Systemic Injustice Condemned as Ferguson Galvanizes National Outrage

People across the nation came out into the streets of the communities where they live on Tuesday night and gave expression to the collective outrage being felt in the wake of a grand jury decision in Ferguson, Missouri on Monday.

Speaking out against police violence and a long pattern of injustice that the shooting death of Michael Brown by officer Darren Wilson has come to symbolize, organized marches took places in dozens of Americans cities where people expressed their solidarity with the Brown family and the people of Ferguson while saying the issues of racism, police brutality, and a broken justice system is impacting millions of people on a daily basis in America.

On the streets of Ferguson on Tuesday and into Wednesday morning, protesters continue to challenge local riot police and National Guard soldiers called in by Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon. According to the St. Louis Post Dispatch, forty-four people were arrested overnight.

In addition to numerous smaller cities and communities, rallies and protests were held in Cleveland, New York City, Los Angeles, Oakland, Boston, Chicago, Miami, Detroit, Atlanta, Washington, DC and other major cities.

As the Associated Press reports, “For many, the shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown by Officer Darren Wilson recalled other troubling encounters with law enforcement. The refrain ‘Hands up, don’t shoot’ became a rallying cry over police killings nationwide.”

Protests break out in Cleveland over Tamir Rice shooting, Ferguson grand jury decision (Cleveland.com):

Thousands Protesting Ferguson Decision Block Traffic in New York City (NY Times):

Boston Protests Ferguson Decision: ‘Jesus Would Be Out Here With Us’ (Boston Globe)

Atlanta police arrest 21 Ferguson demonstrators (Atlanta Journal Constitution):