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Mike Brown's Mom Urges Ferguson Protesters To Remain Peaceful

Mike Brown's Mom Urges Ferguson Protesters To Remain Peaceful
By 

Senior Justice Reporter, HuffPost

Senior Politics Producer

and

HuffPost's Ferguson Fellow

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FERGUSON, Mo. -- The mother of Michael Brown, the unarmed 18-year-old shot dead by a police officer in this St. Louis suburb on Aug. 9, urged protesters to stay peaceful Saturday night as they waited to find out if a grand jury will indict the officer for killing her son.

"I just want y'all to be careful. Don't agitate them, don't let them agitate y'all. I don't want nobody getting hurt," Lesley McSpadden told the crowd gathered along Canfield Drive, just feet from where her son was killed. While most protesters do not expect the officer, Darren Wilson, to be indicted in Brown's death, McSpadden urged them to keep the faith.

"We all willing to do something, but I don't want nobody getting hurt, see what I'm saying?" she said. "Because when it's time to walk into the courtroom, I want all y'all with me."

Brown's father, Michael Brown Sr., has made similar pleas for peace in recent days, as have Attorney General Eric Holder and President Barack Obama.

Following the emotional message from McSpadden, and after the crowd joined hands in a circle around the memorial for a prayer, a small number of protesters marched down West Florissant Avenue for the second time that evening, passing boarded-up storefronts.

“Rain, sleet, hail, snow, hell no, we won’t go,” they chanted as rain fell from the night sky.

Soon, about a dozen police cars came driving along West Florissant, and a number of them pulled into a parking lot behind a building. When demonstrators saw where the vehicles were sitting, they headed toward them to protest along a fence. The police left the area, and the small group of demonstrators continued marching along the street.

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Before You Go

Politicians React To Ferguson
Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.)(01 of18)
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“We need to de-militarize this situation—this kind of response by the police has become the problem instead of the solution," McCaskill said. "I obviously respect law enforcement’s work to provide public safety, but my constituents are allowed to have peaceful protests, and the police need to respect that right and protect that right. Today is going to be a new start, we can and need to do better." (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.)(02 of18)
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“Everyone deserves a transparent understanding of what happened here. I am fully supportive of County Executive Charlie Dooley and St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar calling for DOJ and the FBI to take a careful, open review of the events that led to this tragedy for everyone involved," Blunt said in a statement. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.)(03 of18)
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"I will pray for peace in #Ferguson. And I will work for justice," Cleaver wrote on Twitter. (credit:Julie Denesha via Getty Images)
Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.)(04 of18)
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"This is America, not a war zone. The people of #Ferguson just want answers. We all want answers," Warren wrote on Twitter. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.)(05 of18)
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"The outrage in Ferguson is understandable—though there is never an excuse for rioting or looting. There is a legitimate role for the police to keep the peace, but there should be a difference between a police response and a military response," Paul wrote in an op-ed for TIME. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Rep. Joaquin Castro (D-Texas)(06 of18)
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"My prayers are with the community in Ferguson for a peaceful resolution between police and citizens. Gov. Nixon must take control," Castro wrote on Twitter. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.)(07 of18)
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"It is hard to think that the scenes unfolding in Ferguson are taking place in an American city in the year 2014. The nation's eyes are on the city of Ferguson and we will be watching closely. The public deserves a full disclosure of the facts surrounding the heartbreaking death of Michael Brown and the events that followed. Every community in America deserves equal justice and equal protection under the law," Reid said. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-Ohio)(08 of18)
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“In the wake of this terrible tragedy, my thoughts and prayers go out to the family and friends of Michael Brown. I strongly support a full and thorough investigation of the events surrounding his death, and subsequent actions, including the detention of journalists covering this heartbreaking situation," Boehner said in a statement. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.)(09 of18)
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“We hope that the Governor’s involvement will immediately deescalate the situation. While we all respect the important responsibility of law enforcement in keeping people safe, law enforcement must also protect their rights," Pelosi said in a statement.“I commend the President for his leadership in directing the Department of Justice to investigate the death of Michael Brown. It is clear the Department of Justice should examine every aspect of the past few days, including whether there were any federal civil rights violations. It should also examine the long standing issues between the citizens of Ferguson and their elected officials and local law enforcement. A credible and comprehensive investigation is absolutely necessary to secure justice for Michael Brown’s family and the community.” (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.)(10 of18)
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"It's 50th anniv yr of #CivilRights Act/#FreedomSummer. Must move forward not backward. Ensure justice for #MikeBrown #Ferguson," Rangel wrote on Twitter. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas)(11 of18)
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"Civil liberties must be protected, but violence is not the answer. Once the unrest is brought to an end, we should examine carefully what happened to ensure that justice is served," Cruz said on Facebook. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Rep. Marcia Fudge (D-Ohio)(12 of18)
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"An elected official was arrested, journalists are being assaulted and innocent, unarmed individuals are having weapons pointed in their faces for merely being outside of their homes," Fudge said. "What I saw last night reminded me of violent responses to uprisings in countries around the world, not here in my own backyard. We are supposed to be better than that." (credit:Win McNamee via Getty Images)
Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.)(13 of18)
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"What kind of a police department is it that would refer to the people it should be trying to protect as animals?" Lewis asked on Twitter. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.)(14 of18)
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"Michael Brown's family is in my prayers during this terrible time in their lives. I'm very concerned by recent events in Ferguson, including the violence that has gripped that community and the inexplicable jailing of two reporters," Rubio said. "As the FBI looks into allegations regarding the police department there, I hope Americans all over the country will voice their opinions through peaceful means and not resort to violence." (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer (D-Md.)(15 of18)
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"It ought to concern all who believe that justice must always be blind and that no unarmed teenager – no matter his race, religion, or national origin – should ever have to fear for his safety because he is walking down the street," Hoyer said in a statement. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Rep. John Conyers (D-Mich.)(16 of18)
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"It is a great travesty to find ourselves again witnessing the blatant violation of our right to peaceably assemble in Ferguson," Conyers said in a statement. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Rep. Gwen Moore (D-Wis.)(17 of18)
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"No parent should have to bury their child. I pray that the sympathy of our nation will help the Brown family through this difficult time," Moore wrote on Twitter. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.)(18 of18)
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"If American exceptionalism means anything, it is that we don't arrest journalists or point weapons of war at unarmed civilians." Himes wrote on Twitter. (credit:ASSOCIATED PRESS)
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