The actions of the police have been insane. What do you all think? I really feel like we're in for another Rodney King/L.A. riots sooner rather than later.

america, land of the free

Seriously insane. They arrested reporters, and then after finding out they were reporters, they released them like it was no big deal.

My hometown is the one right next to Ferguson so it's been kind of frightening watching this all go down. The night of the looting in particular kept me up for a while. It's also just odd seeing a place so close to home broadcast nationally.

It's pretty brutal. Even pre Mike Brown, a white Iraq-like militarized police force in a majority black area is some dystopian shit, they put all the ingredients there for this to happen

Without the color shit, the statement is still valid.

That essentially blocked out any news helicopters reporting there.

@nytimes


@amanicdroid

Some facts about Ferguson, MO:

Ferguson is a St. Louis suburb with a population of 21,000.

Blacks make up nearly 70% of Ferguson's population.

50 of the city's 53 police officers are white (50 out of 53 is 94% white).

The elected leadership of Ferguson — the mayor and five of the six city council members — are also white (6 out of 7 is over 85% white).

Ferguson was once a middle-class suburban town known for its sprawling parks and tidy brick homes. For many years, it was largely white.

Over the past few decades, the demographics changed. As St. Louis city schools deteriorated, a voluntary busing program started in the 1980s that allowed parents to send their children to suburban districts. Some black families decided to leave the city, and the crime, behind and moved to nearby suburbs such as Ferguson.

As more black residents moved in, whites in Ferguson began to move to outer suburbs.

Source: Racial Tensions Are Not New in St. Louis Suburb (Associated Press)

robocop

Good thing this is all over the news! Oh wait.

I followed it most of the night last night on Twitter. And I think I saw 5 minutes of coverage on MSNBC/CNN and I don't remember any on Fox.

Ignorance is bliss (for the police state).

It almost infuriates me how you can find more coverage of this on BBC than any American news network or social media

Two reporters (Wesley Lowery of the Washington Post and Ryan J. Reilly of the Huffington Post) were arrested on Wednesday inside a McDonald's which they used as a staging area covering the protests.

Washington Post: In Ferguson, Washington Post reporter Wesley Lowery gives account of his arrest

Huffington Post: Huffington Post Reporter Arrested In Ferguson

And a reporter from Al Jazeera America was tear-gassed.


https://twitter.com/ajam/status/499939038238081025/

Business Insider: Missouri Police Fire Tear Gas At TV Crew And Take Their Equipment

lol

'murica

Fuck the police. I am sick to death of them having surplus GWOT supplies. They aren't fucking DEVGRU. They were the the guy that played linebacker for your high school, did a little junior college, and decided to become a cop.

Why are the cops all walking down the streets with their guns drawn and pointing at people? You don't aim your weapon at someone unless you intend to shoot them.

I prefer my police to wear normal dress blues, carry a night stick, and wear a hat.

And this is from the person that may be the most right-wing (although I consider myself libertarian) person on this board.

Oh god that press conference this morning. Not making themselves look any better.

I don't see any Mt. Dew on that poster. What are you, a communist?

Wait? This is now going on for a week?

They have actually just declared a state of emergency in Ferguson. Sounds like it isn't getting much better.

I thought ferguson was the name of the kid that got shot until like yesterday.

I'm surprised there are not more comments in this thread.

What changes should be brought about after these terrible events?