City officials in Ferguson, Mo., the site of the fatal shooting of Michael Brown by a police officer in August, faced more tension after a memorial for the slain teen burned down earlier this week.
The makeshift memorial had been set up in a grassy area along the road where Brown was killed. It is unclear whether the memorial was intentionally burned, or if the fire resulted from surrounding candles.
“The cause of the fire was unknown,” Police Chief Tom Jackson said in a statement. “An officer was first on the scene and tried to put out the fire but failed. That officer alerted the fire department, which extinguished the blaze.”
Neighborhood residents who helped protect and build the memorial shortly after Brown’s death were angry. Some even accused city officials of not working hard enough to put the blaze out.
Mayor James Knowles III acknowledged that the fire was small and could possibly have been an accident. He worries that community unrest and protests in Ferguson could again spiral out of control.
“Still,” he said, “it’s a horrible thing to happen to a memorial meant to commemorate Mr. Brown’s life. It’s going to be hurtful to many people. Tensions are running high.”
Reports of several break-ins and gunshots occurred on Tuesday, with protestors scouring the streets. The city also announced a festival planned for this weekend would be indefinitely postponed for safety concerns.
Many Ferguson citizens, most of them black, have been angered by the lack of real change happening in the community since Brown’s shooting by white officer Darren Wilson after an altercation broke out resulting in the teen’s death.
For several weeks protestors throughout the city engaged in civil unrest with officers, calling for the immediate arrest of Darren Wilson, for Knowles to step down as Mayor and for Tom Jackson to be fired.
City leaders have also been meeting with Ferguson residents on Monday to discuss their concerns about alleged discriminatory policing—the city of Ferguson has a mostly white police force, with only two of their officers black—and an unjust court system.
“We are trying to be responsive…sensitive to their feelings,” said Knowles. “People want to be able to see change and move forward.”
A press conference is also being planned by Brown’s family and other civil rights leaders in Washington, to reiterate demands that the Justice Department will take over the official investigation into Brown’s death, and possibly bring charges against Wilson
(With reports from Yahoo News)
