Wait what now? Possible future protest is now a reason to declare a state of emergency? So the cops will be there with clubs raised before the protesters even arrive?
That sounds more like intimidation than a state of emergency.
Citing “the possibility of expanded unrest,” Gov. Jay Nixon today declared a state of emergency and prepared to send the Missouri National Guard to help maintain order in the St. Louis region when a grand jury decision is announced in the Michael Brown case.
Nixon’s executive order puts the St. Louis County Police Department in charge of security in Ferguson “in areas of protests and acts of civil disobedience, should such activities occur.”
Well great, because the police have such a fine upstanding history in Ferguson, and the grand jury decision in the Michael Brown case is all about that fine history. Way to pour gasoline on the house fire.
The order also establishes a unified law enforcement command consisting of the county police, the St. Louis Police Department and the Missouri Highway Patrol. The agencies will operate together “to keep members of the public safe and protect property while allowing citizens to exercise their constitutional rights,” Nixon said in a news release.
Their constitutional rights to stay home.
A grand jury has been hearing evidence in the shooting of Brown, 18, who was killed by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson on Aug. 9. The shooting sparked months of protests.
St. Louis County Prosecutor Robert McCulloch has said the grand jury’s decision whether to charge Wilson is expected in mid- to late November.
Nixon’s spokeswoman, Channing Ansley, said the governor had no detailed knowledge of when to expect the grand jury decision, other than McCulloch’s public statements.
He just thought he might as well put people even more on edge. Good thinking.
They made a couple of movies about this: The Hunger Games.
Perhaps Nixon(!) should be called Governor Snow.
If the National Guard goes in, they should arrest the entire Ferguson PD.
and the City Council.
chigau
That’s what I’m hoping this is (sort of) about: Previously, law enforcement external to Ferguson has been more on the polite and successful side interacting with protesters there. I would really like it to be the case that they are there to keep the local cops in check, and not the gov finally being pushed to cause further repression by fear of protesters.
One can dream, right?
Mmm… on the one paw, I can see the need to be prepared for damn near anything.
On the other… yeah. This reeks of intimidation tactics.
I’m not sure what to think about it; all I know is that this Ferguson thing is ugly, and going to get worse before it gets better.
I think a mob of armed, power-tripping thugs roaming the streets looking for the slightest excuse to harass, detain, or even fatally shoot random passersby constitutes a state of emergency. Of course, Nixon seems to have the causation backwards…
My opinion is this is going to get worse and it is going to spread. This won’t stay in Ferguson.