Protesters gather in Ferguson to remember 1st anniversary of Michael Brown killing (VIDEO)
Hundreds of ralliers gathered in the town of Ferguson to commemorate the killing of unarmed black teenager, Michael Brown. The 18 year old was killed by police officer Darren Wilson on August 9, 2014, which led to riots and unrest across the country.
READ MORE: FERGUSON - 1 YEAR OF PROTEST
The rally passed off peacefully on Friday night, as hundreds of mainly black demonstrators came to the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson. While there was no sign of the trouble that dogged the town last year, there was still plenty of pent-up frustration and tense feelings amongst those who took to the streets.
“I don’t trust the law, I don’t trust the system. The system is a farce,” shouted one protester into his megaphone, which was inscribed with the words, “America does not care about black poverty.”
“We talk out of control and out of rage because you people have pushed us to this point where the only way we can express ourselves is by letting you know how we feel,” the demonstrator told RT’s video agency Ruptly.
US flags were waved upside down, while chants of “We are here for Mike Brown” could be heard. The demo took place outside the Ferguson Police Department, where Wilson, who killed Brown, used to operate from.
The Ferguson riots were reminiscent of the unrest in Los Angeles in 1992, after video footage emerged of black taxi driver Rodney King being savagely beaten by four police officers in March 1991. Caught on camera, the event reverberated across the country and the world.
Protestors get back to Ferguson PD one year after Mike Brown's dead. #UnitedWeFight weekend just started. pic.twitter.com/HpkxjTm0IR
— Lorena de la Cuesta (@LorenadlaCuesta) August 8, 2015Ajamu Baraka, a human rights activist, who spoke to RT, says things have changed, largely thanks to advances in technology.
“This is something we have known about and have resisted for decades. With the rise of social media and the ability to publicize these events, now this is a dirty secret that the whole international community is aware of,” Baraka said. “The crisis that black people face in this country is a human rights crisis,” he added.
