Ferguson, Missouri Update
Protesters use hands-up gesture defiantly after Michael Brown shooting (Los Angeles Times)
The hands-up — a sign of surrender and submission black men and boys here say they learn early on when dealing with police — has been transformed into a different kind of weapon.
How the Media Missed the Mark in Coverage of Michael Brown’s Killing (Essence)
Nearly every story I saw about Brown’s death yesterday led with unidentified Black men and women grabbing loot, not with photos or video of Brown or his grieving family, or of the peaceful protests outside the Ferguson law enforcement building. The images of the rioting were gripping. But coverage of the riots should not overshadow the cause of the riots. The real story has taken a backseat to the sensational.
Anonymous Posts St. Louis Police Dispatch Tapes From Day of Ferguson Shooting (Mother Jones)
Posted by @theanonmessage, a twitter account affiliated with Anonymous’ Operation Ferguson. According to @theanonmessage, this recording contains audio excerpts from St. Louis County police dispatch over several hours on August 9, 2014, the day Michael Brown was shot and killed by a Ferguson police officer.
Rage Is the Right Response to What Happened in Ferguson (The Root)
Rage is not a useless emotion. It is destructive and damaging, but it is also cathartic and freeing. It is arguably the most primal and guttural feeling in the emotional spectrum, and as such, it is justified for a tragedy of this magnitude.
Will Demanding Justice for Mike Brown Land You a Visit from the FBI? (ColorLines)
An unnamed caller recorded himself placing a phone call to the publicly listed phone number for the Ferguson Police Department, demanding justice for Mike Brown. The person who answers the phone—in all likelihood a Ferguson police officer—sarcastically answers that “justice isn’t here right now” before threatening to show up at the caller’s home with the FBI.
St. Louis Politician Arrested Amidst Ferguson Protests (Huffington Post)
St. Louis official who has been a prominent presence at the protests in Ferguson, Missouri was arrested Wednesday night, according to his wife.
Two Journalists Reportedly Arrested Without Cause, Assaulted in Ferguson (Gawker)
Two reporters working out of a McDonalds in Ferguson, Mo. say they were arrested and assaulted for no apparent reason while covering the increasingly violent clash between police and protestors on Wednesday night. Both were eventually released without being charged.
In Ferguson, Washington Post reporter Wesley Lowery gives account of his arrest (Washington Post)
As I turned, my backpack, which was slung over one shoulder, began to slip. I said, “Officers, let me just gather my bag.” As I did, one of them said, “Okay, let’s take him.”
How America’s Police Became an Army: The 1033 Program (Newsweek)
As many have noted, Ferguson, Missouri, currently looks like a war zone. And its police—kitted out with Marine-issue camouflage and military-grade body armor, toting short-barreled assault rifles, and rolling around in armored vehicles—are indistinguishable from soldiers. America has been quietly arming its police for battle since the early 1990s.
