basically tried and failed to separate media from the demonstrators.
Wesley Lowery ?@WesleyLowery 2m
Reporter face down in road being arrested. Tried to take picture. Officer shoves me
Ryan J. Reilly ?@ryanjreilly 9m
Photographer arrested #Ferguson
Ryan J. Reilly ?@ryanjreilly 3m
Other reporters say a TV host was arrested as well #Ferguson
Amanda Wills ?@AmandaWills 23m
Protesters are embedding with groups of journalists for protection. Peacekeepers telling them to leave. #Ferguson
Ferguson, MO
Gloria Lloyd ?@glorialloyd 14m
Media being told they have to leave to go to the command center so police can weed out remaining protesters.
Ray Downs @RayDowns · 15h
The media is mostly white. Protesters mostly black. In that crowd, police plan must have been to search crowd for young black men. #Ferguson
Robert Klemko @RobertKlemko · 16h
National Guard tactical groups are picking out members of the crowd and rushing them, one by one.
Robert Klemko @RobertKlemko · 16h
Police just advanced on the media zone to flush out all protesters. Not hard to tell the protesters from the media, if you catch my drift.
Robert Klemko @RobertKlemko · 16h
I saw no projectiles launched by the last two men they rushed and arrested.
Ray Downs @RayDowns · 16h
Three protesters hanging out in media aka "sit here and shut up or else" area just got rushed by police, guns drawn and hand-tied. #Ferguson
Robert Klemko ?@RobertKlemko 13m
Protesters are now hiding behind cameramen as police advance down street. "They won't fuck with the media!!"
Robert Klemko @RobertKlemko · 16h
The younger crowd is pleading for the media to stay: "Show the world what they're about to do to us!"
Wesley Lowery ?@WesleyLowery 15m
Media initially herded to one side of street. Demanded to go there. Now they decide media should walk all the way to other side
Amy K. Nelson ?@AmyKNelson 10m
This is by far the most confused I've seen the cops since I've been here. #Ferguson
Alex Bolton ?@alexanderbolton 17m
Police charge crowd, pointing guns at the chests of reporters and protesters, then move on. #Ferguson
Nicholas J.C. Pistor ?@nickpistor 21m
Two media people per protester! #Ferguson
Jessica Sams @js32084 · 15h
@mattdpearce @TheAPJournalist @trymainelee If MEDIA wasnt there alot more people would be in the morgue/hospital THX #Ferguson #Journalists
Trymaine Lee ?@trymainelee 18m
People applauding media, asking reporters to stay.
Wesley Lowery ?@WesleyLowery 22m
Handful of teens - "don't let them shoot us" refusing to leave media area.
Wesley Lowery ?@WesleyLowery 22m
With weapons pointed at media, officers storm INTO media area to arrest a teen who was walking through it
AdamSerwer ?@AdamSerwer 4m
Media, protesters, basically surrounded by police at this point. Teams rushing in and out
Elon James White ?@elonjames 1m
At this point if you don't believe the police are abusing their power and treating us like animals then you aint paying attention. #Ferguson
Elon James White ?@elonjames 4m
The work isnt done. Folks are organizing their asses off. Im not leaving. This story needs to be told. But our lives & minds are on the line
Yamiche Alcindor ?@Yamiche 6m
Police just charged into the McDonald's and are pointing guns at people
Pervaiz Shallwani ?@Pervaizistan 10m
Most of remaining protestors and media now all penned into local McDonalds parking lot. #Ferguson
Kevin Gosztola ?@kgosztola 9m
To be clear, scene has escalated because someone tossed a plastic water bottle. It became pretext for taking police action #Ferguson
Elon James White ?@elonjames 11m
We've already proven that the police are lying and have a blatant disregard for our safety. They aren't here to protect.
Wesley Lowery ?@WesleyLowery 19m
No media member has done anything to get in way of law enforcement. They've given contradictory instructions and then gotten physical
Trymaine Lee ?@trymainelee 11m
Prepared to close in. Anyone in circle arrest
Ryan Devereaux ?@rdevro 56m
Older members of the community fighting to take control of the situation, forming human chain in front of police
Amy K. Nelson ?@AmyKNelson 21m
One of the community leaders is in tears, has blood on his shirt, beside himself. "Come on lets go and try and save some lives." #Ferguson
Trymaine Lee ?@trymainelee 4m
So now we're circled in, told to move with nowhere to go.
