On Wednesday afternoon, the US Department of Justice released a searing report criticizing the Ferguson Police Department for disproportionately harassing, stopping, and arresting black residents in a pattern of racial bias, largely to raise revenue from fines and court fees. And, in a move that's sure to raise eyebrows among local law enforcement's critics, when a small number of protesters went to the police station Wednesday evening to demonstrate against the systemic racial disparities uncovered by the report, police began making arrests.
It's unclear how many protesters were on the scene, how many were detained, and what led to the arrests, but there are no reports so far of any violence on the part of the demonstrators.
Reporters and activists on the ground documented the scene:
23 degrees and protesters gathering at Ferguson PD hours after DOJ reports. pic.twitter.com/9qxcd99Alj
— Matt Sczesny KMOV (@KMOVMatt) March 5, 2015
Protesters are already getting arrested in #Ferguson tonight. Here’s an officer slamming someone on a car: pic.twitter.com/PvBvunxkRg
— Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) March 5, 2015
Happening now in #Ferguson... "@search4swag: pic.twitter.com/dKS4LEoTMe"
— Antonio French (@AntonioFrench) March 5, 2015
Poet, writer, activist, grandmother Elizabeth Vega being arrested in #Ferguson tonight: https://t.co/ieN3yitxu5 pic.twitter.com/QMByNa2hiT
— Antonio French (@AntonioFrench) March 5, 2015
Ferguson Mayor Knowles: "We must do better" http://t.co/k7hrqkn6et Start tonight.
— Antonio French (@AntonioFrench) March 5, 2015
