VIDEO: Ferguson Erupts in Riots, Burning, Looting
A grand jury decision not to indict Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown is over and done with. But anger over that decision is not, nor is the prospect of more arson, more looting, or more violence -- actions that have already rattled the eastern Missouri city, reports CNN.
Activists are set to rally Tuesday in more than 115 cities in the United States, speaking out in support of Brown's family and accusations about police violence and racial injustice -- rooted in the fact that Brown was black and Wilson is white. And their calls will likely be loudest in and around Ferguson, a city unknown to many worldwide more than three months ago, but which is now ground zero in this debate.
"What we saw tonight was much worse than what we saw any night in August," the St. Louis County police said on Facebook, referring to the days immediately after Brown's death. "Bricks were thrown at police officers, two St. Louis County police cars were set on fire and police seized an automatic weapon."
Authorities responded with round after round of tear gas, as well as shooting bean bags into the crowds. There were no known serious injuries.
Police in Ferguson made at least 61 arrests on charges ranging from unlawful assembly to burglary to unlawful possession of a firearm to arson.