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Missouri governor declares state of emergency and curfew in Ferguson Missouri governor declares state of emergency and curfew in Ferguson
(35 minutes 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 on Saturday declared a state of emergency in Ferguson, with an overnight curfew, to try to quell disturbances which have rocked the city since police shot dead an unarmed teenager last week.
“We must have and maintain peace,” said Nixon. “The eyes of the world are watching.” “We must have and maintain peace,” Nixon said on Saturday. “The eyes of the world are watching.” The curfew was scheduled to start at midnight and be lifted at 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. The surprise announcement, made at a raucous press conference, marked another shift in law enforcement tactics which have veered from militaristic to conciliatory in an effort to contain protests over last Saturday’s killing of Michael Brown, 18. Nixon, a Democrat, said it was necessary after a small group of looters smashed windows, lobbed bottles and ransacked three stores on Friday night. The looters sabotaged not just property but the community’s peaceful protests, he said.
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. “That is unacceptable,” Nixon said. “We cannot allow the ill-will of the few to undermine the goodwill of the many, while putting the people and businesses of this community in danger.”
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. He continued: “If there was an easy way to separate those who hurt from those who help, we would. But it’s hard, and especially at night we can’t. So to protect the people and property of Ferguson, today I signed an executive order declaring a state of emergency and implementing a curfew in the impacted area of Ferguson.”
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. The governor said media would be given access to the curfew zone in order to observe it and ensure transparency. However, he 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.
“You need to charge that police officer with murder,” one heckler shouted at him. Captain Ron Johnson of the Missouri state highway patrol, who has led the policing of the protests since Thursday, tried to placate angry shouts from activists who attended the press conference, which was held in a church. The curfew did not mean a return to militarised policing, he promised.
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.” “We won’t enforce it with tanks,” he said. “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. Community leaders who flanked Nixon and Johnson appeared to welcome the move but some residents and outside activists called it counterproductive and feared curfew enforcement could fuel a new round of mayhem.
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. “I don’t think this was wise,” Malik Shabazz, the president of Black Lawyers for Justice, told the Guardian. “This could backfire.” Expecting people to stay indoors on a Saturday night was unrealistic, he said, adding that the move also sabotaged increasingly organised efforts by volunteers to rein in the troublemakers.
Police and protesters have repeatedly clashed since Brown was fatally shot in sharply disputed circumstances. For the first few nights Ferguson police and St Louis county police used tear gas and armoured vehicles to try to cow largely peaceful protests, prompting criticism from President Barack Obama and protests across the US.
Nixon tried to calm the situation by appointing Johnson, an African-American, the de facto commander on the ground. A savvy communicator, Johnson personally engaged with protesters and ordered his officers to stand back.
The approach brought peaceful, exuberant scenes on Thursday, with cavalcades of honking horns, but a small riot marred Friday’s peaceful protests – and left Johnson facing criticism that his officers had stood idly by. Jay Kanzler, a lawyer for Ferguson Market and Liquor, said police did nothing to stop the pillage. “They were told to stand down and I don’t know why,” he said.
Tanya Littleton, the owner of a beauty supply store, also criticised police after thieves stole hundreds of dollars’ worth of hair extensions. Other residents streamed towards stores to form human barriers and curb the looting. In the morning they swept broken glass and tried to repair damage. So many turned up to help the owners had to turn people away.
Community leaders vowed to organise and form a better defence for subsequent nights, helped by members of the Outcast and Dominant Breed motorcycle clubs who lined their bikes up in front of stores. But the curfew announcement undercut the budding volunteer force. Continuing anger over Brown’s death erupted at the press conference, which turned into a rowdy town hall meeting. Several speakers-turned-hecklers demanded the arrest of Darren Wilson, the Ferguson police officer who shot Brown after an alleged scuffle in his patrol car.
“You need to charge that officer with murder,” one shouted, drawing cheers. “Indict him!” shouted another, to more cheers.
Friday’s violence 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”. Dozens of FBI agents are in Ferguson investigating the shooting. Key details of the incident remain unclear, including the number of shots fired. Wilson, who has been on the force for six years and is said to have a blemish-free disciplinary record, is on unpaid leave.
Neighbours told reporters who visited Wilson’s St Louis home that the officer and his family appeared to have left several days ago. The television channel KSDK apologised for showing the home in one of its newscasts.
A rally in Brown’s honour is due on Sunday afternoon. A test of normality will come on Monday, when Ferguson’s schools are due to reopen. At least one, Normandy High, was planning a minute’s silence in honour of Brown.