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In the United States
Federal government
- On August 12, citing an incident where a Ferguson Police Department helicopter was fired on from the ground, the FAA implemented a no-fly zone over Ferguson.[177][178] Recordings of telephone conversations between FAA employees later revealed that the true reason the flight restrictions were requested was to keep news helicopters out of the area during the protest violence. The tapes were obtained by the Associated Press in a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request.[179]
- In an August 14 op-ed in Time Magazine, U.S. Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky said that police forces need to be demilitarized and that "[t]he shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown is an awful tragedy" and that "Anyone who thinks race does not skew the application of criminal justice in this country is just not paying close enough attention."[180]
- Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts and Representative Justin Amash of Michigan tweeted similar descriptions of Ferguson as a "war zone" in the aftermath of the police actions of August 12, with Amash calling the situation "frightening" on August 13 and Warren demanding answers on August 14.[181]
- U.S. Representative from Missouri Lacy Clay, who represents Ferguson, stated on August 16 that he had "absolutely no confidence in the Ferguson police, the county prosecutor" to conduct a fair investigation into Brown's death.[182] Clay suggested that the police had released the information about the robbery in order to "negatively influence a jury pool in St. Louis County" and to "assassinate Michael Brown's character". On August 17, Clay called for "a national conversation about how police forces should interact with the African-American community".
- On August 23, U.S. President Barack Obama ordered a review of the distribution of military hardware to state and local police, questioning the use of such equipment during the racial unrest in Ferguson. The review will be led by White House staff and includes the Domestic Policy Council, the National Security Council, the Office of Management and Budget, as well as other agencies including the Department of Defense, Homeland Security, the Justice Department, and the Treasury Department, in coordination with Congress.[183] Attorney General Eric Holder said in a statement to The New York Times that "it makes sense to take a look at whether military-style equipment is being acquired for the right purposes and whether there is proper training on when and how to deploy it" and that "[d]isplays of force in response to mostly peaceful demonstrations can be counterproductive".[184]
- On September 4, Eric Holder announced that the Justice Department will investigate Ferguson police force for possible misconduct or discrimination, saying that, "[w]e have determined that there is cause for the Justice Department to open an investigation to determine whether Ferguson police officials have engaged in a pattern or practice of violations of the U.S. constitution or federal law.”[9] Attorney General Holder indicated that an overhaul similar to a recent agreement with the Albuquerque police department over use of excessive force could be called for in Ferguson. “It’s pretty clear that the need for wholesale change in that department is appropriate,” Holder said.[10]
- On September 24 at the United Nations General Assembly, President Obama described the racial tensions at Ferguson as a failure to live up to America's ideals, and said that, "[i]n a summer marked by instability in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, I know the world also took notice of the small American city of Ferguson, Missouri – where a young man was killed, and a community was divided. So yes, we have our own racial and ethnic tensions."[185]
- On November 24, minutes after a prosecuting attorney announced that a grand jury decided not to indict police officer Darren Wilson, President Obama urged calm and restraint in Ferguson, saying racial discrimination and distrust of police cannot be resolved by “throwing bottles.” Immediately after the shooting and in the weeks leading up to the grand jury announcement, President Obama has made several such calls for calm and restraint in Ferguson.[186]
- On November 24, after reports of gunshots fired into the sky in Ferguson, the FAA diverted some flights to other airports that were inbound to St. Louis. Departures were not affected. The Temporary Flight Restriction said that no news helicopters or commercial flights were allowed in a three-mile radius up to an altitude of 3000 feet.[187][188]
Supreme Court Justices
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said in an August 22 interview with The National Law Journal that the events at Ferguson and the stop-and-frisk policies in New York City, point to a "real racial problem" in the U.S.[189]
Missouri government
- On August 14, Governor of Missouri Jay Nixon stated that the Ferguson riots were "deeply challenging" and "promised 'operational shifts' to ease the situation,[190] using the Missouri State Highway Patrol to direct security.[46]
- Maria Chappelle-Nadal, a Missouri Senator who represented parts of Ferguson and was tear-gassed during the demonstrations, said in an interview that "It doesn't matter if Michael Brown committed theft or not. That's not the issue. The issue is what happened when Darren Wilson encountered Michael Brown, and when he died—when he was killed. Those are the only facts that are necessary."[191]
- James Knowles III, the Mayor of Ferguson, was slow to seek support and coordination from state and county authorities as violence and civil unrest developed in his municipality. Mayor Knowles did not receive a phone call from either the Governor or others as riots developed and even as others came on the scene, no one appeared to take charge.[192]
Local authorities
