Protesters and police clashed early yesterday despite a night curfew imposed on Ferguson, Missouri, to try to quell days of violence that erupted after an unarmed black teenager was shot dead by a white police officer a week ago.
Civil rights activist Al Sharpton called for an end to violence and looting. A person was shot and critically wounded during the night, and it was not clear why. The shooter was still at large, police said.
“One person was shot last night, and we don’t know if was related to the protest or not, or who shot them, but we do not need more people hurt to stop the hurt,” Sharpton said on his syndicated radio show “Hour of Power.”
The latest confrontation occurred when demonstrators remained in the streets of the St Louis suburb after a curfew imposed by Missouri Governor Jay Nixon took effect at midnight.
Law enforcement officials used loudspeakers to tell protesters to disperse immediately. Officers, equipped with gas masks and full-length shields, stood among and on top of armoured vehicles. Seven people were arrested for failing to disperse, police said.
Nixon imposed the curfew on Saturday after a week of racially charged protests and looting over the shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson.
Nixon said yesterday that in spite of the clashes, the curfew was a success and the community deserved credit.
We are trying to use the least amount of force to provide people the ability to speak while also protecting people’s property
“We are always disappointed when things are not perfect, but thousands of people spoke last night, thousands of people marched and not a single gunshot (was) fired by members of the law enforcement,” he told CNN’s news show State of the Union.
“Members of the community helped last night to get through what could have been a very diffi-cult night.”
Nixon said he did not know how long the curfew would be in place. “We are trying to use the least amount of force to provide people the ability to speak while also protecting people’s property,” he said.
The person shot at a restaurant during the night was in critical condition, Missouri State Highway Patrol Captain Ron Johnson said. Police were unable to identify the victim, who he said was not shot by police.
Johnson, entrusted with restoring order by the governor, said canisters of smoke and later teargas were fired as part of police attempts to reach the victim of the shooting, “and not in relation to the curfew.” The wounded person was taken to hospital by bystanders before police could reach him.
Johnson also said someone had shot at a passing police car. The smoke and teargas canisters largely dispersed the crowd, some of whom had been chanting “No justice, no curfew, no peace”, while others implored the crowd not to move forward towards police.