Ferguson, MO – Thousands protested here Oct. 10 to demand Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson be jailed for the murder of 18-year-old Michael Brown. In August, the white police officer shot Michael Brown dead, as the unarmed African American youth held his hands up in the air. The people of Ferguson wasted no time in showing their outrage as they took to the streets, calling for the police officer to go to jail. Protesters are now demanding justice as a grand jury meets to decide whether to bring charges against Wilson.

On Oct. 11, thousands of protesters arrived in downtown Saint Louis and marched through the streets. The crowd was full of energy as groups of African American organizers and anti-police brutality activists from all over the country joined in. The crowd chanted, “Send these killer cops to jail, the whole damn system is guilty as hell!”

Later in the day, hundreds of protesters, mostly youth, marched on the Ferguson police station. The militant crowd chanted, “If Mike Brown don't get it, we gonna shut this shit down!” Police officers blocked the entrance as they stared expressionless at the singing and dancing protesters. Lesley McSpadden, the mother of Michael Brown praised the protesters for their determination. She closed the protest by pleading, “Do not stop until justice is reached.”

Next, 100 protesters gathered on the Southside of Saint Louis to protest the murder of another 18-year-old, Vonderrit Myers. Myers was shot 17 times by an off- duty Saint Louis police officer.

As the Fight Back! news team walked to Shaw Street, they confronted a racist white vigilante. The vigilante banged his baseball bat from a third floor residence, shouting, “Stop looting. Go home. Nobody wants you here.” He then ran out on the street, threatening to use his bat on the group. The team showed no fear and one stepped up to bravely confront the man. The racist immediately went back into his house. Next the team faced a police checkpoint, before finding other protesters.

Despite the intimidation, protesters showed great courage and marched, chanting, “Mike Brown means, we gotta fight back!” As soon as the 100-plus contingent reached the gas station near the shooting site of Myers, the Saint Louis police met them with full force. The police were dressed in riot gear, armed with batons, pepper spray, tear gas and mace. Buses full of police vans showed up to arrest people and the department brought a military vehicle. Police surrounded protesters on all sides as people sat in at the entrance of the gas station. Police beat the people doing peaceful civil disobedience with batons, used pepper spray and arrested 14 who continued to maintain their position. Those who escaped to the sidewalk and followed the police orders were not spared either. They were met with tear gas, mace and pepper spray. The police lied to the media about rocks being thrown, when there were none to be found.

The next day, Oct. 12, led by Saint Louis University (SLU) students, people marched from Shaw Street down to campus. 1000 marched silently down the road, on their way to the university, but were met once again with a police riot team. The police did their best to intimidate the people by beating their batons on the ground, but the protesters maintained their ground. They were eventually allowed to pass and go to the SLU campus.

Students and community members decided to occupy the campus into the next day. Echoing Occupy Wall Street, the main organizer announced, “We are here today to fight systematic racism and white supremacy. That does not mean white versus Black or Asian versus Hispanic, but the 99 % versus the 1%”. The crowd responded, “You can’t stop the revolution!”

Dream Defender Biko Misabiko who traveled from Jacksonville, Florida stated, “What the people in Ferguson are doing is a model for activism. We need to have militant actions in as many cities as possible.”

Another Dream Defender activist, Naomi Brown stated, “Going to Ferguson changed my life. I feel a great sense of urgency to take action and spread revolution everywhere.” As the protests in Ferguson continue, the African American liberation movement is gaining strength as people in other parts of the country organize new groups.

#FergusonMO #AfricanAmerican #PoliceBrutality #RacismInTheCriminalJusticeSystem #MikeBrown

Ferguson, MO – Governor Nixon signed an executive order Aug. 18 ordering the deployment of the National Guard to Ferguson. The order also authorizes the Highway Patrol to close down or restrict access to major city streets. In the wake of the murder of the killing of a young African American man, Mike Brown, by a white cop, Ferguson has seen a wave of protests demanding justice and authorities are moving to step up repression.

#FergusonMO #PoliceBrutality

Ferguson, MO – Following Governor Jay Nixon’s announcement of a state of emergency here, police and state troopers launched an attack on protesters who were demanding justice for Mike Brown. In the early morning hours of Aug. 17, police used tear gas and carried out arrests.

