Latest Updates: Protests Nationwide as More Troops Are Called to Ferguson November 25, 2014 7:49 am
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Protesters flipped a police vehicle outside of Ferguson City Hall on Tuesday.Credit David Goldman/Associated Press

Updated, Wednesday, Nov. 26

Wednesday’s coverage continues here.

Journalists with The New York Times in Ferguson, Mo., have been following a grand jury’s decision not to indict Darren Wilson, a white police officer, in the shooting death of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager. Testimony released by the St. Louis County prosecutor showed that the grand jury heard Mr. Wilson give a vivid description of the events that led to the shooting.

Missouri officials deployed additional National Guard troops to try to prevent a repeat of what happened overnight Monday when buildings were burned and people were arrested. Protests continued in several cities across the country with some clashes reported.

Transcripts of the Grand Jury Proceedings

Monday: Coverage of the Announcement and Unrest

5:51 a.m.Blocking Freeways on West Coast

Protesters in California flooded the U.S. 101 freeway on Tuesday night, carrying barricades that they laid across lanes and bringing traffic to a halt, The Associated Press reported.

Within a few minutes, Highway Patrol and Los Angeles officers chased the few dozen protesters off the freeway and corralled them on an overpass, where one of the barricades was thrown on to the freeway below. There were no immediate reports of any arrests.

The protesters had broken away from a larger, primarily peaceful group of hundreds who had marched for miles through city streets since mid-afternoon, converging on police headquarters.

In Oakland, a group of protesters vandalized police cars and businesses in the downtown, The A.P. reported, smashing windows at car dealerships, restaurants and convenience stores on a second night of protests.

The crowd briefly shut down two major freeways and set several trash bins on fire across a major street before police officers in riot helmets forced them to disperse.

5:25 a.m.Reporter Says His Car Was Torched

The burning car belonged to Marcus DiPaola, a reporter for Xinhua News Agency who said he abandoned the vehicle after being assaulted while doing a stand-up shot near the memorial to Michael Brown.

Mr. DiPaola said he and a reporting crew were recording a report around 7:30 Tuesday night when 15 to 20 people, some of them armed, rushed them and demanded they stop filming. He said members of the group smashed the windows of his car, a Toyota Prius, took the key and pointed a gun at the head of his videographer. None of the journalists was hurt, Mr. DiPaola said, and they left on foot until a church van delivering Thanksgiving turkeys stopped to give them a ride.

JACK HEALY

5:34 a.m.Groups Hope to Help Ferguson Heal

The Association of Black Psychologists and the Community Healing Network have announced plans for a series of workshops and training sessions intended to help African-Americans in Ferguson.

“The aim is to help people heal from the trauma caused by the killing of Michael Brown, the mistreatment of the community in its struggle for justice, and the historical trauma caused by the lie of black inferiority — the root cause of the devaluing of the lives of black people,” the groups said in a statement.

“We are excited about starting a community conversation about overturning the myth of dehumanization — the toxic idea that black people are less than human,” Dr. Marva Robinson, president of the St. Louis chapter of the Association of Black Psychologists, said in the statement. “The demonstrations in Ferguson have been calls for justice for Michael Brown, yes, but they are also calls for black people to be treated as human beings.”

The workshops and training sessions will be at Harris-Stowe State University in early December.

“We can debate. We can legislate. We can litigate,” the Community Healing Network said on its website. “But until we overturn this poisonous lie that dehumanizes black people, our children will continue to walk the streets in fear.”

5:09 a.m.Generally, ‘a Much Better Night,’ Police Official Says

FERGUSON, Mo. – Chief Jon M. Belmar of the St. Louis County Police Department told reporters early Wednesday morning that “I think generally, it was a much better night.”

Police arrested 45 people late Tuesday and early Wednesday in a second night of demonstrations that were smaller and not as violent as they had been on Monday.

Tense and often chaotic moments remained throughout the evening, as demonstrators gathered on some of the same streets where violence unfolded a day earlier.

The Ferguson City Hall and the street in front came under attack: Protesters tipped over a police vehicle parked outside the building and tried to set it on fire, and they broke the windows of City Hall. Police officers in armored military-style vehicles raced to the scene and fired tear gas and smoke canisters, filling the air again with the pungent odor of chemicals. A firebomb, a mason jar filled with a flammable liquid and topped with a cotton cloth as a wick, was found outside City Hall. Later, a group of young men shattered the windows of an auto repair shop and set off what appeared to be a firework inside.

Outside the Ferguson police station, an hours-long stand-off ensued between protesters and police officers in riot gear. The officers were backed up, for the first time, by National Guard troops in camouflage fatigues. The dozens of troops, wearing riot helmets and holding riot shields, mostly stood behind metal barricades blocking the entrance to the police station’s parking lot. But a team of troops also helped apprehend a few protesters and ended up wrestling some to the ground. Convoys of National Guard Humvees were seen driving around town.

“In many ways, while it’s perhaps alarming to some folks, I think at the same time it’s probably comforting to some, because it allows us to gain that measure of control,” Chief Belmar said.

At the police headquarters, an assortment of projectiles were hurled at the National Guard troops and the officers, a box of which the authorities brought with them to show reporters. The collection included bottles of what appeared to be urine, shards of glass, batteries, tent poles, a long tree branch, aerosol cans and firecrackers.

Also on Tuesday, a car parked in the Canfield Green apartment complex, where Michael Brown was shot, was set ablaze. It was in a lot adjacent to Mr. Brown’s memorial. Firefighters let it burn, Chief Belmar said, in part because of the sporadic gunfire in the area.

Despite those episodes, officials said the evening did not compare to the widespread mayhem, looting and arsons on Monday. “Our plan moving forward is to continue to make sure this community is safe, that businesses are maintained and that people still have their rights for freedom of speech,” said Capt. Ronald S. Johnson of the Missouri State Highway Patrol.

Both Captain Johnson and Chief Belmar continued to defend their response to the rioting on Monday. They have been criticized for being too restrained in their efforts to prevent looting and arsons.

“I don’t think anybody thought it was going to be this magnitude,” Captain Johnson said of the rioting. “If you look through the recent history of our country, we have not seen anything like this.”

MANNY FERNANDEZ

3:42 A.M.44 Arrested in Tuesday Night Protests, Police Say

In an early morning news conference, Jon Belmar, the St. Louis County police chief, said that 44 people had been arrested during protests, and that four of those were felony arrests. He said that a firebomb and rocks were among the items thrown at police officers and that windows had been broken at Ferguson City Hall.

Capt. Ronald S. Johnson of the Missouri State Highway Patrol said that the police had not anticipated the scale of the protests that took place on Monday after the announcement of the grand jury’s decision not to indict Officer Darren Wilson. He said the authorities regrouped, and described Tuesday’s protests as “much better.”

