In a scene strikingly different from the events of just 24 hours ago, protesters in Ferguson, Missouri—where unarmed black teen Mike Brown was shot down on Saturday—were led in a peaceful march through the town by Missouri Highway Patrol Captain Ron Johnson on Thursday. It was announced earlier in the day that Johnson’s Highway Patrol would be taking over security duties in Ferguson, where clashes between protesters and police turned violent on Wednesday as officers shot tear gas and rubber bullets at protesters and arrested several journalists. As part of the security change, Johnson said that media staging areas would be provided so journalists could do their jobs. In nearby St. Louis, hundreds gathered for a peace vigil. Similar protests and marches took place in other locations around the country on Thursday, including New York City’s Union Square and Los Angeles’s Crenshaw neighborhood.
[wapo]