Free Republic

“TOMORROW (Tues), #OccupyCountycouncil, 2:30PM! We demand an end to a justice system that jails nonviolent offenders but lets cops kill! 41 S. Central, 63105.” These were the words of a mass text sent to subscribers to the “Ferguson Action” list. The list includes groups that formed in response to the August shooting death of an unarmed black teenager, Michael Brown, by police officer Darren Wilson and have fueled the protest movement that has continued since. Video was posted online of the Tuesday meeting showing that a few protesters had indeed attended. Four members of the group spoke to the St....

Amidst all the Morning Joe talk about the Eric Garner case today, there was Al Sharpton looking out for #1. When Mika Brzezinski began to praise NYC Mayor Bill de Blasio for the absence of violence last night, Sharpton jumped in to shut her down and claim credit for himself. There's "the mayor and other mechanisms," sniffed Sharpton, silencing her, but the real credit for the lack of violence goes to "movements" and "organized bodies." Which movements and organized bodies, might you ask? Well, Sharpton—sporting a big button from his National Action Network—went on to praise the way a non-violent...

Police Sgt. Bret Barnum hugs 12-year-old Devonte Hart during a demonstration in Portland, Ore. calling for police reform after the Ferguson grand jury decision on Nov. 25, 2014. Sometimes, all you really need is a good hug. Amid the nationwide protests over the failure of a grand jury to indict a white police officer for shooting an unarmed black teenager in Ferguson, Mo., freelance photographer Johnny Nguyen snapped the picture above during a demonsration in Portland, Ore., on Nov. 25. "I came upon this boy who had tears in his eyes and I knew this was the place to be,...

The Governor of the state, Jay Nixon, has declared a state of emergency and plans to mobilize the National Guard in anticipation of an imminent grand jury announcement on the Michael Brown case. Tensions are high in the area, as residents, businesses and police brace themselves for another round of rioting in the mainly black suburb of St. Louis. Their fears are well founded, as seasoned protest organizers are currently training activists to close in on and “shut down” the business district of nearby Clayton on the first business day after the grand jury goes public. Michael McPhearson The key...