KATIE ROGERS

3:38 A.M.Demonstrators Block Traffic in Oakland, Authorities Say
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Police officers arrested a protester in Oakland Tuesday night.Credit Noah Berger/Associated Press

In a post on Facebook, the California Highway Patrol said that a group of protesters had blocked traffic on two highways while marching on the agency’s Oakland patrol office. The post also said that “vandalism and looting” was continuing and that multiple arrests had been made. In another post, on Twitter, the police in Oakland said that protesters were vandalizing businesses, starting fires and throwing objects at the police.

KATIE ROGERS

12:20 A.M.Heavy Police Presence Patrolling Ferguson

Throughout the night in Ferguson, rows of police officers and fatigue-clad National Guard troops fanned out to lock down West Florissant Avenue as tightly as the boarded-up stores along the street.

Police cruisers and armored vehicles blocked the deserted road, a focal point of unrest where one night earlier several stores had been looted and burned. Police diverted traffic away from the avenue, and National Guardsmen stood on street corners, cradling rifles.

From time to time, small groups of peaceful demonstrators strode across an intersection to confront law enforcement officers, shouting “No justice, no peace!” They were turned back and dissipated after the police ordered them to get out of the street.

“There’s no people, only military and police,” said Carlos McDuffie, 38, who shook his head as he surveyed the scene. “This could turn into a nasty war. We’re losing. The people, Americans.”

“It looks like a war zone,” said Zach Wilson, 24, who said he was drawn to the neighborhood on Tuesday night after watching televised images of unrest after the grand jury’s decision. “It’s going to be a scar for the city.”

JACK HEALY

12:19 A.M.Police Fire Smoke Canisters Near Ferguson City Hall

During a skirmish between the police and protesters outside City Hall in Ferguson, the police fired smoke canisters — 5231 Riot CS Smoke Triple-Phasers — to clear the area. A spent canister lay in the parking lot of a UMB Bank branch across the street. The area is a few blocks north of the Ferguson police station. Two police leaders – Capt. Ronald S. Johnson of the Missouri State Highway Patrol and Chief Jon M. Belmar of the St. Louis County Police Department – arrived to help coordinate the response.

MANNY FERNANDEZ

11:17 P.M.Demonstrators March in D.C.

In Washington, the police remained bystanders as a large crowd of protesters stopped traffic in a peaceful march through downtown that was interrupted by at least one act of vandalism.

The crowd included women in hijabs, executives in business suits and young people with backpacks.

A cheer went up as a man wearing a Guy Fawkes mask from the “V for Vendetta” comic books spray-painted the window of a Walmart at North Capitol and H Streets. A shout went up: “Justice for John Crawford,” a reference to a young black man who was killed by the police this summer in an Ohio Walmart while carrying an unloaded BB air rifle that he had grabbed from the store shelves.

The protesters marched from Mt. Vernon Square past the Capitol to the steps of the National Portrait Gallery, where many of them locked arms and sang “We Shall Overcome.”

A small group was rowdier, using pocket lighters to set fire to an American flag and stomping on the burning fabric that fell to the street. “Leave it there,” one bystander said. “Like they did Mike Brown.”

JADA F. SMITH

11:14 P.M.Police Car Is Set on Fire in Ferguson, Authorities Say

The St. Louis County Police Department reported on Twitter that a Ferguson police car was set on fire.

THE NEW YORK TIMES

10:34 P.M.Hundreds Protest in Atlanta
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Protesters marched in Atlanta on Tuesday night.Credit David Tulis/Associated Press

ATLANTA — A protest here started with a four-hour peaceful gathering. But it did not end that way.

It began outside Underground Atlanta, a shopping area in the heart of downtown. From 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., a crowd that numbered in the hundreds chanted and cheered boisterously – but peacefully — as a succession of rappers, poets, activists and black nationalists spoke of the injustice that they said befell Michael Brown.

When the rally ended, some of the demonstrators moved north up Peachtree Street, a main thoroughfare. Witnesses said that they walked in the street and on the sidewalk. When they arrived at the corner of Ivan Allen Boulevard, the witnesses said, they were met by a large contingent of police officers.

“That’s when they physically ripped our banners down,” said one protester, Hena Arora, 21, adding that several demonstrators had been arrested. A long line of police officers in riot gear, with truncheons, marched south, pushing the crowd back toward Underground Atlanta.

Duchess Robins, 21, said she was frustrated that a group of masked people had taken to knocking over newspaper boxes and smashing windows.

By 10:25 p.m., a few dozen protesters were back where they started, standing outside the entrance to Underground Atlanta. A short time later, at least one protester in a mask was arrested after the police told demonstrators to remove any masks.

“I’m already really, really upset by the grand jury’s decision,” Ms. Arora said. “We’re just trying to make our voices heard.”

RICHARD FAUSSET

10:27 P.M.Hundreds of Protesters Block Traffic in New York City

Hundreds of people protesting the decision not to indict a police officer in Ferguson, Mo., in the death of an unarmed black teenager marched through Manhattan for a second night on Tuesday, chanting loudly and disrupting traffic at the Lincoln Tunnel, Franklin D. Roosevelt Drive and the Manhattan Bridge.

The police said that some protesters had been arrested, though figures were unavailable around 9 p.m. as the protests continued.

One group of protesters marched from Union Square through the East Village and hopped a barricade onto the F.D.R. Drive. Police officers standing nearby blocked car traffic before the protesters were guided from the roadway.

The protesters, a diverse and relatively young crowd, held signs saying, “Hands up, don’t shoot” and “Black Lives Matter.”

One protester, Fernando Reals, 37, of the Bronx, carried his 1½-year-old son on his shoulder. He said he had also marched during protests over the 2012 death of Trayvon Martin in Florida.

“We have to take to the streets to protect our children,” he said as he marched near Union Square.

EMMA G. FITZSIMMONS

10:07 P.M.National Guard on Patrol in St. Louis
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Members of the National Guard monitored a shopping center in St. Louis on Tuesday.Credit Jeff Roberson/Associated Press
9:14 P.M.Protest in Durham, City With Its Own Police Concerns

DURHAM, N.C. — Protesters, students and artists filled a brick plaza in downtown Durham on Tuesday night, showing solidarity with the family of Michael Brown from a Southern city that is also reeling from what is widely seen here as a wave of police brutality.

The racially diverse crowd of about 400 ignored a light drizzle and a circling police helicopter to gather near the landmark statue of a bull that marks the business district historically known as Black Wall Street.

Many attendees were aware that this was the exact spot, in September 2013, where a Durham police officer shot and killed Derek Walker, a 26-year-old black man who was brandishing a gun, apparently intending to use it on himself after losing a custody fight.

Many had also been present in December 2013 for a vigil after the police ruled the death of Jesus Huerta — a Latino teenager shot in the head while handcuffed in the back of a police cruiser — a suicide. That episode, which took place nine months before the shooting of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo., ended with the police in riot gear unleashing volleys of tear gas and brandishing nightsticks to push the crowd out of the plaza.

Tuesday’s scene was far more placid. “The last time I was standing in this square, every one of us was tear-gassed, including my daughter,” Serena Sebring, a field organizer with the activist group Southerners on New Ground. told the crowd, to shouts of affirmation. She called on those attending to take the fight to city government, including running for five soon-to-be-vacant seats on a police civilian review board.

