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

UN Says Ferguson Community Has Right to Peaceful Protest

© AFP 2023 / JEWEL SAMADThis November 25, 2014 file photo shows a protester holding up her hands in front of a police car in Ferguson
This November 25, 2014 file photo shows a protester holding up her hands in front of a police car in Ferguson - Sputnik International
Subscribe
UN Secretary General’s spokesman says US citizens have the right to take to the streets in a peaceful manner.

UNITED NATIONS (Sputnik) – US citizens have the right to take to the streets in a peaceful manner, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon’s spokesman told reporters Tuesday.

Events marking the one-year anniversary of the shooting death of unarmed African-American teenager Michael Brown at the hands of a white police officer turned violent in the Midwest suburb of Ferguson. Local police arrested up to 150 people in the past 48 hours in a crackdown on the disorders marring the commemoration of Michael Brown's death.

"I think it’s important that people be able to protest peacefully," Ban’s spokesman Stephane Dujarric stressed.

Last November, when violent riots erupted after the announcement of a non-indictment against the officer who fatally shot Brown, Ban appealed for protesters to express their grievances peacefully.

Members of the Oath Keepers walk with their personal weapons on the street during protests in Ferguson, Missouri August 11, 2015. - Sputnik International
Tensions High as 'Oath Keepers' Descend on Ferguson in Full Military Gear
During a rally commemorating Brown’s death on Sunday, police responded to gunfire directed at an unmarked police vehicle, injuring a 18-year-old who reportedly remains in critical condition. The teenager named Tyrone Harris, purportedly Brown’s friend, was charged with 10 counts of assault and armed criminal action.

St. Louis County declared a state of emergency in Ferguson and the surrounding areas amid the unrest and violence that followed commemoration rallies.

UN’s Dujarric emphasized the importance of law enforcement officials to protect the local community while allowing them exercise their right to peaceful protest.

A Sputnik, Washington Post and Huffington Post correspondents were among those arrested during their coverage of events unfolding in Ferguson.

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