Ferguson marks anniversary of shooting that rocked nation

Brown, who organized the gathering with his foundation, Chosen for Change, thanked those who had been participating in events in memory of his son since Friday. He opened his eyes at the end of the 4 1/2 minutes, in time for two doves to be released. Police largely remained away from the ceremony.

A grand jury and the U.S. Department of Justice declined to prosecute Wilson, who resigned in November, but the shooting touched off a national “Black Lives Matter” movement.

Pausing along the route at a permanent memorial for his son, Michael Brown Sr. said, “Miss you”.

Activists, religious leaders and the families of Eric Garner, Vonderrit Myers, Kendrick Johnson and others whose untimely deaths also sparked calls for justice joined Brown and hundreds more in a march through Ferguson’s streets after the moments of silence.

Sunday marks one year since the shooting death of Michael Brown by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri. “And you knew what that officer did was unjustified”.

Brown’s father, Michael Brown Sr., held a crying woman and kept his eyes closed for most of the memorial moments. His father, Michael Brown Sr., admitted to the crowd the pain hasn’t eased.

Protesters grew more confrontational later, when around 200 people gathered outside the police headquarters chanting: “Hey hey, ho ho, these killer cops have got to go!” Public outrage over the killing led to massive demonstrations in the streets of Ferguson as their protests were met with rounds of tear gas and rubber bullets fired by police. Hundreds of people followed behind them, a diverse crowd that ranged the spectrum.

No arrests were reported immediately, but protest organizers pledged to carry out further acts of civil disobedience starting after midnight. “I think that’s just the dumbest question you could ever ask me”.

In New York, a sea of motionless human bodies lay on a Brooklyn pavement, marking the one-year anniversary of the shooting death of Michael Brown.

The national slogan “Black Lives Matter” continues to resonate in conversation, especially in Minnesota.

To his friends and family he was known as “Big Mike”, a gentle giant who loved rap and turn beats. But police said Brown stole items from a convenience store and shoved the owner who tried to stop him on the morning of August. 9, 2014. Dozens of police cars and an armored vehicle converged on the area. It spilled outside, and Wilson claimed that Brown came at him, menacingly, leading to the fatal shooting.

The shooting led to protests, some violent, and the unrest escalated again in November when a St. Louis County grand jury determined that Wilson did nothing wrong. The November riots included fires that burned more than a dozen businesses.