But a clear current of anger ran through the poems, songs and speeches decrying police violence and what speakers called the institutionalized oppression of black and brown people.

The crowd, holding signs, lit candles and glowing cellphones, reflected the complex character of the onetime tobacco mecca of 245,000: students and professors from nearby Duke University and historically black North Carolina Central University (among those in the crowd was the renowned Cameroon-born social theorist Achille Mbembe); white anarchists in black sweatshirts; and young parents with children. Police officers looked on from across the street, a single cruiser flashing its red and blue lights.

Most of the crowd came from the economically disadvantaged but politically engaged black community that makes up the largest portion of Durham’s population. Among those attendees, frustrations over gentrification, unemployment and continuing tensions with the police — only somewhat muted following data-driven policy changes in officers’ tactics — are close to boiling over, said Lamont Lilly of the Durham-based group Black Is, which organized the event. The death of Michael Brown was a galvanizing event, he said, but only one in a continuing series of injustices his fellow activists have committed themselves to fight.

“If we keep ignoring the call for justice,” he said, “we’re going to have a Ferguson here.”

JONATHAN M. KATZ

9:09 P.M.Quiet on West Florissant Avenue in Ferguson

Reports from Ferguson indicate that while demonstrations are taking place in some areas, West Florissant Avenue is quiet with the exception of news media. Jack Healy, a reporter for The Times, posted updates.

8:39 P.M.In New York, a Call for Civil Discussion
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Demonstrators marched down F.D.R. Drive in Manhattan on Tuesday.Credit Robert Stolarik for The New York Times

New Yorkers, for all their struggles, strive to keep their communities intact even when tensions run high with the police, Staten Island community leaders said on Tuesday night.

“We do not have the Ferguson police in New York City,” said Kirsten John Foy, a leader of the National Action Network, the civil rights group headed by the Rev. Al Sharpton.

Of relations with the New York Police Department, Mr. Foy said, “There’s hope here, it’s more diverse here, there’s more opportunity here — Ferguson is a poster child for 1950s segregation in this century.”

Mr. Foy spoke at a community forum organized by Nicole Paultre Bell on the eighth anniversary of the police killing of her fiancée, Sean Bell.

“In the wake of our nation being in an uproar,” Ms. Bell said, “how can we work together collectively through the mistrust?”

Panelists said the police and residents must talk to each other in order to build trust. Their seating arrangement spoke almost louder than their words. Rodney Harrison, the new deputy chief of police on Staten Island, sat next to Gwen Carr, the mother of Eric Garner, who died in July after being placed in a chokehold by a police officer who was trying to arrest him.

Mr. Garner’s case provided the undercurrent for much of the night’s discussion. Panel members juxtaposed the unrest that took place in Ferguson on Monday night with the peaceful march to protest Mr. Garner’s death on Staten Island.

The Rev. Victor Brown said Ms. Carr had helped keep Staten Island calm. “This family came out on the first day and said, ‘We want justice, but we do not want to effectuate that justice with violence,’ ” he said. “They set the tone.”

Before the discussion, Ms. Carr explained how she felt on Monday night when she watched Michael Brown’s mother cry out on television after she received news that the officer who killed her son would not be indicted.

“That was me, it broke my heart, it tore me apart,” Ms. Carr said. “It was as if I was getting the decision about my son.”

She added, “The only difference in our case, we have a videotape.”

NATE SCHWEBER

8:31 P.M.Protests in Manhattan Lead to Arrests
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Demonstrators pulling on a police barricade during a protest on Tuesday night in Manhattan.

Credit Robert Stolarik for The New York Times

Behind banners and holding signs, a crowd of hundreds in Manhattan marched east along 42nd Street chanting, “We are the 99 percent” and “No justice, no peace.” Breaking north at Broadway, they poured into Times Square. Police officers stood watching until protesters blocked 46th Street. A police commander used a public address system and warned that those who continued to block the street would be arrested. After a second announcement, police officers in helmets pushed into the crowd and began making arrests.

Gwen Taylor, 34, of the Bronx said: “I’m here because I don’t understand why the police always have their guns out. I’m tired of police killings, of youth killings. I’m not out here for anything to do with race, but our youth are under fire.”

A man identifying himself as Dream Paranoia, an artist from the Lower East Side, said, “It’s just about human rights.”

With a large group of protesters nearby, officials shut down one tube of the Lincoln Tunnel to all but emergency vehicles for a little over an hour.

In Lower Manhattan, a group of protesters that had started in Union Square marched toward the East Side where they jumped over a barricade onto the F.D.R. drive, blocking traffic.

EDNA ISHAYIK

8:27 P.M.Demonstrators in Washington
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Protesters gathered in Washington.Credit Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
8:00 P.M.Protests Continue in Pittsburgh

Protests continued into the evening in Pittsburgh; more than 100 people clustered at the corner of Forbes Avenue and Bigelow Boulevard, near the campus of the University of Pittsburgh and other colleges and universities.

As one of the speakers shared her experiences with the crowd, someone in a passing car yelled, “Oh, give it a rest.”

The heckling was met by an expletive from Kevin Pang, 20, a Chinese-American student at the University of Pittsburgh. “People that think we’re blowing this out of proportion, they don’t recognize the seriousness of the issue,” he said. “People that claim they’re colorblind, they’re making the problem worse. If you’re not willing to face it — face on — you’re just as guilty.”

Mr. Pang held a sign that read: “A system cannot fail those it was never meant to protect.” – W.E.B. Dubois

Like the rally earlier Tuesday, the protesters were peaceful, holding signs, listening to speakers and chanting. The crowd was more diverse than earlier; there were many young adults. The crowd chanted: “No justice, no peace, no racist police” and “This is not a riot, this is an uprising — organize.”

EM DEMARCO

8:02 P.M.St. Louis Postpones Thanksgiving Day Parade

Organizers said Tuesday that St. Louis’s Thanksgiving Day parade would be postponed, citing “unrest in our community.”

The 30th annual parade was due to step off early Thursday in downtown St. Louis. The route includes some of the same blocks where protesters stopped traffic during a three-hour march Tuesday afternoon.

The parade’s giant helium balloons and musical floats will come out later this year, according to a statement posted Tuesday on the event website. A new date was not specified.

“Given the unrest in our community following the tragic death of Michael Brown, The Christmas in St. Louis Foundation is postponing the Ameren Missouri Thanksgiving Day Parade until later this holiday season,” the statement read. “More details will be shared once a new date is confirmed. In these challenging times, we encourage you to gather with your friends and loved ones to reflect, and enjoy this special and unique American tradition.”

MITCH SMITH

7:38 P.M.Marchers in Los Angeles
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Activists and community members gathered at the corner of Crenshaw Boulevard and Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Los Angeles on Tuesday.Credit Monica Almeida/The New York Times
7:13 P.M.Officer Darren Wilson Says He Has ‘Clean Conscience’

In his first television interview, Officer Darren Wilson said that he shot Michael Brown because he feared for his life and that he had a “clean conscience” because he acted properly.

