Unrest rises in Ferguson as police agent says not guilty

26 novembre 2014

2 min di lettura

(AGI) Rome, Nov. 26 - Yet another night of protests erupted inFerguson and in other U.S. cities following the Missouri grandjury ruling whereby the agent who allegedly killed an18-year-old African-American in August, in a suburb of SaintLouis, has not been indicted. President Obama, during a speechin Chicago, urged the community to keep calm. In the meantime,the agent who killed the youngster spoke out and said, "It wasnot an execution, I know I did my job right and have a cleanconscience". Ferguson is for all practical purposes under siegeand the two thousand National Guard officers in the areacontributed to thwarting another night of violence and pillage,after the incidents on Monday night following the decision ofthe court. Despite the massive military presence, however, onTuesday afternoon there were clashes. Tensions rose as a policecar, parked near the town hall, was set on fire with molotovcocktails while security forces used tear gas to control themob. Protesters, however, were less numerous and moredisciplined. "It was much better last night," said a policechief, stressing that 44 people had been arrested, comparedwith 60 individuals arrested on Monday night. A feeling ofindignation pervaded the entire country as peaceful protestshave taken place in 170 cities in 37 states of the Union, withcitizens demanding justice. The principal peaceful proteststook place in Washington DC, New York, Los Angeles, Atlanta,Boston, Philadelphia, Oakland and Seattle with only a fewincidents and arrests. Hundreds of people protested in New YorkCity, walking from Union Square to Times Square, involving afew tense episodes. President Obama urged the community to keepcalm and emphasized that such acts as "setting buildings orcars on fire or destroying property" cannot be justified. ThePresident added, however, that the frustration experienced dueto a specific incident is deeply rooted in many communities. Inthe climate of rising tension, two FBI agents were wounded in ahouse of the St. Louis county, a few miles away from Ferguson,where a man had barricaded himself in his house. He shot to oneof the agent in the shoulder and the other in the leg. Policesources declared that the incident was not strictly linked tothe Ferguson protests. .