Peaceful Protests Essay

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In 2014, Ferguson, Missouri, a relatively small town, in comparison to Missouri’s much more populated St. Louis and Jefferson City, had undergone an uneasy transformation into a center of chaos. On August 9, 2014, an unarmed 18-year-old black man, Michael Brown, was fatally shot by Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson. Almost immediately after news of this devastating police shooting had spread, citizens of Ferguson began organizing protests. When the protests began, they quickly became violent and had soon escalated into an unruly situation that required the presence of special police. Media coverage surrounding the protests began depicting varying narratives of the situation. Some publications portrayed Ferguson as an undeniable warzone, …show more content…

The article, headlined Hundreds of Peaceful Protesters March in Ferguson, consists of more fact than opinion as it uses quotes and summary to describe the events. Throughout USA Today’s article, there are quotes from numerous county and federal officials, including Governor Jay Nixon of Missouri, Captain Ron Johnson of the Highway Patrol, St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson, St. Louis County Executive Charlie Dooley, and President Barack Obama among others. While addressing the riotous behavior of the days prior, Governor Nixon states, "What's gone on here over the last few days is not what Missouri is about. It's not what Ferguson is about. This is a place where people work, go to school, raise their families and go to church. But lately it's looked a little bit more like a war zone and that's unacceptable." A quote by Captain Johnson states, "It means a lot to me personally that we break this cycle of violence, heal tension and build trust." The article’s inclusion of statements made by various officials present readers with a few examples of perspective from those involved; all of which are peace-advocating thus supporting the authors’

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