‘Working to restore confidence,’ Ferguson police elicit torrents of ill will

Cops in military-grade gear tear-gassed protestors and arrested journalists in the St. Louis suburb, prompting online comparisons to images from Tiananmen Square and Tahrir Square.

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We ask that any groups wishing to assemble in prayer or in protest do so only during daylight hours in an organized and respectful manner. We further ask all those wishing to demonstrate or assemble to disperse well before the evening hours to ensure the safety of the participants and the safety of our community. Unfortunately, those who wish to co-opt peaceful protests and turn them into violent demonstrations have been able to do so over the past several days during the evening hours.

The statement also said, “We are working to restore confidence in the safety of our community and our neighborhoods so that we may begin the healing process.” That didn’t happen Wednesday night. If anything, the police, who forcibly made people—including journalists—disperse using tear gas, turned a whole lot of people against them.

PHOTOS: Police fire tear gas near Al Jazeera crew, then disassemble the gear after they flee. #Ferguson pic.twitter.com/It5FOxVWhB

— Cassidy Moody (@CassFM) August 14, 2014

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