Ferguson Protest Starts With White Lightning, Ends With Japanese Paper Lantern Floating In The Sky
BuzzFeed News ?@BuzzFeedNews 1h.@AP Photo: Protesters stand in the street as lightning fills the night sky in Ferguson, Missouri
Charles Jaco ?@charlesjaco1 2h
Story line: 2 white individuals w/signs supporting Darren Wilson anger Ferguson crowd. Cops take into protective custody. Rain scatters crowd.
Elon James White @elonjames · 3h
It's getting problematic already. Cops being aggressive and crowd is responding. Threats of arrests and pepper spray
Steven Thompson ?@SA_Thompson 3h
@AntonioFrench @OpFerguson she won't get tear gassed though... better stay close to her
Gawker ?@Gawker 2h
Tone-deaf white lady shows up at Ferguson protests to support Darren Wilson. http://gaw.kr/x8U5zal
AntonioFrench @AntonioFrench
A woman with a sign supporting #DarrenWilson is getting a strong reaction from the crowd. https://t.co/UjqzcjTobA
Jamelle Bouie ?@jbouie 3h
A woman carrying a sign in support of Wilson has inspired an angry crowd that’s following her down West Florissant.
Jennings, MO
Amy K. Nelson ?@AmyKNelson 2h
Said names are Dawn & Chuck, from St. Louis felt only one side of story was being told. So they came to #Ferguson w signs supporting Wilson
Kevin Gosztola ?@kgosztola 1h
Young woman in community breaking down how police treated Ferguson protesters & Darren Wilson supporter differently
Patricia Bynes @Patricialicious
They seem to be inciting the crowd. #MikeBrown #Ferguson
Michelle Witthaus ?@MWitthaus6 3h
Cops protecting white girl w/Darren Wilson sign while she antagonizes crowd. I wish they felt the same way about protecting black people.
Elon James White @elonjames · 2h
Folks yelled at the white woman and dude who was too close to her gets thrown to the ground. #Ferguson
Elon James White ?@elonjames 3h
"It was a set up! That shit was a fucking setup!" Screams from different folks. She was obviously attempting to incite for cameras #Ferguson
Chris McDaniel ?@csmcdaniel 3h
"Don't give em the satisfaction! That's what they want!" -woman shielding the Wilson supporters #Ferguson
Elon James White @elonjames · 2h
Hearing folks try to calm these young people down while the Police dehumanize them and others come and taunt them. What do y'all expect?
Amanda M. Sakuma @iamsakuma
Protesters tried linking arms around the woman to prevent people from rushing her and taking pictures #Ferguson
Chris McDaniel ?@csmcdaniel 3h
Crowd pissed about a Darren Wilson supporter here. Police and demonstrators shield the Wilson supporters so they can get in a cop car.
Elon James White @elonjames · 1h
White woman walks on drive thru area. Cops say nothing. Black youth sees her, does it. Cops:"could you go back on side walk".
Staci D Kramer ?@sdkstl 3h
the #DarrenWilson protestor RT @iamsakuma: Police haul the woman into a St. Louis county vehicle #Ferguson
Patricia Bynes ?@Patricialicious 2h
The two Darren Wilson supporters were put in a police vehicle and taken away.
Elon James White ?@elonjames 2h
RT @JasonZil: @elonjames the cops wont arrest this agitator and instead give her personal escort?
Amanda M. Sakuma @iamsakuma
Some protesters accused the police of protecting the white woman with a pro-Darren Wilson sign #Ferguson
Charles Jaco ?@charlesjaco1 2h
So is that what happened here? Was the free speech of Wilson supporters inciting a riot? Or were they intolerantly treated by angry crowd?
Charles Jaco ?@charlesjaco1 2h
So tune into every RW radio host in StL tomorrow to hear them vent about 1st Amend. rights of Wilson supporters. That, or incitement?