“The reason I have a clean conscience is I know that I did my job right,” Mr. Wilson told George Stephanopoulos in an interview on ABC News on Tuesday night.

Mr. Wilson said he would not have done anything differently. Asked whether he would have handled the situation the same if Mr. Brown were white, he said yes.

Jeff Zeleny, an ABC correspondent, posted updates from the interview:

EMMA G. FITZSIMMONS

6:57 P.M.President Obama Condemns Violence in Ferguson
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President Obama spoke at Copernicus Community Center in Chicago on Tuesday.Credit Jabin Botsford/The New York Times

President Obama condemned violence in Ferguson on Tuesday evening and said he wanted to work with Americans to improve trust between communities and law enforcement.

The president said he had “no sympathy” for those who had acted destructively in Ferguson and that those who committed criminal acts should be prosecuted. But, he said, many others had acted peacefully.

“Those who are prepared to work constructively, your president will work with you,” he said during an immigration speech in Chicago.

Michael Tackett, a political editor at The Times, posted updates from the speech:

EMMA G. FITZSIMMONS

6:50 P.M.Curfew Ordered in East St. Louis

The police department in East St. Louis, Ill., imposed a mandatory curfew on anyone 17 or younger from 7 p.m. local time until sunrise.

THE NEW YORK TIMES

6:30 P.M.Car Strikes Woman in Minneapolis Protest
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A car plowed through protesters blocking an intersection in Minneapolis on Tuesday.Credit Mark Vancleave/The Star Tribune, via Associated Press

A car plowed through a crowd of demonstrators during a rally in Minneapolis on Tuesday, The Star Tribune reported. A video was posted on the Star Tribune website showing the moment of impact.

Witnesses said the driver of the car honked at protesters blocking the intersection, then struck a woman in the crowd, according to Libor Jany, a Star Tribune reporter who was at the scene. Witnesses said the woman’s leg became caught under the car. A group of demonstrators jumped onto the hood of the car while others tried to free the victim. The extent of the woman’s injuries was unknown.

6:30 P.M.Protest in New Orleans

NEW ORLEANS — In New Orleans, where the United States Department of Justice has undertaken “unprecedented” action to end years of police abuse involving force and racial discrimination, a small group of protesters gathered to respond to events in Ferguson, Mo.

“I’m upset with the grand jury’s decision not to indict Officer Wilson,” Maura C. Bartlett, 25, of New Orleans said, referring to the Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson. She held up a handmade sign reading “Punish Killer Cops” during a lunch-hour rally at Lee Circle.

Passing motorists in a busy downtown traffic circle honked and waved at the crowd of about 50 people.

“I pulled into New Orleans just a half an hour ago,” said David Fort, 36, a musician from Winnipeg, Canada, touring the United States.

Mr. Fort said he saw the news of the Ferguson verdict on the Ferguson Response Network — a website listing protest rallies nationwide — and decided to join the demonstration in New Orleans.

“They imprison our people and expect us to act civil,” said April S. Wynn, a student at Baton Rouge Community College. “I am here to stand firmly, not just for African-Americans but for all races that are unjustly treated.”

The New Orleans protesters had no leader or organizer. Someone yelled, “Let’s march around the circle!”

They chanted, “No justice, no peace!”

Tim J. Washington, 52, of New Orleans, said the grand jury transcripts released Monday night convinced him that it was time to change the legal system that found no probable cause to charge Officer Wilson in the fatal shooting of Michael Brown. “There was no cross-examination” of the police officer, Mr. Washington said. “You have grand jurors that are asking questions about the prosecutor not prosecuting.”

Charles Garrett, 30, an English major at the University of New Orleans, said he wanted the country to change “for our children” after Ferguson.

“The system failed,” Mr. Garrett said.

ALLEN JOHNSON

6:06 P.M.Police Chief Fears Loss of Life
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Missouri Governor Jay Nixon, right, shook hands with St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar at a news conference on Tuesday.Credit Jim Young/Reuters

JENNINGS, Mo. – As the St. Louis metropolitan area prepared for another night of protests, the St. Louis County police chief said Tuesday that he feared the demonstrations would ultimately lead to a death.

“The law of averages is going to catch up to us eventually,” the chief, Jon Belmar, said at a news conference here. “And that’s really what bothers me, and I think other commanders. We can only go so long before, again, simple math will tell you that we can’t sustain no loss of life or things such as that.”

Chief Belmar appeared amid mounting criticism in neighboring Ferguson about the police response as 21 fires burned and businesses were pillaged. But he defended the performance of law enforcement officials.

“I’m not sure there were mistakes,” he said. “These officers worked tremendously hard under a very difficult situation.”

ALAN BLINDER

5:43 P.M.A Business Owner Sees Abandonment

FERGUSON, Mo. – From South Florissant Road, Rob Chabot’s business appears mostly untouched: The large exterior windows are not covered with plywood.

But that is deceptive. Step into Mr. Chabot’s suite, less than 100 yards from the police station, and the unadorned plywood is attached from the inside.

“I just take it one day at a time,” said Mr. Chabot, whose business, Mobile Eye Care Solutions, has 10 employees. “You kind of hope for the best and plan for the worst, and what’s going to be is going to be. Right now, my priority is to protect my family. Buildings can be replaced. This place can go up, and I’ll be able to reopen fairly quickly. I’ve done everything I can to prepare.”

He said he had heard the warnings in recent months from protesters and feared the violence here would intensify. “People keep saying that this is just the beginning,” he said. “That’s what’s so horrifying about it.”

And he criticized public officials and the National Guard for failing to protect so many businesses in Ferguson. “They abandoned us completely,” he said. “They sacrificed Ferguson. For what cause? I don’t know.”

He added, “If they would just tell us that you’re on your own, you’re going to have to protect yourself, stay together, then we can prepare for it.”

ALAN BLINDER

5:50 P.M.Some Seattle Students Join March

SEATTLE — Students in at least three high schools left classes to join the city’s mayor, Ed Murray, and chief of police, Kathleen O’Toole, along with hundreds of other marchers in groups that were snaking through various parts of the city.

The Seattle police said they arrested five people late Monday night or early Tuesday after protests turned violent, with rocks and bottles thrown, and traffic on Interstate 5 was briefly blocked.

KIRK JOHNSON

6:19 P.M.More National Guard Troops Deployed

Gov. Jay Nixon promised to deploy hundreds of additional National Guard troops to Ferguson and the wider region in anticipation of more protests on Tuesday night, nearly tripling their ranks to 2,200 in an effort to prevent another night of chaos.

The governor, standing in front of a line of uniformed law-enforcement officials, vowed to avoid a recurrence of the arson fires, violence and looting of the previous night.

“We must do better, and we will,” he said at a news conference, recounting how the unrest had left schools closed, older residents scared to leave their homes and children afraid to go out to play. “What they’ve gone through is unacceptable. No one should have to live like this. No one deserves this.”

Other law-enforcement officials echoed the sense of recrimination at the news conference, saying that Monday night had been “a disappointment” and “a disaster.”