- Jennings, Missouri: On August 11, in response to safety concerns, the school district in nearby Jennings cancelled the first day of classes.[193][194]
- Ferguson-Florissant School District, Missouri: On August 13, in response to the continuing unrest in the community, Ferguson-Flourissant schools that were to open Thursday were closed and scheduled to reopen on Monday.[195] On Sunday Aug 17, the school district again cancelled the first day of classes due to ongoing unrest. On Monday, administrators for the district announced that school would continue to be closed through the end of the school week.[196]
- On August 12, St. Louis Police Department chief Sam Dotson decided against providing any more manpower to Ferguson owing to concerns about the welfare of the protesters and the handling of the situation by local police.[197]
- On September 1, it was reported that, after receiving a large amount of criticism regarding their practices, the police force in Ferguson had begun to wear body cameras. The cameras had been donated to the police by two private security firms.[198]
Brown family
- A member of the Brown family released a statement saying that "the stealing and breaking in stores is not what Mike will want, it is very upsetting to me and my family." The statement also said, "Our family didn't ask for this but for justice and peace."[199] On the night of the grand jury decision of a 'no true bill' the mother speaking to the crowd expressed disbelief and innocence, but after a brief silence and then sobbing was embraced by the step-father who promoted arson.[200]
- After the grand jury's decision was announced, Michael Brown's stepfather, Louis Head, turned to a crowd of demonstrators who had gathered, and yelled, "Burn this motherfucker down" and "Burn this bitch down", according to a New York Times video.[201] He later apologized for his outburst.[202]
Polls
A Pew Research poll conducted August 14–17 among 1,000 adults, found stark racial and political divisions in reactions to the shooting. By about four-to-one, African Americans (80% to 18%) said the shooting raised important issues about race, while whites, by 47% to 37%, said the issue of race is getting more attention than it deserves. The divide in public opinion was also observed across partisan lines, with 68% of Democrats (including 62% of white Democrats) believing the incident raises important issues about race that merit discussion, compared with 40% of Independents and 22% of Republicans. Republicans were also more likely than Democrats to view the police response as appropriate (43%), compared with 21% of Democrats; 65% of Republicans expressed confidence in the investigations into the incident, compared with 38% of Democrats.[203]
Third parties
Protestors gather at the Ferguson police department
- Local pastors held a vigil on the morning of Sunday, August 10.[204] Another vigil was planned on the same day, at 8:00 p.m. in the area where Brown was killed.[204]
- National vigils and marches occurred on the evening of Thursday, August 14, in over 100 cities around the U.S. with thousands in attendance. They were organized by @FeministaJones, using Twitter and the #NMOS14 hashtag.[205][206]
- Hacktivists claiming an association with Anonymous and operating under the codename "Operation Ferguson" organized cyberprotests by setting up a website and a Twitter account.[207] The group promised that if any protesters were harassed or harmed, they would attack the city's servers and computers, taking them offline.[207] City officials said that e-mail systems were targeted and phones died, while the Internet crashed at the City Hall.[207][208] Prior to August 15, members of Anonymous corresponding with Mother Jones said that they were working on confirming the identity of the undisclosed police officer who shot Brown and would release his name as soon as they did.[209] On August 14, Anonymous posted on its Twitter feed what it claimed was the name of the officer involved in the shooting.[49][210] However, police said the identity released by Anonymous was incorrect.[211] Twitter subsequently suspended the Anonymous account from its service.[212]
- A group of Tibetan monks joined the protesters in Ferguson on Sunday, August 17.[213]
Civil rights leader Reverend Jesse Jackson in Ferguson, August 17, 2014 - On August 17, about 150 people protested in downtown St. Louis in support of Darren Wilson. The protesters argued that Wilson had been victimized and that any punishment for him would cause law enforcement officers to be "frightened to do their jobs."[214]
- CNN, along with ABC News and others, described the incident as having triggered a national debate on race relations, as well as the use of force and the militarization of the police in the United States.[169]
- The Green Shadow Cabinet, a group led by 2012 Green Party presidential nominee Dr. Jill Stein, stated on August 14 that "[a] healthy response by the local police and government agencies in Ferguson and St. Louis County would have been to immediately announce a full investigation of the shooting and a review of police policies and practices."[215]
- Veterans of the US Armed Forces have also criticized the tactics and procedures used by the police during the 2014 Ferguson Unrest, including the use of militarized tactics, the use of equipment such as armored vehicles, assault rifles and canine units. They also pointed out that if the military were involved in similar situations in a war-zone, they would have encouraged dialogue with the use of social media, and personnel trained in public affairs and civilian engagement.[216] Some veterans also pointed out that the police in Ferguson had access to more body armor than an infantryman during the Iraq War.[217]
- On September 22, protesters received support from a California-based group called We Copwatch to improve the way they record their interactions with the police.[218]
- During a visit by Nixon to Lincoln College Preparatory Academy in Kansas City, 13 students silently protested. The students were quickly escorted out and were disciplined by the school.[citation needed]