Chris McDaniel ?@csmcdaniel 3h
After arrest, rest of the crowd moves on down Florissant. The thunder rumbles. #Ferguson
stevegiegerich ?@stevegiegerich 2h
Downpour just as tensions peaked. Demonstrators sheltering under shopping center awnings. #Ferguson #MichaelBrown @stltoday
Amanda M. Sakuma ?@iamsakuma 2h
Situation went from rowdy, pissed off crowd to calm in less than a minute all thanks to the rain #Ferguson
Micah Grimes ?@MicahGrimes 2h
Rain and darkness are falling on #Ferguson; people are scrambling, but only because of rain this time:
Gene Demby ?@GeeDee215 3h
Thunder. Testiness. Paul Haggis wrote this script. #ferguson
BuzzFeed News ?@BuzzFeedNews 2h
From @trymainelee: A very small but motivated group, trooping through the rain in Ferguson
Patricia Bynes ?@Patricialicious 2h
"We're young. We're strong. We're marching all night long." Rain has died down #MikeBrown #Ferguson
Kevin Gosztola ?@kgosztola 2h
Maybe 50-100 protesters out making a loop on Florissant again tonight. #Ferguson
stevegiegerich ?@stevegiegerich 2h
Small group of peaceful protesters - 100 max - lapping W Florissant. As calm as #Ferguson has been since #MichaelBrown shooting. @stltoday
Sarah Leonard ?@sarahrlnrd 2h
"Mike Brown / don't shoot" "Sean Bell / Don't shoot" "Kimani / don't shoot" "Eric Garner / don't shoot" "Amadou / don't shoot" #ferguson NY
PaganChild ?@PaganChild 2h
"Who do serve? Who do you respect? " #DontShoot
Ferguson, MO
Yamiche Alcindor ?@Yamiche 2h
Some are chanting "No justice, no peace." This guy is yelling "No justice, no sleep." #Ferguson
Amanda Terkel ?@aterkel 2h
Legal observers here to try to help people who get arrested (just saw someone being taken away) #Ferguson
justified agitator ?@Awkward_Duck 2h
It's shifting, y'all. The energy is shifting. We're reclaiming this space. Florissant avenue will now and forever be Mike Brown Avenue.
Umar Lee ?@STLAbuBadu 2h
Small but spirited march for #MikeBrown with the chant. No justice no peace. #Ferguson"
Matt Pearce ?@mattdpearce 1h
The march gets smaller and smaller with every lap. Just a couple dozen people now. Entropy.
Yamiche Alcindor ?@Yamiche 1h
This is the calmest I've seen #Ferguson since I got here. Small crowd marching and police officers are mainly standing around watching
Yamiche Alcindor ?@Yamiche 1h
Smaller than usual crowd tonight. Most people look exhausted but super determined. #Ferguson
Christopher Hayes ?@chrislhayes 1h
Everyone here is so so spent. #Ferguson
Umar Lee ?@STLAbuBadu 1h
Protesters saying they're young, have energy and the police look tired #Ferguson
Kevin Gosztola ?@kgosztola 1h
"You all tired? We tired. Arrest the man & we can go home." -Man on megaphone says as he comes marching by media zone #Ferguson
Michael Calhoun ?@michaelcalhoun 1h
"We just want to see Darren Wilson indicted. Do that and most of us will leave." #Ferguson
Yamiche Alcindor ?@Yamiche 1h
Dasha Jones won't stop protesting b/c she saw the body of Brown laying in the street. "He is not resting in peace."
Talib Kweli Greene ?@TalibKweli 2h
Clergy from all different denominations ban together to march with the people #Ferguson http://instagram.com/p/r8WUBHDYpn/
Lilly A. Fowler ?@LillyAFowler 1h
There's a new group calling themselves "Clergy United" with bright orange tshirts keeping the peace. Sleepy #Fergson for 1st time in while
Ryan J. Reilly ?@ryanjreilly 1h
New Black Panther Party members talking with ministers #Ferguson
Elon James White ?@elonjames 1h
Back at St. Marks and ministers from @PICOnetwork are protecting the safe space that was violated by the cops earlier today. #Ferguson
Elon James White ?@elonjames 1h
These ministers are putting themselves at risk because the they think the violation of this safe space is unacceptable. #Ferguson
Retweeted by Christopher Hayes
Travon Free ?@Travon 1h
Chris Hayes in #Ferguson standing like your mom on the porch when you get home after the street lights came on.
Alexis ?@MusicOverPeople 1h
Police have tackled someone to the ground for saying, “They don’t care about black people.” Big crowd has formed around them. #Ferguson
PaganChild ?@PaganChild 1h
Young black man arrested for neing unruly- put in unmarked car and taken away #Ferguson
Kevin Gosztola ?@kgosztola 1h
Police have arrested at least one person. That has significantly escalated scene. #Ferguson
Umar Lee ?@STLAbuBadu 1h
Man Arrested for chanting loudly with hands up #Ferguson
http://t.co/dvK5bbcaoG
Matt Pearce ?@mattdpearce 1h
And everybody clumps to a spot and there's more shouting and IMPORTANT POLICE RADIO NOISES and running photographers and now we're marching.
Ryan J. Reilly ?@ryanjreilly 1h
Officers lined up in the #Ferguson Market & Liquor parking lot
Nicholas J.C. Pistor ?@nickpistor 1h
Crowd getting bigger now in #Ferguson
Alexis ?@MusicOverPeople 2h
K-9 units have arrived. #Ferguson
justified agitator ?@Awkward_Duck 1h
“@rashadrobinson: More police from surrounding towns are arriving in #Ferguson. Seeing police car after police car
#JusticeForMikeBrown”
Elon James White @elonjames · 2h
Listening to residents "In the 60's they sent the National Guard to protect US. Now they send them to protect the cops." #Ferguson
Elon James White ?@elonjames 2h
That shit just broke my heart.
