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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsSt Louis police chief says only criminals were teargassed at Ferguson protests
The police chief leading the response to protests over the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, has been accused of dishonesty by demonstrators after denying that officers shot at them with rubber bullets and claiming that only criminals were teargassed.
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Belmar went on to say in his public radio interview that teargas and smoke grenades had not been fired at peaceful protesters, adding: We used that on unfortunate criminal activity that span out of the protests.
His remarks stirred fresh mistrust among demonstrators as they urged police not to use military-style equipment against future protests. Those are expected if officer Darren Wilson is not indicted by the grand jury, which is due to announce its decision in the coming days. Many were shot at in August with hard rubber balls that are frequently termed rubber bullets, or struggled through clouds of teargas after ignoring police instructions to leave the streets.
Deray McKesson, an activist who co-authors a daily newsletter that has become central to the protest movement, described Belmars comments as disingenuous at best, and downright dishonest at worst. He said: We saw projectiles that were rubber. It is clear that Chief Belmar is attempting to revise history. A lie continuously repeated is not the truth.
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Bullshit!
Uben
(7,719 posts)When you have a police department who feels they are both judge and jury.
It's gonna get ugly.....realllllll ugly! And the ones to blame are the Ferguson PD.
Thry are really trying to stir the manure, aren't.they?
Nuclear Unicorn
(19,497 posts)"How do you know they're criminals?"
"Because we tear gassed them."