Twitter erupts with Ferguson anger

Written By Unknown on Kamis, 14 Agustus 2014 | 22.54

#handsupdontshoot ... Police stand watch as demonstrators protest the shooting death of teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

SOCIAL media has erupted after two reporters were detained in the US town of Ferguson and police fired tear gas as protesters demonstrated over the killing of an unarmed black teen by an officer.

CNN and other media reported that police officers in riot gear marched towards protesters near a burnt-out gas station where demonstrators had gathered in the town of Ferguson, a St Louis, Missouri suburb.

TV footage of the fifth straight day of unrest showed thick clouds of smoke and protesters scurrying through it in the dark.

Up in smoke ... A protester scrambles for cover as police fire tear gas on August 13, 2014 in Ferguson, Missouri. The St Louis suburb has been rocked by a fourth day of protests over police violence. Picture: Getty Source: AFP

JOURNALISTS ARRESTED AS 'WARRIOR COPS' STALK STREETS

The shocking scenes, which some say are reminiscent of a police state, have prompted Americans to take to social media to voice their dismay.

Students at the historically black college Howard University posted for a powerful group photo with their hands up as if under arrest, with the hashtag #handsupdontshoot.

Many criticised what they saw as the US media's slowness to report on events in Ferguson, with #Ferguson, #mediablackout and #PrayForFerguson all trending on Twitter in the US.

Eyewitnesses said Michael Brown had his hands up and was unarmed when he was shot dead by police.

Celebrities including singer John Legend and Mia Farrow also took to Twitter over the events.

A photograph of SWAT teams in riot gear dismantling Al Jazeera camera equipment was also being reposted on Twitter.

Police also used sonic devices that made a loud ear-splitting sound to try to disperse the crowd, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported.

Witness ... Jeremiah Parker, 4, stands in front of his mother, Shatara Parker, as they attend a protest in Ferguson. Nights of unrest have vied with calls for calm in a St. Louis suburb where Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager was killed by police, while the community is still pressing for answers about the weekend shooting. Picture: AP Source: AP

Demonstrators taunted the police. "We're not dogs, so what the hell you've got those whipping sticks for? Because you want to whip us like dogs," one protester said, according to the newspaper.

Police separately arrested two journalists reporting on the unrest in McDonalds, with the entire incident captured on video and Twitter.

The unrest has roiled Ferguson since aspiring college student Michael Brown, 18, died on Saturday in a police shooting.

His death has triggered rioting and stirred comparisons with the February 2012 fatal shooting of unarmed teenager Trayvon Martin in Florida.

Wesley Lowery, a Washington Post political reporter, and Ryan Reilly, a Huffington Post reporter, were arrested in a McDonald's restaurant after police entered the restaurant and ordered people to leave, the pair wrote on Twitter.

In a series of tweets, Lowery said they were given no explanation for their arrest other than "trespassing" and were not charged with any offences before being released.

Overwhelmed ... Terrell Williams El hugs his daughter Sharell, 9, while standing with his wife, Shamika and daughters Tamika, 6, and Sharell, 2, in Ferguson, Mo. They were overcome with emotion after Mr Williams El confronted police. "I'm out here to stand for my children and their future," he said. Picture: AP Source: AP

"I'm emotional, but need to note: Ryan and I are fine. Have seen people in Ferguson hurt by gas/rubber bullets. This wasn't that," Lowery tweeted.

Lowery also said the police officers "assaulted" him because the two reporters were not leaving the McDonald's quickly enough.

Earlier, police fired several shots at a 19-year-old who pointed a handgun in their direction as they dispersed around 30 people who had gathered near where the rioting had occurred, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch said.

The young man was taken to hospital and his name has not been released.

In Los Angeles, police shot and killed a black man on Monday during what they called an "investigative stop."

"It is unknown if the suspect has any gang affiliations," the Los Angeles Police Department said in a statement.

"The suspect was transported to a local hospital, and after lifesaving efforts he succumbed to his injuries."

Officials in Ferguson urged demonstrators to remain calm.

Mayor James Knowles called for "any groups wishing to assemble in prayer or in protest do so only during daylight."

Looters targeted more than a dozen businesses in the St. Louis suburb overnight on Sunday after a vigil on the sidewalk where Brown died erupted into clashes with police armed with tear gas, clubs and rubber bullets.

On Tuesday, US President Barack Obama appealed for calm after the "heartbreaking" incident, noting that the FBI had opened a civil rights investigation into Brown's death.

Witnesses and police have given conflicting versions of how the teenager was shot in broad daylight, two days before he was due to start college.

Live updates ... Americans have taken to social media over the days of protests, w with many expressing dismay at police actions. Picture: AFP Source: AFP

Police state? ... Cops stand watch as demonstrators protest the shooting death of teenager Michael Brown. Picture: Getty Source: AFP


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