#FergusonMO #PoliceBrutality #JusticeForMichaelBrown #HandsUp

Ferguson, MO – Governor Jay Nixon, a democrat, held a press conference here, Aug. 16, where he announced a state of emergency in Ferguson, placing the town under a curfew from midnight to 5:00 a.m. This announcement comes on the heels of peaceful protesters being tear gassed by riot police in the early morning hours.

The press conference turned into utter chaos when the state of emergency announcement was made, as members of the crowd yelled, “Why hasn't the killer cop been charged?” and “Why hasn't Darren Wilson been indicted? Answer the question! Stop killing our people, police, and stop it now!”

Members of the community are angry at this decision. The press conference barely addressed the investigation into the killing Michael Brown at the hands of white police and only focused on suppressing uproar from the Ferguson communities pursuit of justice.

This reporter was able to talk to Justin Hansford, a Black law professor at Saint Louis University, who was present at the press conference. Hansford said, “The person who is supposed to prosecute the officer who killed Michael Brown has a notorious bias against Black men.”

#FergusonMO #PoliceBrutality #JusticeForMichaelBrown #HandsUp

Ferguson, MO – The joyful atmosphere in the streets of Ferguson came to an end in the early morning hours of Aug. 16 when law enforcement launched tear gas and flash-bang grenades at peaceful protesters. At around midnight, law enforcement in riot gear started to threaten protesters with force if they didn't disperse. The crowd didn't back down from police threats and stayed in the streets with their hands up, chanting. The crowd of a few hundred included young and older people with a few children holding signs.

Around 50 riot police started to get back into their armored vehicles to the crowd's excitement. However, law enforcement threw tear gas and flash-bangs into the crowd, sending protesters running. This reporter experienced the tear gas from law enforcement. As people ran away from the tear gas, they yelled, “get the children,” making sure everyone was safe.

The previous night was different as the crowd simply chanted and demanded justice with zero police presence. However, tonight law enforcement in riot gear sought to destabilize and repress the protesters. Many who attended the rally said that this seems like a calculated plan by law enforcement to criminalize the protests. In addition, Ferguson police have tried to criminalize Michael Brown, releasing footage of Brown allegedly stealing cigars from a gas station, footage many residents say is based on deceit from the police department.

#FergusonMO #PoliceBrutality #InjusticeSystem #MichaelBrown

Ferguson, MO – With rain coming down around 8:00 p.m. here Aug. 15, more than 700 community members are out in force again, protesting the killing of Michael Brown at the hands of the Ferguson Police Department. People from all over the country are pouring into this Saint Louis suburb to support the community.

Protesters have taken over West Florissant Street, with bumper-to-bumper traffic and cars honking in a symphony of support. Drummers have even set up shop at the Quick Trip gas station, entertaining the crowd and chanting, “No Justice, no peace!”

#FergusonMO #PoliceBrutality #JusticeForMichaelBrown #HandsUp

Ferguson, MO – Earlier this morning, Aug. 15, Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson identified police officer Darren Wilson as the cop who murdered 18-year-old Black teenager Michael Brown on Aug. 9.

The Ferguson police also released a statement claiming that Brown was suspected of strong-arm robbing a local convenience store minutes before Wilson killed him. However residents this reporter spoke with here in Ferguson are refuting those claims, calling them slanderous.

One resident this reporter talked to today said that the Ferguson police accounts of the events leading to Brown's killing makes no sense.

“The pictures the police released doesn't even look like him and they are wearing different clothes,” said another Ferguson resident.

#FergusonMO #PoliceBrutality #InjusticeSystem #MichaelBrown

Ferguson, MO – It is shortly after midnight, Aug. 15, and easily at least a thousand members of the Ferguson community have taken the streets tonight in what it seems like a atmosphere of celebration. Residents said that they are overjoyed that the police, at least tonight, have withdrawn their militarized force from their streets.

West Florissant Avenue, the street that police have used as their point of siege towards the Ferguson community, was filled with bumper-to bumper-traffic as cars honked at each in other in a festive atmosphere. This reporter talked to residents who said that the lack of military style police presence was great, with younger residents stating that the streets no longer belongs to the police but now is in the hands of the community.

The large crowd chanted, “Hands up, don't shoot!” with members of the New Black Panther Party directing busy traffic. Tonight was a night of relief for Ferguson residents. However, they know that getting justice for Michael Brown is gonna require them staying out in the streets and demanding it.

