- Sputnik International
World
Get the latest news from around the world, live coverage, off-beat stories, features and analysis.

A.G. Urges US Police to Refrain From Violence Ahead of Ferguson Verdict

© REUTERS / Adrees LatifProtesters shout towards police as they demand the criminal indictment of a white police officer who shot dead an unarmed black teenager in August, outside the Ferguson Police Station in Missouri November 20, 2014
Protesters shout towards police as they demand the criminal indictment of a white police officer who shot dead an unarmed black teenager in August, outside the Ferguson Police Station in Missouri November 20, 2014 - Sputnik International
Subscribe
US Attorney General Eric Holder urged police to refrain from using violence against peaceful protesters ahead of Ferguson verdict.

WASHINGTON, November 22 (Sputnik) – US Attorney General Eric Holder has urged police around the country to refrain from using violence against peaceful protesters, ahead of a Ferguson grand jury's decision on the case of white police officer who shot and killed an unarmed African American teenager.

"Demonstrations like these have the potential to spark a sustained and positive national dialogue," Holder said in a video statement Friday.

"But history has also shown us that the most successful and enduring movements for change are those that adhere to non-aggression and non-violence…so I ask all those who seek to lend their voice to important causes and discussions, and who seek to elevate these vital conversations to do so in way that respects the gravity of their subject matter," Holder added.

The Attorney General stressed that recent protests in Ferguson, Missouri, "have sought to bring attention to real and significant underlying issues involving police practices, implicit bias and pervasive community distrust and in most cases these demonstrations have been both meaningful and responsible and have brought vital issues to the attention of the public at large".

Holder's announcement comes as protesters in Missouri eagerly await the court's verdict, which is expected to lead to massive protests across the state if it is ruled that the police officer is not guilty.

In August, massive protests erupted across Missouri after 18-year-old African American teenager Michael Brown was shot dead by white police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson.

According to the Human Right Watch, US police used "unnecessary and disproportionate force" to quell protesters following the deadly August 9 shooting.

Newsfeed
0
To participate in the discussion
log in or register
loader
Chats
Заголовок открываемого материала