Ferguson rally planned for tonight on the Country Club Plaza
Across the United States this evening, peaceful rallies are being held for Michael Brown, the unarmed black teenager gunned down by a police officer last weekend on the other side of the state, in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson. Kansas City’s will be held on the Country Club Plaza, near the J.C. Nichols Memorial Fountain, at 7 p.m. A moment of silence will be held at 7:20 p.m.
The situation in Ferguson continues to shock even those of us who were already concerned about the increasing militarization of police departments in America. It appears, at last, that some measure of order may be coming to the situation. Gov. Jay Nixon is now promising an “operational shift” in the handling of the protests (i.e., relieve the reckless Ferguson Police Department of its duties), and President Barack Obama is making statements. We’ll see what effect that will have this evening.
In a video statement, Mayor Sly James urged attendees to keep it peaceful on the Plaza.
“What I’m hoping that happens is that people make their opinions heard, but do so in a way that allows people to actually listen as opposed to being distracted by the violence that may erupt on the edges,” James said. Watch below.
The Facebook event page is here.