#FergusonMO #AfricanAmerican #PoliceBrutality #Antiracism #MichaelBrown

Ferguson, MO – Early this evening, Aug. 14, at about 5:00 p.m., around 100 people from the area are protesting outside the QuikTrip gas station on West Florissant Avenue, the building razed to the ground by protesters days ago after the death of 18-year-old Michael Brown. The gas station is ground zero for a lot of the activity here in Ferguson.

Residents told this reporter that on Aug. 13, police repressed protesters and community members with rubber bullets and tear gas down the street from the QuikTrip, seeking to clear the area of protesters. There were protesters on hand with battle scars from being hit with rubber bullets yesterday.

Saint Louis Alderman Antonio French, a Black city official and citizen journalist who was jailed by police the day before, told this reporter the police never brought up any charges against him, only detaining him and his staff for bogus reasons.

Ferguson, Missouri is a hotbed of activity right now, with protests popping up all over this suburb of Saint Louis.

#FergusonMO #PoliceBrutality #JusticeForMichaelBrown

Ferguson, MO – Around 150 people gathered shortly after 12 noon today, Aug. 14, in Ferguson, a suburb of Saint Louis, across the street from Ferguson Fire Station. They are preparing to march to the Ferguson Police Department, demanding “Justice for Mike Brown.” Brown, an African American 18-year-old teenager, was ruthlessly gunned down by the Ferguson Police Department on Aug. 9. So far, the Ferguson Police Department has yet to release the name of the officer who killed Brown.

#FergusonMO #PeoplesStruggles #PoliceBrutality #MichaelBrown #Missouri #MO #MikeBrown

Two witnesses say that Michael had his hands up in the air when the police officer fired several shots, killing him. After murdering him, the police left his body for hours on the street, showing a total lack of respect. The next day, during a candlelight vigil, clashes broke out once again in Ferguson. The people's rebellion lasted late into the night. The police had wrongly murdered a community member and the people of Ferguson wanted justice.

The murder of Michael Brown, as well as the murder of others like Eric Garner, Jordan Davis and Trayvon Martin, shows that the system of national oppression is alive and well in the U.S. The police are the day-to-day enforcers of this system and they remind us of this with every Black man they murder.

Just as one of the foundations of the U.S. economy was profits from slavery, the U.S. legal system began with a constitution that said that African Americans were only three-fifths of a person. In 1857, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that African slaves and their children have no rights in the U.S., in the case of Dred Scott v. Sanford. Then in 1896, the Supreme Court ruled that segregation was constitutional in the case of Plessy v. Ferguson. And early last year, the U.S. Supreme Court gutted the Voting Rights Act, opening the door for racist local and state governments to exclude Black and Brown voters from the polls.

Even though an African American man has been elected president and there is a Black Attorney General, the law, the police and the courts are not about justice. They are there to protect the property, privilege and power of the monopoly capitalists – the richest 1% who own and control the companies and government that dominate the economy and society. They enforce the national oppression that African Americans face: the all-round, social, political and economic inequality of oppressed nationalities in the U.S.

The struggle for full equality and liberation by African Americans has been a powerful force for progress in the U.S. The sit-in by four African American college students at a segregated Woolworth’s lunch counter on Feb. 1, 1960 started a national movement of direct action to desegregate the South and to fight for Black political power. This movement, and the organization that arose out of it, the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), was an inspiration to other oppressed nationalities, especially Asian Americans, Chicanos, Native Americans and Puerto Ricans, as well as the women’s movement, and the struggle of LGBTQ people.

Our experience has shown us that justice does not mainly come from the courts or elections. Nor does it mainly come from economic struggles, like boycotts. The fight for justice advances when the masses of working class people organize and show their power in the streets through militant mass actions such as rallies, marches, pickets, occupations, strikes, etc.

The way to get justice for Michael Brown lies through these militant mass actions. The Freedom Road Socialist Organization is calling for rallies and marches to demand justice for Michael Brown and to demand that the murderous cop be jailed. The people, not the police, are the makers of history and they will make their justice in the streets.

Stop Police Terror! Jail the Killer Cop! Justice for Michael Brown!

#FergusonMO #PeoplesStruggles #Racism #TrayvonMartin #Antiracism #MichaelBrown #Missouri #MO #PoliceBrutality #JusticeForMichaelBrown