Ferguson, week 2
Meh:
The situation in Ferguson looked up briefly last Thursday, when the Missouri Highway Patrol took over with a very community policing tone, and there was a sense of optimism as a result of that. This didn't last long, as Friday night, the local police promised not to use tear gas, then denied using tear gas, and then admitted that, oh, oops, yeah, so, that was tear gas. And it's been downhill since then, with a curfew on Saturday and Sunday nights, deliberate obfuscation of information, threatening to shoot media personnel, and corralling media in a corner where they can't record what's actually happening. This police force is out of control, and no one with power over them seems interested in interrogating that.
Imagine living with these people as your law enforcement every day. :( :( :(
If you're mainly getting your news from mainstream sources, know that a lot of them are heavily filtered. Livestreams and twitter are available for independent on-the-ground information. Again, I suggest @AntonioFrench as a great resource. Please share others in comments.
A few links:
Amnesty International is sending in a team.
Here is a resource for resisting the militarization of local police.
Here is some info on the details of the legal process here.
More opportunities to donate to folks in Ferguson:
You can donate money that goes to food and water for protesters to sadditycooks@gmail.com -- she'll post the receipts and purchases on her twitter stream at @bellebutters . I gather some of these donations may go to other aid as well.
You can donate to the local food pantry by sending money here: St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church; 33 N Clay Ave Ferguson, MO 63135
This is an updated link to donate to the bail and legal defense fund for protesters.
Please share any additional resources in comments; I'll keep sharing as well.
The situation in Ferguson looked up briefly last Thursday, when the Missouri Highway Patrol took over with a very community policing tone, and there was a sense of optimism as a result of that. This didn't last long, as Friday night, the local police promised not to use tear gas, then denied using tear gas, and then admitted that, oh, oops, yeah, so, that was tear gas. And it's been downhill since then, with a curfew on Saturday and Sunday nights, deliberate obfuscation of information, threatening to shoot media personnel, and corralling media in a corner where they can't record what's actually happening. This police force is out of control, and no one with power over them seems interested in interrogating that.
Imagine living with these people as your law enforcement every day. :( :( :(
If you're mainly getting your news from mainstream sources, know that a lot of them are heavily filtered. Livestreams and twitter are available for independent on-the-ground information. Again, I suggest @AntonioFrench as a great resource. Please share others in comments.
A few links:
Amnesty International is sending in a team.
Here is a resource for resisting the militarization of local police.
Here is some info on the details of the legal process here.
More opportunities to donate to folks in Ferguson:
You can donate money that goes to food and water for protesters to sadditycooks@gmail.com -- she'll post the receipts and purchases on her twitter stream at @bellebutters . I gather some of these donations may go to other aid as well.
You can donate to the local food pantry by sending money here: St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church; 33 N Clay Ave Ferguson, MO 63135
This is an updated link to donate to the bail and legal defense fund for protesters.
Please share any additional resources in comments; I'll keep sharing as well.