Ferguson curfew lifted, Natl Guard ordered to protect cops, state senator wants police chief out ::posted Mon, 18 Aug 2014 21:38:10 +0000:: ift.tt/1qkK4lO rss@dailykos (Meteor Blades) Missouri State Sen. Maria Chapelle-Nadal, who represents the city of Ferguson in the state legislature, has called for Ferguson police chief to step down immediately. After another night of clashes between police and protesters as well as some continuing violence and looting, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon Monday called off a highly unpopular curfew in Ferguson, Missouri, and called in the National Guard. Civil rights groups have called the curfew unconstitutional. It was implemented after peaceful protests of the police slaying of 18-year-old Michael Brown were broken up by heavily armed riot cops firing tear gas and rubber bullets into the crowds along with blasts from a sound cannon. Police also responded during the week in a hard-core fashion to looting and violence, at least some of which has been reported to have been the work of outsiders taking advantage of the situation. The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports: At his press conference after another night of violent clashes with protesters, Missouri Highway Patrol Capt. Ronald S. Johnson said new security steps were planned but declined to detail them. In response to one of the few questions that were allowed, he said those plans were still in flux but did not include bringing in National Guard troops. But Nixon announced a short time later he would bring in those troops. Terrific communication and coordination there. The St. Louis NAACP condemned the use of the National Guard, with Adolphus M. Pruitt, first vice president of Missouri State Conference of Branches and president of St. Louis NAACP, saying Ron Johnson, the state police captain assigned to oversee security in Ferguson, should get more time to get the job done. The governor said in a prepared statement on calling out the guard: Following coordinated attacks last night both on civilians and law enforcement officers, I signed an executive order directing the Missouri National Guard to help restore peace and order in Ferguson. The Guards immediate and limited responsibilities under the direction of Colonel Ron Replogle of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, are to provide protection, and ensure the safety of our Unified Command Center, which was the target last night of a coordinated attack. The Guard will concentrate its resources on carrying out this limited mission. [...] Again, I join the people of Ferguson, and all Missourians, in strongly condemning the violent acts we saw last night, including the firing upon law enforcement officers, the shooting of a civilian, the throwing of Molotov cocktails, looting and a coordinated attempt to overrun the unified Command Center. Meanwhile, the American Civil Liberties Union, NAACP Legal Defense fund, the Lawyers Committee For Civil Rights Under Law and 11 other organizations issued a joint statement Monday objecting to the suspension of constitutional rights in Ferguson and making several recommendations. Please read below the fold to see the civil rights organizations remarks: [Forwarded by the MyLeftBlogosphere news engine. Link to original post below:]
Posted on: Tue, 19 Aug 2014 04:35:45 +0000
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