Kevin Gosztola ?@kgosztola 1h
Officers flashing lights at people, telling anyone, even press, they can't stand still in lots. This will contribute to escalation #Ferguson
Ryan J. Reilly ?@ryanjreilly 1h
Cop on loudspeaker: "Get out of the street. If you're in the street you'll get hit by a car, and that will hurt." #Ferguson
deray mckesson ?@deray 2h
Listen to the police. There are NO cars in the street. Roads are blocked. #ferguson
Jim Dalrymple II @JimDalrympleII · 56m
Police look like they're getting closer to clear this out. They're suited up and standing #Ferguson
Chris McDaniel ?@csmcdaniel 1h
There's a lot of self-policing here. Demonstrators telling other demonstrators (and press) to keep moving and stay off street. #Ferguson
Matt Pearce ?@mattdpearce 1h
A videographer who looks like the least threatening French woman in the world gets hassled to keep walking while she was setting up a shot.
Matt Pearce ?@mattdpearce 1h
I imagine she looked as confused about it as I did.
Ryan J. Reilly ?@ryanjreilly 54m
It is reeeeeeaaaaalllly quiet here tonight in #Ferguson. Some press already rolling out.
Joel D. Anderson ?@blackink12 1h
Yeah. Things are winding down here. #Ferguson
Chris McDaniel ?@csmcdaniel 31m
Just saw two armored vehicles driving OUT of #Ferguson. Not needed here tonight.
Kevin Gosztola ?@kgosztola 50m
Overheard that CNN reported there are 31 protesters. Definitely more than that. #Ferguson
Kevin Gosztola ?@kgosztola 52m
Police wouldn't let press gather & ask young man hit w/ rubber bullet questions. Ordered to keep moving #Ferguson
Chris McDaniel ?@csmcdaniel 55m
Small backup of demonstrators near the media area. Demonstrator being interviewed suggests a walk and talk. #Sorkin
Chris McDaniel ?@csmcdaniel 54m
"Walk and talk? Great idea. It's been a GREAT night, let's keep it that way." -cop attempting to move the crowd along.
Chris McDaniel ?@csmcdaniel 37m
A quiet congregation near the "approved assembly area." #Ferguson
Kevin Gosztola ?@kgosztola 30m
With no police violence, it is possible for people to gather & discuss organizing #Ferguson
AndrewPeng@TheAPJournalist
Some protesters are starting to go home. Peace and calm thankfully reign tonight. #Ferguson
Jim Dalrymple II @JimDalrympleII · 30m
Looks like at least some of the police are calling it a night as well #Ferguson
Rob Edwards ?@RobertDEdwards
Here's the view of West Florissant Avenue in #Ferguson. Police hoping to re-open the street soon.
Kevin Gosztola ?@kgosztola 19m
Walking back to my vehicle, I see more surreal military scene. National Guard standing on hill in front of the Schnucks #Ferguson
Ryan J. Reilly ?@ryanjreilly
RT @aterkel: A Japanese paper lantern just floated up into the sky. Sent up from beyond W Florissant. Really pretty #Ferguson
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= new reply since forum marked as read
You know how these frankencops are about fire. 
It's Nixon dami...GACK GACK ARGGGHHH
I truly appreciate you. 
Ha, could I get any more sappy? No sleep will do that. At least that's my excuse.
You da man, bigtree. You take us there early every morning and we love you for it. I so wish I lived close to St Louis so I could march for justice for Michael Brown.
But for the time being, I am lighting a candle from sundown to sunup in support.
. . .but I did notice the new addition of the "Approved Assembly Area," so the illegality of that order to force protestors to keep moving may have caught up with them in some way.
I don't know, but that's an important and reasonable concern that they're violating some constitutional right in that regard.
Chris McDaniel ?@csmcdaniel 37m
A quiet congregation near the "approved assembly area." #Ferguson
Night before, they were trying to deny demonstrators the right to gather and pray even . . .
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
she not know her own governor's name? Is he a camera?
Maybe she's not from Mo. 
Note to bigtree: Once again, excellent reporting from you on the Ferguson story. Thank you.
. . . with today's press-bad narrative.
I can recall that the press was one of the only refuges for protesting youth targeted by violent, seemingly vengeful police on Tuesday night, in particular. The police don't want the press there witnessing their violence, and I suspect that this new narrative condemning their presence is a deliberate orchestration of a combination of a refusal of the networks to use their reports and a conscious effort by their media allies to distort them.
what I wrote about one particular night of that:
____ 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. - the way they lined up with their riot gear and rifles and 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 a futile, but an amazingly unconstitutional act.
Wesley Lowery ?@WesleyLowery 1m
These officers are facing the media pen. The media pen
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 media group.
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.
Matt Pearce ?@mattdpearce 4m
Police line starts strobing me as I take this picture.
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 stunning and frightening reality that we are all witnessing, seemingly helpless to make it stop. I'm almost undone by it. Almost, but not yet.
this makes me cry. 
This has got to stop, and I hope that HuffPo stays down there.
. . .thanks for looking in 
