Orderly Protests Continue in Ferguson as Troops Leave | WPN World People News

Ferguson, Missouri saw dwindling numbers of protesters Thursday after the National Guard was withdrawn from the city, which has been rocked by 12 days of unrest following the shooting death of an unarmed black teen.

A group of about 100 people marched in the city, near where Michael Brown was shot by a white police officer on August 9. For the second straight night, no major clashes broke out between police and protesters, though police did report five arrests.

Earlier Thursday, Missouri Governor Jay Nixon ordered the removal of the National Guard because the situation "has greatly improved with fewer incidents of outside instigators interfering with peaceful protestors, and fewer acts of violence."

More than 150 people have been arrested in Ferguson since protests began, mainly for failing to disperse at the request of police.

In Washington, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder assured protesters that the federal civil rights investigation into the shooting was moving forward.

Holder said his brief trip a day earlier to Missouri to speak with residents and police officials affected him like few events have in his time as head of the Justice Department.

"While I went to Ferguson to provide reassurance, in fact, they gave me hope. My commitment to them is that long after this tragic story no longer receives this level of attention, the Justice Department will continue to stand with Ferguson," said Holder.

Holder said it is clear the shooting "brought to the surface underlying tensions" in the town where 18-year-old Michael Brown was killed.

"There is a history to these tensions and that history simmers in more communities than just Ferguson," said Holder.

Holder, who is black, mentioned his teenage son and his brother, a retired police officer, in an effort to connect with the Brown family and the law enforcement community. The Justice Department and local police officials are conducting parallel investigations into Brown's death.

Brown's shooting has raised allegations of institutionalized discrimination and excessive use of force by police.

Officials in Ferguson said one officer was suspended indefinitely after pointing his assault rifle at a protester earlier this week and threatening to kill that person.

At the national level, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a bulletin Wednesday drawing attention to plans by the activist group called Anonymous for protests against Brown's death.

The bulletin said there is no indication the protests are expected to become violent. But it said recent protests in Ferguson have resulted in violence, property damage and arrests.

Also Wednesday, a grand jury investigating the fatal shooting began hearing evidence in the case. The grand jury will determine whether to charge officer Darren Wilson in the teen's death.

Wilson is on paid leave, with Brown's family and supporters calling for his arrest.

Source: Voice of America