ADVERTISEMENTPolice and protesters maintained a tense standoff in Ferguson, Missouri the night after the town was rocked by rioting.
Monday’s decision by a grand jury to not to charge a white officer for the shooting of an unarmed black teenager has renewed the racial tensions which were highlighted last August by the killing.
President Barack Obama has called for debate not violence as a response to any feelings of injustice:
“To those who think that what happened in Ferguson is an excuse for violence, I do not have any sympathy for that. I have no sympathy at all for destroying your own communities. But for the overwhelming majority of people who just feel frustrated and pain, because they get a sense that maybe some communities aren’t treated fairly or some individuals aren’t seen as worthy as others, I understand that.”
Darren Wilson, the police officer who shot 18-year-old Michael Brown, has given an interview saying he feared for his life during the confrontation. It’s claimed there was a struggle between the two, other versions say Brown had raised his arms in surrender.
Missouri’s governor has ordered more National Guard troops into Ferguson fearing more looting and destruction.
Ferguson appears to be at the centre of a storm with protests against racism being held in several major US cities