About 700 National Guardsmen had been deployed in and around Ferguson on Monday night, with many of them focused on protecting what the governor called “vital facilities,” including the Ferguson Police Department headquarters.

“We will have more out there tonight,” the governor said.

JACK HEALY

5:49 P.M.Marching on Detroit

DETROIT — About 200 demonstrators protested on the banks of the Detroit River on Tuesday before marching a half-mile through downtown to a rally in front of the county jail.

The late-afternoon marchers, both black and white, picked up more protesters along the way. Demonstrators carried signs with slogans like “Detroit marches in the spirit of Ferguson” and “Jail Killer Cops.”

MARY CHAPMAN

5:56 P.M.Instilling a Lesson

PITTSBURGH — Tamba Nyandemoh, 31, attended a rally downtown with his sons, Christian, 7, and Sahr, 11. “I couldn’t limit my activity to just social media,” he said. “I felt like it’s my responsibility to get out and to let them know we won’t be silenced.”

Mr. Nyandemoh said that he, like others, was not affiliated with any particular organization but was here as an individual citizen. “I think it’s important to get my boys involved,” he said. “Their voice does matter.”

He turned to his sons, who were standing on a marble ledge, peeking out from behind him.

“Why are you here today?” Mr. Nyandemoh asked. One son, Christian, replied: “To stand up.”

The other, Sahr, said: “For black people.”

Christian: “It’s not right for black people to die every day for no reason.”

Tamba: “What do you want to stand for?”

Christian: “For peace.”

When they spoke, the family had been at the rally for over an hour. “Changing starts at home, Mr. Nyandemoh said. “It’s all about including them.”

EM DEMARCO

5:45 P.M.Ferguson Panel to Meet

The Ferguson Commission, the 16-member panel appointed by Gov. Jay Nixon of Missouri to propose solutions to systemic problems in the St. Louis area, will meet for the first time on Monday.

The commission, whose members were named earlier this month, will meet for five hours that afternoon at the Ferguson Community Center. Governor Nixon charged the panel with listening to residents’ concerns and suggesting changes to address social and economic issues that came to light after Michael Brown’s death.

The racially diverse Ferguson Commission includes activists, lawyers, clergy members and a police sergeant.

MITCH SMITH

5:54 P.M.Demonstrating at CNN in Atlanta
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Morehouse College students marched from campus to join a rally outside the CNN Center in Atlanta on Tuesday.Credit Curtis Compton/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, via Associated Press
5:43 P.M.Protesters Block Highways in St. Louis

ST. LOUIS — Hundreds of protesters marched for three hours through downtown on Tuesday afternoon, blocking traffic on an interstate, chanting outside a federal courthouse and parading past the city’s baseball stadium.

When protesters moved onto an exit ramp of Interstates 44 and 70, snarling a busy interchange in the heart of downtown, police officers in riot gear moved in and eventually cleared the roadway. As the officers marched down the exit ramp tapping their batons against their shields, a few protesters shouted expletives at them.

In a Twitter message, Chief D. Samuel Dotson III of the St. Louis Police said that three people were arrested on the highway for failing to disperse. He posted: “Peaceful protest OK….Closing the Interstate NOT!!” A police spokeswoman said later that four protesters had been arrested and that officers had used pepper spray when protesters refused to obey their orders.

Before the turn onto the highway, the demonstration was forceful but peaceful. The police allowed protesters to walk in streets throughout downtown, and officers helped redirect traffic to allow the protesters space.

Protesters spent at least 15 minutes in front of the federal courthouse, chanting loudly and, at one point, dumping red liquid onto the street and scrawling the outline of their bodies in chalk.

MITCH SMITH

5:05 P.M.Aerial Views Along West Florissant in Ferguson

The area on West Florissant Avenue in Ferguson, Mo., where looting took place on Monday night has been closed to the public for most of the day. These photos were taken from a helicopter on Tuesday.

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Buildings smoldered on West Florissant Avenue in Ferguson on Tuesday. Credit Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

The damage on West Florissant Avenue is close to a residential section of town.

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Several buildings were destroyed in fires on Monday night.Credit Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

In the background is the St. Louis Arch, providing a sense of how far away Ferguson is in relation to St. Louis.

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Juanita’s Fashion R Boutique, after a fire.Credit Charlie Riedel/Associated Press

Some businesses were burned to the ground.

SAMANTHA STOREY

5:12 P.M.Responding to Ferguson on Instagram
Video

Instagramming the Ferguson Decision

A grand jury’s decision in Missouri not to indict Darren Wilson, a white police officer who fatally shot Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, set off a wave of video reactions on social media.

By Deborah Acosta, Quynhanh Do and Adam Freelander on Publish Date November 25, 2014. Photo by Instagram.

A grand jury’s decision in Missouri not to indict Darren Wilson, a white police officer who fatally shot Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, set off a wave of video reactions on social media.

4:05 P.M.Small Rally in Downtown Pittsburgh

PITTSBURGH — About 150 to 200 people gathered at a rally here on Tuesday afternoon that began downtown at the Federal Building. The crowd was a mix of old and young, black and white, with few marchers who looked under 18.

Julia Johnson, 22, was the first speaker at the rally. As she handed out signs beforehand, she described marchers as a group of community organizers, activists and concerned citizens

Students at a downtown high school, CAPA, were to have been dismissed early to attend the rally, she said, but the school stationed officers to prevent the students from leaving. “Because they say we’re going to be violent.” Ms. Johnson said.

A stream of people carrying signs reading “Disarm the police” and “Stop racist terror” passed police officers nearby as speakers rallied the crowd with chants of “No justice, no peace, no racist police.”

Drivers honked to show support. “This is a continued call for justice, this is not new,” Ms Johnson said. “This country was built off of the suffering of black, brown and indigenous people.”

EM DEMARCO

4:02 P.M.Disagreement About National Guard Deployment
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Ferguson Mayor James W. Knowles III spoke at a news conference on Tuesday.Credit Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images

FERGUSON, Mo. — Mayor James W. Knowles III criticized the Missouri National Guard on Tuesday for what he described as a slow-motion response to the unrest that roiled this city late Tuesday.

“I would like to make this statement perfectly clear: We would like to thank the many police officers, firefighters and Missouri Highway Patrol troopers for putting themselves in harm’s way to protect our residents and our businesses,” the mayor said at a news conference. “Unfortunately, as the unrest grew and further assistance was needed, the National Guard was not deployed in enough time to save all of our businesses.”

Mr. Knowles described the decision about when to deploy the National Guard as “deeply concerning,” and he asked Gov. Jay Nixon “to deploy all necessary resources to prevent the further destruction of property.”

Mr. Nixon announced early Tuesday that he would send more troops to Ferguson, but Mr. Knowles revealed something of a fissure between him and the governor.

“I have not spoken to the governor since maybe the third week of August, directly,” Mr. Knowles said.

Mr. Nixon was scheduled to appear nearby later Tuesday afternoon.

