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              Embattled Ferguson Unites in Call for Justice, Peace

   by Mary Alice Salinas

   U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder met with leaders of the embattled
   community of Ferguson, a predominantly African American suburb of St.
   Louis, Missouri.  Ferguson has endured violent protests since the
   August 9 shooting death of a black unarmed teenager by a white police
   officer, but the community is determined to end the unrest and seek
   justice.

   West Florissant Avenue, where unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown was
   shot by a white police officer, sparking violent protests, looting and
   vandalism, is now the gathering site for a community determined to
   quell the unrest and find justice.

    "You're going to see people rising up, but we're rising up together.
   This is my community and I'm rising up with it," said Jacquie Burge, a
   local resident.

   West Florissant Avenue has become the epicenter of a national debate
   about race, class and justice in America.

   The destruction from recent days is obvious, but so is an influx of
   supporters and sympathizers.

   Police and residents reach out, eager to build trust and quell anger.

   "I have been profiled, I've been pulled over for no reason and talked
   bad to by police officers.  However, as a black male there's a
   respectful way to go about handling everything.  Not getting out and
   tearing up your communities," said Craig Bass, a volunteer.

   Police blame outside groups for instigating violence, something
   Ferguson protester Weston Suber said he has witnessed during peaceful
   demonstrations.

   "Behind me I hear this guy on the loud speaker and he's chanting
   `revolution,' he chanting, not on the loud speaker but yelling, `let's
   go, push forward.' You know and it's almost like they want us to rush
   the police," said Suber.

   Amnesty International monitors are accusing police of being
   heavy-handed and stepping on the rights of peaceful protesters.

   "We recognize that police must defend themselves, we ask that it be
   proportional to threats that they are receiving, and we ask that the
   violations of a few not undermine the rights of many," said Amnesty
   International's Jasmine Heiss.

   Local Meldon Moffitt said he is one of the peaceful demonstrators
   unjustly targeted and arrested by police.

   "It's the police officers that agitate us, come down here with their
   stun guns, coming down here with the rifles, pointing lights on us,
   forcing us to move when we're not doing anything wrong but protesting,"
   said Moffitt.

   Police say they are simply protecting the public and businesses, while
   Moffitt says he is simply trying to get justice.
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   [1]http://www.voanews.com/content/embattled-ferguson-unites-in-call-for
   -justice-peace/2423039.html

References

   1. http://www.voanews.com/content/embattled-ferguson-unites-in-call-for-justice-peace/2423039.html