Another night of protests in the Missouri city of Ferguson remained relatively peaceful, a stark change from the tension-filled nights that have occurred since the shooting of unarmed teenager Michael Brown.
According to Missouri Highway Patrol Capt. Ron Johnson, six arrests were made by officers compared to the 47 from the previous night.
From St. Louis Today:
Speaking at a brief press conference at 1:30 a.m., Johnson said the 11th night of protests was fairly calm although an officer was hit by a bottle at one point. He said the officer was not injured.
Johnson credited the officers as well as the “law-abiding men and women and teenagers of Ferguson” and the large contingent of clergy and church elders who came to the streets Wednesday night for keeping the protest in check.
He also said the protesters were a quieter group. “We didn’t have as many of the agitators,” Johnson said.
He said no fires were set, no one was shot and no guns were confiscated. The officers did not use smoke, tear gas or pepper spray on anyone, unlike in some past nights when the protests over the shooting death of Michael Brown by Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson turned violent.
Johnson did not detail the charges in all of the arrests, but he said some were for failure to disperse.
Members of the media who have been on the ground throughout the duration of the Ferguson protests commented on the change in tone:
This is the calmest I’ve seen #Ferguson since I got here. Small crowd marching and police officers are mainly standing around watching
— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) August 21, 2014
It is reeeeeeaaaaalllly quiet here tonight in #Ferguson. Some press already rolling out.
— Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) August 21, 2014
At one point in the night, a pair of protestors supporting Officer Darren Wilson marched alongside those demonstrating in the name of Brown. The protestors appeared to have police escorts who evacuated them from the scene for their safety.
They declined to give their names.
Still, the narrative for those on the ground was dotted with some show of excessive police force. Capt. Johnson, however, reminded Ferguson residents that while change has been slow to come, it’s coming.
“Each night I’ve seen a turning point,” Johnson said. “We’ve been taking small steps every night.”
Meanwhile, plans for Brown’s funeral have been set.
The funeral is scheduled for Monday at a St. Louis church.
The Austin A. Layne Mortuary, which is handling arrangements, says the funeral is set for 10 a.m. at Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church, 5515 Martin Luther King Drive.
Brown’s uncle, the Rev. Charles Ewing, will deliver the eulogy, and the Rev. Al Sharpton will also speak.
We’ll keep you updated with the latest from Ferguson.
SOURCE: STLToday, Twitter | PHOTO CREDIT: Getty
