Protests across US after Ferguson grand jury decision

St. Louis police firing huge amounts of tear gas to disperse protesters in Ferguson, Missouri.

Protests across US after Ferguson grand jury decision
Protests erupted across the U.S. after a Missouri grand jury cleared a white police officer in the fatally shooting an unarmed black teen in the city of Ferguson.

St. Louis police have used excessive amounts of tear gas to disperse hundreds of protesters on the streets of Ferguson, an Anadolu Agency correspondent reported from the scene.

Although the St. Louis Police Department tweeted, "Police are not deploying tear gas. They are using #smoke to break up unruly crowds," reporters from the scene say it is absolutely tear gas what police officers have been firing.

Television footage showed fires raging as some area businesses were looted by angry protesters.

In New York, more than 1,000 demonstrators who gathered at Union Square before the grand jury’s announcement, marched to upper Manhattan to protest the decision.

Holding up signs reading "No justice, no peace" and "Black lives matter," the protesters faced occasional police intervention during their march to Times Square.

A previous attempt by demonstrators to march to Wall Street was blocked by the police although some protesters were seen breaking down barricades. AA journalists at the scene reported the arrests of some protesters.

Other cities, including Washington, Los Angeles, Chicago and Philadelphia have also seen protests attended by thousands of demonstrators.

The Missouri grand jury ruled Monday that police officer Darren Wilson would not face charges for fatally shooting 18-year-old Michael Brown in Ferguson, a decision that sparked fears of violent confrontations in the city between protesters and police.

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon declared a state of emergency last week, and activated the National Guard to assist the law enforcement.

Anadolu Agency
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