- St. Louis Rams wide receiver Kenny Britt led his fellow teammates Tavon Austin, Jared Cook, Stedman Bailey, and Chris Givens in giving the "Hands up, Don't shoot," gesture when walking on to the field prior to the November 30 contest against the Oakland Raiders. The five came under fire from several media outlets, including Mike Ditka, who called the display "embarrassing."[219]
International reactions
- China – The Chinese state news Xinhua News Agency said hours before the governor ordered National Guard troops into Ferguson, "Obviously, what the United States needs to do is to concentrate on solving its own problems rather than always pointing fingers at others."[220]
- Egypt – Egypt's Ministry of Foreign affairs stressed that it agrees calls for "self restraint and respect for the right of assembly and peaceful expression of opinion" in the protests, hoping that the American authorities deal with the protests according to "the international standards".[221] Egypt's Foreign Ministry Spokesman said that Egypt is closely following up with the "mounting protests" in Ferguson.[222]
- France – French Minister of Justice Christiane Taubira commented on Radio France Internationale, "I will not make value judgements on the institutions of the United States but when the sense of frustration is that strong, that deep, that long-lasting and that huge, there is reason to question whether people trust these institutions. You realise that somehow it only happens to the same people: Afro-American kids. Certain clichés still persist, certain prejudices which can create terrible reflexes." She also tweeted in French "Michael Brown, racial profiling, social exclusion, territorial segregation, cultural relegation, weapons, fear, fatal cocktail". Taking a line of the song I Shot the Sheriff by Bob Marley, she added: "Kill them before they grow?".[223]
- Germany – In an interview with Der Spiegel, Marcel Kuhlmey, professor in the department of security management at the Berlin University of Economics and Law, a security expert, who asserted that what happened in Ferguson could never happen in Germany, stating that "In the U.S., it seems to me, the police are far quicker to resort to guns. Even at the training stage, there is a much heavier emphasis on shooting [than in Germany]".[220] Zeit Online described the incident as an example of deep-rooted racism in the U.S, concluding that "the situation of African-Americans has barely improved since Martin Luther King."[224]
- Iran – Iran's Islamic Republic News Agency commented, "[V]iolence has become institutionalized in the U.S. in recent years, but since President Obama, the 2009 Nobel Peace Prize winner, came to the White House, the violence has intensified, and now it has erupted against blacks in Ferguson."[220]
- North Korea – North Korea called the United States a "human rights graveyard".[225]
- Russia – The Russian Foreign Ministry stated, "Our American partners [have] to pay more attention to restoring order in their own country before imposing their dubious experience on other nations" and that the U.S. "has positioned itself as a 'bastion of human rights' and is actively engaged in 'export of democracy' on a systematic basis", but that "serious violations of basic human rights and barbaric practices thrive" in the country.[220]
- Turkey – The Turkish Foreign Ministry criticized the U.S. police for detaining a correspondent of the state Anadolu news agency while he covered protests in Ferguson, Missouri, calling it unacceptable and against the freedom of press.[226]
Others
- From August 14 to 22, Amnesty International USA had a team of human rights observers, trainers and researchers in Ferguson. It included organizers to train activists in the use of non-violent protests.[227][228] This was the first time that Amnesty International has deployed such a team to the United States.[229][230][231] In a subsequent report of October 24, 2014, they expressed concerns for human rights in Ferguson, related to the use of lethal force in the death of Brown, racial discrimination and excessive use of police force, imposition of restrictions on the rights to protest, intimidation of protesters, the use of tear gas, rubber bullets and long range acoustic devices, restrictions imposed on the media covering the protests, and lack of accountability for law enforcement policing protests.[228][232]
- Islamic State militants stated that they will use social media to encourage Islamic extremism in Ferguson.[233][234][235]
- On August 18, Secretary-General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon called for U.S. authorities to ensure protection of the protesters' rights to peaceful assembly and freedom of expression. Through a spokesman, Ban called for "all to exercise restraint, for law enforcement officials to abide by U.S. and international standards in dealing with demonstrators".[236]
- Protesters in the Middle East have expressed support for protesters in Ferguson, using social media and offered advice on how to deal with tear gas.[237]
- Azteca News wrote that Obama's "words of peace and reconciliation are perceived by many activists as inadequate and almost treason to a situation they see as a direct result of slavery and racial segregation laws that were in force until 1965."[224]
- The Daily News (Sri Lanka) opined: "For the U.S. to issue a travel warning for Sri Lanka does seem odd at a time when there are race riots in Missouri."[220]
- Abigail Chandler of the newspaper The Metro wrote that "[w]hile the London riots were at their worst, people were calling for rubber bullets, tear gas and water cannons to be used against the rioters, Ferguson is a living example of why we should be immensely grateful that those tactics were never used during the U.K. riots."[224]
- On November 26, 2014 Stand Up To Racism and the London Black Revolutionaries organized a protest outside the Embassy of the United States, London against the grand jury's decision, gathering a thousand people.[238]