Patricia Bynes ?@Patricialicious 5m
Crowd is boxed in. Armored truck ready. "Media get out of our way," said by police on loud speaker #Ferguson http://twitpic.com/eag8iv
Yamiche Alcindor ?@Yamiche 7m
Just watched police arrest a young man. Things continue to be tense. Police have surrounded protesters in a circle
Ryan Devereaux ?@rdevro 14m
This police unit keeps charging into the nonviolent crowd, terrifying citizens, pointing guns, dragging people away
Ryan Devereaux ?@rdevro 16m
The specialized police team used a black man's body to break a chain-link fence
AdamSerwer ?@AdamSerwer 1h
Surreal. Police are pushing people over a fence. Many can't get over without help
Ryan J. Reilly ?@ryanjreilly 16m
"We're gonna start with you guys first." -- officer to reporter on arrests #Ferguson
Robert Cohen ?@kodacohen 5m
Woman pepper sprayed, helped by others in #Ferguson #MikeBrown
Dart_Adams ?@Dart_Adams 50m
WAIT. THEY PEPPER SPRAYED THE SAME WOMAN WHO WALKED MILES WITH SUPPLIES FOR PROTESTORS WHOSE PIC HAS APPEARED IN MY TL ALL NIGHT LONG?
ryanjreilly's post on Vine showing the effort to helped maced woman
Amanda Wills @AmandaWills · 15h
Journalist @chezpazienza from Daily Banter just maced. Can't see anything. (Tweeting this for his colleagues.)
Yamiche Alcindor ?@Yamiche 9m
Legal observers from the National Conference of Black Lawyers have remain with protesters
Elon James White ?@elonjames 16m
I will broadcast from #Ferguson as long as I can if it's needed. These organizers are amazing & need to be heard. Justice needs to be served
Elon James White ?@elonjames 8m
The Police here are violent, aggressive and continue to be so with every news outlet here. Our trauma will not change that. We've seen that.
Ryan J. Reilly @ryanjreilly · 16h
"It's social control man... They tell us how to protest, when to protest..." #Ferguson
Ryan J. Reilly ?@ryanjreilly 19m
RT @akjohnson1922: That green hat reads National Guild Lawyer, which is a legal observer. #Ferguson http://instagram.com/p/r6K-lJALeX/
Wesley Lowery ?@WesleyLowery 14m
"We're gonna have to do something different" - Cpt Johnson declares. Uh, yeah
= new reply since forum marked as read
Thanks bigtree. 
TYY
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Cop in front of Johnson to Media trying to ask a question: "Get over on that shoulder and get your asses moving"
Video: http://bit.ly/1rWxMlW
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...while he had his finger on the trigger of his rifle
http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/51598475/highlight/541859?
Screenshot:
Youtube:
I'd love to see these badge bunnies and bootlickers nitpick and spin that one, "behaving badly" is an understatement
Are trying to start a debate over whether he has his finger on the trigger. 
I've been down this road for far too long, everytime a cop is shown violating someone's rights on video there is always some bootlicker or badge bunny nitpicking over minutia.
A cop could be caught on video pulling a baby out of a car, slamming it to the ground and pepper spraying it but there will be some bootlicking POS trying start a debate over why there wasn't a car seat in the vehicle. and of course when confronted they'll respond with some variation of:
"I'm not taking sides here",
"I hate the police as much as the next guy but... (I think they're awesome)." or
"Pretty stupid of the parent to put their child in that situation"
People like this are mentally ill and unfortunately many are police officers or married to one. Its just a sick sad degenerate culture that is infesting law enforcement. 
Thanks for being honest. 
you assume I'm lying.
Stay classy fella.
Translation: All I have is broad-brush smears and assumptions, so I have to run away now.
Still sticking with your lie that simply pointing out your dishonesty is tantamount to defense of a rogue cop. And dodging my point that your hyperbole perpetuates the stereotype of liberals as foaming incoherents.
Good onya.
Thanks for the thread, bigtree.
Thank you, bigtree.
New Police Badge.....
That is what keeps going through my mind. Lord have mercy.
. . .nothing like actually tweeting in the thick of it like these folks did, of course.
I had turned off the live feed because it was such a calm and satisfying sight that I wanted to record just how peaceful it had been with the police out of sight (mostly, they were guarding the McDonald's of all places. Whatever, I thought).
