No Curfew, But Police Escalate Ferguson Crackdown

Police Fire Incendiaries at the Crowd

Despite announcing the end to the curfew in Ferguson, MO tonight, police in the city continue to escalate the crackdown on demonstrators, trying to limit rallies to designated “free speech zone” and warning them, even in those areas, to keep walking or face immediate arrest.

Military vehicles and police in body armor took to the streets at night, attacking protesters with tear gas and incendiary grenades, trying to send the crowds scattering, but only fueling more anger.

The crackdowns were reported during the day, including the arrest of a photojournalist from Getty Images for trying to take pictures outside of the designated free speech zones.

A brief calm on Thursday now seems a distant memory, as police ditched the tactics of talking with the protesters and returned to their more comfortable, but decidedly less effective, strategy of attacking them on sight.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.