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| Missouri governor declares state of emergency and curfew in Ferguson | Missouri governor declares state of emergency and curfew in Ferguson |
| (about 2 hours later) | |
| Governor Jay Nixon of Missouri declared a state of emergency on Saturday, issuing a curfew in the city of Ferguson to clear the streets where protests have raged since an unarmed 18-year-old was shot dead by a police officer. | Governor Jay Nixon of Missouri declared a state of emergency on Saturday, issuing a curfew in the city of Ferguson to clear the streets where protests have raged since an unarmed 18-year-old was shot dead by a police officer. |
| “We must have and maintain peace,” said Nixon. “The eyes of the world are watching.” | “We must have and maintain peace,” said Nixon. “The eyes of the world are watching.” |
| Captain Ron Johnson of the Missouri state highway patrol, who has led the policing of the protests since Thursday, said the curfew would run from midnight to 5am. | Captain Ron Johnson of the Missouri state highway patrol, who has led the policing of the protests since Thursday, said the curfew would run from midnight to 5am. |
| Police and protesters have repeatedly clashed since Michael Brown, who was unarmed, was was fatally shot in sharply disputed circumstances last Saturday. Officers have used gas and rubber bullets in an effort to restore order. | Police and protesters have repeatedly clashed since Michael Brown, who was unarmed, was was fatally shot in sharply disputed circumstances last Saturday. Officers have used gas and rubber bullets in an effort to restore order. |
| After a more peaceful night on Thursday, following Johnson’s appointment as the officer in charge, a small riot broke out on Friday night and police responded by deploying teargas. Stores on a main street in the city were later looted. | After a more peaceful night on Thursday, following Johnson’s appointment as the officer in charge, a small riot broke out on Friday night and police responded by deploying teargas. Stores on a main street in the city were later looted. |
| A visibly rattled Nixon came under sustained criticism from residents and community leaders during a chaotic press conference that descended into a furious town hall meeting. | A visibly rattled Nixon came under sustained criticism from residents and community leaders during a chaotic press conference that descended into a furious town hall meeting. |
| “You need to charge that police officer with murder,” one heckler shouted at him. | “You need to charge that police officer with murder,” one heckler shouted at him. |
| Amid anger over the return of police in riot gear to quell rioting on Friday night, Johnson said of the curfew: “We won’t enforce it with tanks, we won’t enforce it with teargas.” | Amid anger over the return of police in riot gear to quell rioting on Friday night, Johnson said of the curfew: “We won’t enforce it with tanks, we won’t enforce it with teargas.” |
| Nixon said media would be given access to the curfew zone in order to observe it and ensure transparency. However, the governor did not specify how long the curfew would last, nor exactly what area of the city – a northern suburb of St Louis – it would cover. | Nixon said media would be given access to the curfew zone in order to observe it and ensure transparency. However, the governor did not specify how long the curfew would last, nor exactly what area of the city – a northern suburb of St Louis – it would cover. |
| The violence which flared up again on Friday night came after the release by police of surveillance footage that implicated Brown in the theft of a packet of cigars from a convenience store a few minutes before he was shot. A small crowd later looted the convenience store. A meat market was also looted and other businesses had windows smashed. Police did not intervene. | The violence which flared up again on Friday night came after the release by police of surveillance footage that implicated Brown in the theft of a packet of cigars from a convenience store a few minutes before he was shot. A small crowd later looted the convenience store. A meat market was also looted and other businesses had windows smashed. Police did not intervene. |
| Brown’s family condemned the release of the film as a “character assassination” designed to smear the teenager and divert attention from the actions of police. | Brown’s family condemned the release of the film as a “character assassination” designed to smear the teenager and divert attention from the actions of police. |
| Politicians, including Nixon and the Missouri senator Claire McCaskill, appealed for calm on Saturday. In New York, the civil rights leader Reverend Al Sharpton urged protesters to shun violence, saying the police “ put [the video] out because [they] wanted to smear the name of the victim”. | Politicians, including Nixon and the Missouri senator Claire McCaskill, appealed for calm on Saturday. In New York, the civil rights leader Reverend Al Sharpton urged protesters to shun violence, saying the police “ put [the video] out because [they] wanted to smear the name of the victim”. |