Almost as soon as I was getting some accounts down of just how special a night it had been with these amazingly dedicated and committed youth and others sticking to the sidewalk and marching for hours on end, when someone threw a plastic water bottle. That's all it took for the police to mobilize against them.
What I found notable was the way in which the police pushed those who were resting in a parking lot - a spot which had been a refuge ALL night for demonstrators to rest and catch their breath, get water and food, etc. - lined up an pushed everyone into the street. Then they began ordering protestors out of the street they pushed them in.
Demonstrators then formed a circle in that same general parking area and, after asking whatever police they were able for permission, began to pray together. At the end of the prayer, one man announced through a bullhorn that their demonstration was over and they would meet the next morning at another location. At that, most of the demonstrators started for their cars and many left.
The prayer circle seemed to agitate the police even more. They mobilized and lined up opposite the PRESS area. Several reporters began taking pictures; several were threatened at the point of guns to stop recording. There were several strobe lights held by officers lined up in riot gear opposite the press area to block the shots of their aggression. It was an futile, but an amazingly unconstitutional act. I couldn't believe what I was seeing in the images and what was being recorded by these very prominent members of the press and also some public officials like Patricia Bynes, Democratic Committeewoman of Ferguson Township in St Louis County in MO; A delegate for MO's 1st Congressional District; who was hemmed in with the besieged press.
The mostly young protesters who were left (not more than minutes after the prayers) quickly moved into the press area. for god sakes, it was the only place they were allowed to go. Older members of the demonstrating group quickly moved in between the line of police in riot gear who had lined up opposite the press area as if to attack and they held hands in a line and turned their backs to police to provide a barrier against the imminent assault.
That's when all hell broke loose. The police began yelling for the press too disperse. Where were they going to go? They were hemmed in on all sides. The police then began to rush in to the press area and extract youth who didn't appear to be threatening at all. The police ordered the press to move to one place and many did. The young and old demonstrators moved right along with them for protection, PLEADING with the press to not abandon them To the media's credit, they stayed right with them.
The police then ordered the press to move back to where they were, in an obvious effort to shake them off from the demonstrators seeking refuge among them from the rifles and batons and the mace that was being sprayed now indiscriminately at completely innocent protestors. The officers would rush into the press crowd with their rifles pointed directly at the non-threatening crowd and pick out young people and arrest them in the most violent way imaginable; face down on the concrete with their feet in their backs.
Reporters, photogs, and others who were incredibly there as human rights and legal observers were also slammed to the ground at gunpoint and arrested. At one point, police were literally throwing this one black man against a low metal fence until it gave way then they pushed whoever was gathered there into and violently over that metal barrier; many unable to get over it without effort or injury.
After it became clear that the crowd wasn't resisting and was scattered here and there, the police began to dissemble their assaults as well . . . but not until after they had perpetrated the most egregious, arbitrary, and unnecessarily violent assault on an American-based media that I think I've ever witnessed or even heard of.
I think this pic taken from an instagram vid says it all . . . it's a shot of one of the rights observers under a riot policeman's boot with a gun to his head
Ryan J. Reilly ?@ryanjreilly 19m
RT @akjohnson1922: That green hat reads National Guild Lawyer, which is a legal observer. #Ferguson http://instagram.com/p/r6K-lJALeX/
Ryan J. Reilly, who re-tweeted that, was on the scene during the melee and is a Justice Reporter for HuffPost. He made this comment to Politico on his own role there:
" . . . the media have a tendency to “protect their own,” which can result in disproportional coverage of journalists. Media personalities are also better known than the average citizen, and readers have the expectation that they can be trusted, he said.
“I definitely didn’t come down here planning on becoming a part of this story — I would have been much happier staying out of it. But that wasn’t really a choice I had, because I was locked up,” said Reilly. “As a reporter, you’re in the midst of it, and your presence is obviously going to have an impact.”
He added, “It’s tough to imagine how much worse the treatment must be for those who aren’t in the media, who don’t have that platform that we in the media do. Obviously, our story doesn’t compare to what other people have gone through.”
I can't help but well-up with great emotion at that thought and sentiment. I really don't know what's going on in my country - in Ferguson - and what we can do to make this stop immediately and to protect these youth and others right to assemble and protest without this police brutality and repression. Those aren't just catchphrases in Ferguson anymore. They are a reality that we are all witnessing, seemingly helpless to make it stop. I'm almost undone by it. Almost, but not yet.
(I'm going to repost this as soon as I can wipe away these damn tears)