ALAN BLINDER

3:58 P.M.The Damage in Ferguson in Photos and a Map
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Little Caesars in Ferguson, Mo., on Monday night.Credit Tannen Maury/European Pressphoto Agency

More than a dozen buildings in Ferguson, Mo., were significantly damaged in the protests that followed the announcement that Darren Wilson, a white police officer, would not be indicted in the shooting death of Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager.

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Credit

Click here for more photos.

3:47 P.M.Mayor de Blasio Stays Neutral

Mayor Bill de Blasio, speaking outside a soup kitchen in the Bronx, said he was saddened to see the violence in Ferguson, but he declined to weigh in on the grand jury’s decision.

“It’s a sad day for America that people chose to pursue violence when it’s quite evident that not only did the family not want it, it’s not going to get anyone anywhere,” Mr. de Blasio said, referring to relatives of Michael Brown.

“We need to make profound changes in our society,” Mr. de Blasio said. “But they will not be achieved through violence. They will be achieved through peaceful protests, they will be achieved through legislation, through elections.”

“I don’t make it a point of critiquing judicial process,” the mayor added. “I don’t think that’s productive.”

He said he believed the episode in Ferguson was distinct from the death of Eric Garner, a black Staten Island man who died after being put in a chokehold by a white New York City police officer. “Each and every incident is different,” Mr. de Blasio said. “The underlying issues we’re facing are what we really have to focus on.”

MICHAEL M. GRYNBAUM

3:09 P.M.Demonstration in Brooklyn
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Protesters gathered at a rally outside the federal courthouse in Brooklyn on Tuesday.Credit Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

In one of dozens of small rallies taking place across the country on Tuesday afternoon, about 20 protesters stood outside the federal courthouse in Brooklyn and railed against the grand jury’s decision not to indict Officer Darren Wilson, casting it as an example of the impunity too often extended to overly aggressive police officers.

Though outnumbered by police officers who seemed to anticipate a bigger turnout, the protesters in Brooklyn on Tuesday sought to show that they could draw attention to police brutality without resorting to the violence that characterized the response of some people in Ferguson, Mo.

“Everyone does things differently. We do ours nonviolently,” said Thomas Kimble, holding an orange banner for the advocacy group New York Communities for Change.

He added that the release of Officer Wilson’s testimony to the grand jury had only compounded people’s skepticism. “If you made a mistake, just come clean,” he said.

The protesters were briefly joined by the New York City comptroller Scott Stringer, who praised the nonviolent marches that swept through the city on Monday night. He said people’s frustrations were warranted.

Referring to fears of aggressive police tactics, he said, “You have families that are worried about their children walking the street at night.”

Kirsten John Foy, a regional director for the Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network, which organized the rallies, chided the looters who had wreaked havoc in Ferguson for their “foolishness,” saying that organizers in New York were prepared to stifle any hints of unrest.

Mr. Foy pointed to the federal courthouse as he pledged not to allow the government to forget the names of the black New Yorkers who, like Michael Brown in Ferguson, had been killed by police officers. One of the victims, Akai Gurley, died on Thursday night.

“We will be out here wearing down this pavement, and screaming and shouting at he top of our lungs in the name of Michael Brown, in the name of Eric Garner, in the name of Sean Bell, in the name of Akai Gurley,” he shouted through a megaphone.

Behind him, a man held up a small sign that he made last summer after the trial in the killing of Trayvon Martin in Florida. It read “Justice 4 Trayvon” across the top. Beneath the word “Justice,” he had added “for the Brown family.”

BENJAMIN MUELLER

3:24 P.M.Peaceful Protests in Washington
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Schoolchildren from the Potomac Preparatory Charter School in Washington arrived at a demonstration on Tuesday.Credit Win McNamee/Getty Images
2:19 P.M.With Brown Family, Sharpton Criticizes Prosecutor
Video

Brown Family Lawyer Calls for Change

Benjamin Crump, the attorney for Michael Brown’s family, called for changes in procedure after a grand jury decided not to indict the officer that fatally shot Mr. Brown.

By AP on Publish Date November 25, 2014. Photo by Michael B. Thomas/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images.

The Rev. Al Sharpton and lawyers for the family of Michael Brown on Tuesday sharply criticized the St. Louis County prosecutor’s handling of the investigation into Officer Darren Wilson, who fired the shots that killed the young man in August.

The prosecutor, Robert P. McCulloch, announced on Monday night that a grand jury had voted not to file charges against the officer, but Brown family supporters said that decision was the result of a skewed and highly unusual process led by Mr. McCulloch.

“I’ve never seen a prosecutor hold a press conference to discredit the victim,” Mr. Sharpton said before a group of reporters and supporters.

Next to him stood Mr. Brown’s father, Michael Brown Sr., who wore a St. Louis Cardinals hat and a T-shirt that read “No Justice No Peace.” Mr. Brown was described as feeling too emotional to speak at the news conference. As people took to the podium to speak, he kept his hands in his pockets and bit his bottom lip, sometimes looking to the ground or gazing up with weary eyes.

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Benjamin L. Crump, a lawyer for Michael Brown’s family, spoke at a news conference in St. Louis on Tuesday.Credit Jeff Roberson/Associated Press

Benjamin Crump, one of the lawyers for the family, derided Mr. McCulloch’s handling of the grand jury presentation, saying the prosecutor had not picked apart any inconsistencies in Officer Wilson’s testimony the way he had with other witnesses.

“We went through as much of it as we could,” Mr. Crump said, referring to the grand jury documents, “and saw how completely unfair this process was. We object publicly and as loudly as we can on behalf of Michael Brown Jr.’s family that this process is broken.”

Mr. Sharpton urged Brown family supporters not to feel defeated. There is still a federal investigation into the case, and although experts have said it is unlikely that charges would be filed, he struck a hopeful tone.

“We may have lost round one,” Mr. Sharpton said, “but the fight is not over.”

2:09 P.M.George Stephanopoulos Interviews Officer Darren Wilson

No broadcast time has been posted.

1:47 P.M.New York Police Commissioner Sees Similarities

The New York City police commissioner, William J. Bratton, said he was troubled by what he saw play out Monday in Missouri. “I think what’s happened in the streets of Ferguson is certainly very disturbing,” said Mr. Bratton, who is in his second stint as New York City’s No. 1 police official. “It should not have happened, but it did, and they’ll have to deal with that out there.”

Speaking after a promotion ceremony at the department’s headquarters in Lower Manhattan, Mr. Bratton said “a number” of New York City detectives had been assigned to Missouri for more than a week, “to help out, in terms of intelligence we have on some of the professional agitators that are involved in these types of activity as well as to bring back lessons that might be learned from their experience back to our city.”

Mr. Bratton mentioned that a grand jury in Staten Island is still weighing evidence in the death of Eric Garner, a man who died after a confrontation with the police in July, and said it was likely to reach “some type of decision” sometime next month.

He also spoke of the fatal police shooting on Thursday of an unarmed 28-year-old man, Akai Gurley, in a pitch-black public housing complex stairwell, saying that the Brooklyn district attorney, Kenneth P. Thompson, “may in fact convene a grand jury” in that case.

