Ferguson, Missouri Shooting News: Protesters Chant ‘Hands Up, Don’t Shoot’ at Wal-Mart, Target Black Friday Sales
Nearly 100 demonstrators moved from the streets into major retailers with Black Friday sales overnight to express their disagreement and anger at a grand jury decision not to indict white Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson who fatally shot black teen Michael Brown, reports Huffington Post.
The first stop was a Wal-Mart located in a neighborhood just outside of St. Louis. Black and white protesters of various ages calmly walked through the store quietly chanting "Hands up, don't shoot" as Black Friday bargain-hunters looked on.
Police asked the protesters to leave, which they did peacefully, moving to a Target store where they carried out a similar demonstration.
On Thursday, the group of demonstrators that targeted Wal-Mart and Target met in the basement of a St. Louis church for Thanksgiving dinner, protest planning and song and prayer.
"We are bruised but not broken," Cathy Daniels, a woman known as "Momma Cat" to activists, told Reuters. "We are regrouping. We are not going to take this lying down."
Ferguson became a central hub for U.S. race relation troubles when Officer Wilson fatally shot the unarmed 18-year-old on Aug. 9. The tension intensified on Monday when a grand jury chose not to indict the officer, prompting riots in Ferguson. At least a dozen businesses were destroyed by arson. More than 100 people were arrested for various riot-related crimes and clashes with police.
Protests on Wednesday and Thursday were calmer with no significant incidents reported.
Ferguson, Missouri has a population of about 21,000 people. The city is predominantly black with white political leaders and police.
Missouri Governor Jay Nixon, who declared a state of emergency prior to the grand jury decision announcement, has deployed approximately 2,200 National Guard troops to Ferguson to ensure peace.
Wilson, who was placed on administrative leave, maintains that he feared for his life and had no choice but to shoot Brown in self-defense.
Brown's family believes Wilson acted with malice and should be charged as such.
The U.S. Justice Department has opened an investigation into possible civil rights abuses.
More Black Friday protests are planned for Friday.
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