Unrest Sweeps the Nation Following Ferguson Grand Jury Decision

From New York City to Seattle, protestors flooded the streets in outrage last night after St. Louis County Prosecutor Robert McCulloch announced the grand jury’s decision not to indict officer Darren Wilson in the fatal shooting of Michael Brown.

The center of the storm was Ferguson itself. Immediately after the announcement, the anger, pain and heartbreak in the crowd were palpable. Buildings were torched, stores were looted and cars were left ablaze, said the Huffington Post. 

New York City stood in solitude, reports NBC New York. More than 1,000 protestors marched all over Manhattan, chanting “Hands up, don’t shoot.” One demonstrator was arrested after throwing red paint on NYPD Police Commissioner Bill Bratton. The paint was to represent blood.

Seattle protests were marked by “die-ins,” with protestors falling to the ground. Shortly after the announcement was made, they knelt silently for four and a half minutes, honoring the Brown family’s wishes for four and a half minutes of silence (representing the four and a half hours Brown’s body was left in the street). As they stood back up, they, too, began chanting “Hands up, don’t shoot,” according to the Seattle Times.

“Die-ins” were also seen around Oakland, Calif., said NBC Bay Area, shortly after the announcement was made. Demonstrators continued marching through the city, eventually making their way onto an interstate, where police officers were forced to stop traffic.

Peaceful protestors gathered in front of the White House in Washington D.C., WTOP radio station reports, chanting “Michael Brown/Emmett Till/How many black kids will you kill?” Multiple protests are planned within the city in the coming week.

After marching through the streets, Chicago demonstrators found themselves at the doors of the Chicago Police Department, reports The Chicago Tribune. The 200 people stood outside chanting “I am Mike Brown.” One protestor was seen crying at a police officer, “How can you be a part of this?”