“So, there’s some similarities, if you will, that we will seek to always learn from,” Mr. Bratton said, referring to Missouri. “Others experiences, both the good and the bad.”

AL BAKER

2:03 P.M.Protesters Gather in St. Louis
12:49 P.M.St. Louis Mayor Speaks Out

Mayor Francis Slay posted a statement on Facebook on Tuesday morning.

“What happened in Ferguson last night was not a “peaceful protest,” he wrote. “It was criminal, and was nothing that our community can – or will – tolerate.” He condemned the violence, but he commended the protesters who conducted nonviolent demonstrations in other areas in and around St. Louis. He credited city officials and community leaders with helping maintain the demonstrations that remained peaceful.

“I think those who want the biggest and most immediate changes know that what happened in Ferguson last night was a setback in building that support and goodwill,” he said.

SAMANTHA STOREY

1:06 P.M.Sharpton Visits Ferguson
Video

Sharpton Announces Civil Rights Meeting

The Rev. Al Sharpton condemned the grand jury decision in Ferguson, Mo., and announced a meeting of civil rights leaders to determine a new activism strategy.

By AP on Publish Date November 25, 2014. Photo by Aaron P. Bernstein/Getty Images.

“We may have lost one round, but the fight is not over,” the Rev. Al Sharpton said at a news conference Tuesday in St. Louis.

“Michael Brown will not be remembered from the ashes of the buildings burned in Ferguson,” he said. “He will be remembered for new legislation.”

1:02 P.M.Evidence Presented to the Grand Jury
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Office of the St. Louis County Prosecuting AttorneyCredit

Examiners found Mr. Brown’s blood or other DNA outside the driver’s door, outside the left rear passenger door, inside the driver’s door, on the upper left thigh of Officer Wilson’s pants and on Officer Wilson’s shirt and weapon. More on the evidence here.

12:34 P.M.Explaining the Timing of the Grand Jury Announcement

Ed Magee, a spokesman for the St. Louis County prosecutor’s office, defended the timing of the grand jury announcement, which was made at close to 8:30 p.m. Central time on Monday, when the streets of St. Louis were dark and demonstrators had already massed in front of the Ferguson Police Department.

The timing was decided solely by the prosecutor, Robert P. McCulloch, Mr. Magee said. He declined to make Mr. McCulloch available for an interview.

“There is no good time,” Mr. Magee said, calling criticisms of the timing “obviously not fair.” He said, “There’s no guarantee that things were going to be good no matter when you did it.”

Mr. Magee also said Mr. McCulloch had not notified the governor of the state, Jay Nixon, that the grand jury reached a decision.

Mr. Nixon hastily flew to St. Louis on Monday afternoon once he received word that the announcement was imminent, but it was not as a result of coordination with the prosecutor’s office, Mr. Magee said.

“We haven’t had any contact with the governor’s office,” he said.

Mr. McCulloch did notify law enforcement officials when the grand jury made its decision. The family of Michael Brown was told through one of its lawyers, Anthony Gray, but the notification came after family members had already heard the news headline on television and online.

12:28 P.M.Live: News Conference with the Parents of Michael Brown

Click to watch a news conference with the parents of Michael Brown, Lesley McSpadden and Michael Brown, Sr.

11:48 A.M.Did Darren Wilson Get Special Treatment?

A medical examiner who didn’t take photos of Michael Brown’s body because his camera died; a witness who never appeared; a visit to the shooting scene with Darren Wilson that never happened because of safety concerns.

In the thousands of pages of testimony for the grand jury, there are several examples of complications in the investigation – some unexplained, others apparently products of the unrest and of the intensity of public attention.

Many of these issues came up again on the final day of testimony, on Friday, as prosecutors went over the evidence and asked jurors if they wanted to revisit any of the transcripts or witness statements. One of the first issues raised by prosecutors involved a witness whose testimony did not match a previous statement. That was followed by a juror asking for an autopsy report that had not arrived.

It was one of three in the case, and its delayed delivery may explain why the grand jury did not finish on Friday, as initially expected. One juror in particular expressed concern about making a decision without that final report.

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A moment from the final day of grand jury testimony, Nov. 21, released by the St. Louis County prosecutor. Credit

The last day of testimony, provided in documents released by prosecutors, also included discussion with the local detective charged with investigating the incident. Prosecutors made clear that they were calling him back to the stand for the third time in part to clarify his previous testimony, in which he said he had not done anything different in the investigation of the shooting. It was, he had said, a typical investigation of a shooting involving an officer.

When he returned before the grand jury, the detective offered a somewhat different account.

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Another selection from the last day of testimony. Credit

DAMIEN CAVE

11:47 A.M.Scenes From Ferguson

After a night of chaos, some areas in Ferguson are blocked off and some buildings are being boarded up.

12:01 P.M.Lost in the Rubble
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A business that was burned down Monday night in Dellwood, Mo.Credit Whitney Curtis for The New York Times
11:51 A.M.In Missouri, Cleaning Up the Morning After
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William Broadnax cleaning up the Dellwood Market in Missouri after it was looted on Monday night.Credit Whitney Curtis for The New York Times
11:37 A.M.Governor Nixon Denounces Violence
11:24 A.M.An Orderly March in Clayton
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Protesters pause for a moment of silence Tuesday at an intersection near a boarded-up business in Clayton, Mo.Credit Jeff Roberson/Associated Press

CLAYTON, Mo. — As peaceful protesters marched through this St. Louis suburb Tuesday morning, they chanted that they wanted to “shut it down.” But most of Clayton was already shut down.

Bracing for unrest here in the St. Louis County seat, where the grand jury met, the police had already blocked off several roads. Stoplights at some intersections blinked red. Police cruisers from several suburban jurisdictions were stationed throughout town. Most businesses near the courthouse were closed, and almost no one appeared to be headed to work.

For about two hours, protesters walked through Clayton’s streets, often circling an intersection for five or 10 minutes before going to another area and doing it again. The police were out in force, but sat back and in many cases helped redirect traffic. In one tense moment, a group marched through a parking garage, which the police warned was private property. The marchers did not linger, and quickly returned to the street.

Many of those who came were clergy members, diverse both in religious affiliation and race. Several pastors said they understood the anger that led some protesters to turn violent the previous night, but did not condone those actions. The broader movement for reform of the justice system, they said, will continue.

“There have been two or three days when things like last night happened,” said the Rev. David Gerth, executive director of Metropolitan Congregations United, which helped organize Tuesday morning’s march. “And in between, we have been doing disciplined, nonviolent protest.”

At noon local time, the group planned to reconvene at a plaza near the Gateway Arch in downtown St. Louis.

MITCH SMITH

10:38 A.M.Images from Protests in Ferguson and Around the Country
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Fires in Ferguson, Mo., burned into Tuesday morning on West Florissant Avenue in Ferguson, Mo. Credit Whitney Curtis for The New York Times

After a grand jury decided not to indict a police officer in the death of Michael Brown, demonstrations gathered steam and at times turned violent, as these images from Ferguson and other cities show. Protesters gathered through the night in Los Angeles, Oakland, Washington, Seattle, New York, Philadelphia and elsewhere.

