Authorities Sowing Fear in Ferguson—They Can’t Whitewash Michael Brown’s Murder
November 17, 2014 | Revolution Newspaper | revcom.us
From readers:
In a press conference November 17 Missouri Governor Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard ahead of a grand jury decision about whether Darren Wilson, a white police officer, will be charged in the fatal shooting of Mike Brown, a Black 18-year-old in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson.
Nixon said the National Guard would assist state and local police in case the grand jury's decision leads to a resurgence of defiant protest that has continued for over 100 days, since Mike Brown was murdered by Darren Wilson August 9. Nixon said the St. Louis County Police Department would be in charge of a unified police command in Ferguson. The St. Louis city police and Missouri State Highway Patrol will also be a part of the occupying police state. This police state is being put into place to repress, assault, and arrest those protesters who they decide are out of line and to strike fear into people to remain off the streets and go along with the murder of Mike Brown and police terror.
Recently at least two north county cities have sent out warning letters to residents about the coming Michael Brown grand jury decision. This is meant to create fear and panic among wide sections of the local suburbs surrounding Ferguson. The letter to all residents states: be prepared for a period of disruption; be prepared to stay in your homes for a number of days. Stock up on bottled water, medicine, gas, make contingency plans for picking up kids, have your cell phone charged, if disabled contact friends, and if you are going on public transportation, be prepared for delays. If you are traveling to the airport, it will be protected by the National Guard. All bags checked and no stopping at drop-off point.
In a protest the same day as the press conference in Clayton, the seat of the grand jury, people spoke out calling for the arrest and conviction of Darren Wilson. "We want an indictment. The cops don't like it," the group chanted on a day when the temperature was well below freezing as they marched outside the Clayton County courthouse where the grand jury is sitting. "Something about the way Mike Brown was killed started a fire in me that I can't ignore," said one of the demonstration's organizers. He said he had little sympathy for area residents who are tired of the demonstrations, which left some businesses in Ferguson burned out. "They can turn this off and on with a TV screen. But this is my reality. This is my life.”
For the past weeks the national media, Ferguson officials, the mayor, governor and police have tried to create an atmosphere where the focus has been on fear of the demonstrators and protest. They are trying to put people on the defensive and creating divisions between the defiant ones and other sections of the protest movement. The basic fact is that Darren Wilson murdered Mike Brown in cold blood and the police continue to murder more people in the St. Louis area: Kajieme Powell and Vonderrit Myers and across the country. This must STOP NOW!
ANY FAILURE TO INDICT DARREN WILSON IS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE AND MUST BE MET WITH RESISTANCE. THEY MUST NOT DARE TO WHITEWASH THIS MURDER AND LET THIS PIG WALK FREE WITH NO CHARGES!! AND THEY MUST NOT BE ALLOWED TO GET AWAY WITH IT!!
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