10:03 A.M.Tweeting the Grand Jury’s Decision

Posts to Twitter mentioning Ferguson or #Ferguson, by location, sent Monday between 6 and 11 p.m. Central time.

10:01 A.M.National Action Network Speaks Out

The Rev. Al Sharpton is scheduled to join Michael Brown’s family in St. Louis Tuesday at a news conference at 11 a.m Central time, where he will address the grand jury decision.

Meanwhile, leaders of the National Action Network, the nonprofit group founded by Mr. Sharpton, were planning to discuss the decision outside the United States attorney’s office at noon in Newark. Ras Baraka, Newark’s mayor, will attend.

The group is also planning to hold a panel discussion at 6 p.m. at the Mt. Sinai United Christian Church in Staten Island.

NIKITA STEWART

9:19 A.M.Flights Resume

Flights to St. Louis Lambert International Airport resumed Tuesday after they were canceled late Monday because of safety precautions. Officials had been concerned that planes could be hit by stray gunfire.
But in a Twitter post, the airport reported that it was open and operating.

9:09 A.M.Darren Wilson’s Injuries
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One of the photos of Officer Darren Wilson, taken following the shooting, that were provided to the grand jury as evidence.  Credit St. Louis County Prosecutor

In his grand jury testimony, Officer Darren Wilson described Michael Brown in monstrous terms, comparing him to a demon. He said the teenager had punched him several times during their initial altercation at his police vehicle.

But just how badly did Mr. Brown hurt Officer Wilson?

There were 37 photographs released by the St. Louis County prosecutor showing Officer Wilson after the incident. This close-up snapshot is the clearest image showing Officer Wilson’s most severe injury – a minor abrasion on the side of his face.

8:52 A.M.Morning Prayers and Protests in Clayton

CLAYTON, Mo. — As the sun rose over the St. Louis area Tuesday, about 50 clergy members gathered in this affluent suburb to pray and to occupy intersections.

“It’s been a long day, a long night,” one pastor said during a group prayer. “But the Bible says that joy comes in the morning.”

With the police helping block traffic, the marchers circled two intersections in Clayton, the county seat where the grand jury met. They sang “This Little Light of Mine,” and chanted “Whose streets? Our streets. Whose courts? Our courts.”

At the second intersection, outside the barricaded county police headquarters, marchers paused silently for four and a half minutes — one minute for each hour Mr. Brown’s body lay in the street.

They then linked arms and began marching.

MITCH SMITH

8:45 A.M.Arrests Overnight in St. Louis

Schron Jackson, a spokesman for the St. Louis Metropolitan Police, said 21 people were arrested Monday night and early Tuesday. Fifteen of those were on felony charges.

Charges included failure to disperse, felony property damage, unlawful use of a weapon, burglary and “knowingly burning.”

MITCH SMITH

8:28 A.M.In the Headlines

The front page of Tuesday’s St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Photo
 Credit
8:16 A.M.Most Arrests Were of Local Residents

JENNINGS, Mo. – When Capt. Ronald S. Johnson of the Missouri State Highway Patrol stepped up to the microphones here early Tuesday, he delivered a different message from the one he so frequently offered in August: On Monday night, the people behind the unrest in neighboring Ferguson were from the area, and were not so-called outside agitators.

“In August, we talked about the out-of-towners, came in and tore up our community,” said Captain Johnson, who is from the area. “Well, our community’s got to take responsibility for what happened tonight.”

In a report issued hours later by the police in St. Louis County, the authorities reported 61 arrests. Only eight of those arrested were not Missouri residents.

The report said that many of the 61 arrests were for second-degree burglary. Other charges included arson, trespassing and unlawful assembly.

ALAN BLINDER

8:12 A.M.Heavy Police Presence, Chief Pledges

After 21 people were arrested and more than two dozen windows were shattered, St. Louis officials pledged Tuesday to tighten the practices of police officers handling protests related to the decision of the grand jury investigating the death of Michael Brown.

“Very early on, you will see an intervention when we see criminal activity,” Samuel D. Dotson III, the city’s police chief, said at a news conference. “We do not tolerate criminal activity. We do not tolerate window-smashing, looting, crime associated with these. So while we support everybody’s right to come out and have their voices heard, you will see a large police presence, and when crime starts, you will see an intervention much more quickly than we did last night.”

The Missouri National Guard had been deployed to about 45 locations in St. Louis, a strategy Chief Dotson credited with preventing other crimes, although he said that he would assign “more resources” to protest areas on Tuesday night.

“We did see bands of individuals roaming throughout the city looking for opportunities to commit crime, and at every turn, they encountered police officers or members of the National Guard,” Chief Dotson said. “I was very pleased with the way that plan worked.

The St. Louis mayor, Francis G. Slay, said 15 of the arrests involved felony charges.

ALAN BLINDER

6:14 a.m.What Happened in Ferguson?
Photo
Credit The New York Times

An explanation of what has happened in Ferguson since the August shooting of Michael Brown and a look at the violence and looting that occurred overnight after the grand jury decision can be found here.

7:17 a.m.An Overnight Update From the Police
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Police formed a line in Ferguson, Mo. on Monday as protests gathered following the announcement of the grand jury’s decision not to indict Officer Darren Wilson.   Credit Jim Young/Reuters

A spokesman for the St. Louis County Police Department, Sgt. Brian Schellman, released a list of about 60 people who were arrested overnight in the St. Louis area. Only a handful of the arrests were for unlawful assembly. Most involved charges of trespassing, looting or being in possession of stolen property. He did not detail damages to property.
Sergeant Schellman’s report was terse:

For the past month and a half, I have been composing summaries for the Ferguson Protest Detail at the Ferguson Police Department. Given the dynamic events of last night, and the multitude of crimes committed throughout varying parts of the area, I will not be “recapping” the night by typing a summary. At this time, we have no totals for property damages, burglaries, thefts, arsons, etc….and that will take some time to compile.

MARK GETZFRED

5:56 a.m.Disruptions in Oakland
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A demonstrator in Oakland, Calif., on Monday night. Credit Stephen Lam/Reuters

Thousands of people marched in cities across the country in the aftermath of the grand jury’s decision not to indict Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown. Outside of St. Louis, one of the most disruptive demonstrations was in Oakland, Calif., where protesters flooded the lanes of freeways, milling about stopped cars with their hands raised in the air, according to The Associated Press. As the night wore on in Oakland, dozens of protesters blocked traffic on Interstate 580. Officers in cars and on motorcycles were able to corral the protesters and cleared the highway in one area, but another group soon entered the traffic lanes a short distance away. The police did not report any arrests, The A.P. said.

5:31 a.m.Coverage from Monday
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A car dealership on Monday amid protests in Ferguson, Mo., after a grand jury’s decision not to indict Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of Michael Brown. Credit Larry W. Smith/European Pressphoto Agency

Updates from Monday tracking the aftermath of the grand jury decision, including a look at Officer Darren Wilson’s testimony before the grand jury, can be found here.