Peace with Poetry: Ferguson Poet Asks Police to Think

Twenty-two year old Marcellus Buckley uses the spoken word to counter the mainstream narrative about the Ferguson uprising.  

The People vs The Police - by Marcellus Buckley

We the people of the United States holds congress to their word,

They should do the same to their officers who are supposed to protect and serve,

How can we put our trust in someone who pushes us down when we are hurt?

Instead of lending a hand they call us monkeys like caged animals only treating us worst,

Singing oh we got what we deserved,

A trainee want to be with poison from the devil himself is only doing his work,

  A racist.....

In a disguised uniform you can see the hatred in their eyes,

As they shout racial slurs only when they think they're not heard,

Or when the actions aren't seen,

But when they are caught they try to cover up everything,

Why do you think he fled the scene?

After he tried to silence your voice making sure you can't say a thing,

But now the world is your voice & together we sing,

For you Michael Brown "Hands up! Don't shoot!"

"No justice! No peace!"

For a fair trial and proper burial for your soul to rest in peace,

So we stand hand and hand hoping to overcome in these streets,

That justice will prevail For the People vs The Police.

~ Marcellus Buckley  

Since first attending protests on August 14th, Marcellus has become known as Ferguson’s poet, distributing his poetry about social justice and inequality far and wide.

I recently spoke to Marcellus and his grandmother about his poetry, the murder of Michael Brown and the Ferguson protests.  Marcellus is an amazingly wise young man who cares deeply about life.  Marcellus rode his bike 4 miles to Ferguson from Spanish Lake each day to show his support for the protesters in Ferguson.  The most impressive characteristic about Marcellus is how he has overcome what he calls a "negative" background and used his talent to bring a positive message to the world.  He is a perfect example of the human spirit's ability to rise above life's circumstances to accomplish great things.  Marcellus credits his mother and grandmother with providing him the type of upbringing which has helped him to view the world with faith and love; creating peace with poetry.

Please watch his recent interview with The Real News network's Jihan Hafiz to gain a better understanding of Marcellus and his mission in life.

Mike Brown Protesters: Willing to Die for Justice

by Mark Daniels

"The most iconic photo of the Ferguson Protests"
Photo Credit:  Post-Dispatch photographer Robert Cohen

On August 9, 2014 Michael Brown of Ferguson Missouri was shot numerous times and killed by Ferguson Police Officer, Darren Wilson, followed by days and weeks of mostly peaceful protests with some rioting and looting and a militarized police response including Governor Jay Nixon's State of Emergency declaration and deployment of the Missouri National Guard on the streets of Ferguson. As a result, Ferguson residents were subject to martial law measures which included city-wide checkpoints, impeding travel and limiting access to friends, family and basic supplies needed for subsistence. Militarized police positioned snipers atop buildings and Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles pointing their military grade weapons at peaceful protesters and journalists. Residents and journalists were rounded up and caged in local jails and fired upon with tear gas and bullets causing serious injuries.

To date, Darren Wilson remains on paid administrative leave as local, state, and federal investigations are underway. On Thursday, Attorney General Eric Holder announced a Civil Rights Investigation into the Ferguson Police Department.

Meanwhile, the corporate owned media, with the exception of local news outlets have essentially disappeared from the scene in Ferguson while local residents and activists are organizing and taking action to stand up against police brutality, the militarization of police, racial profiling, and systemic corruption within local, state, and federal government agencies.

On Friday, August 5, 2014, almost one month since Michael Brown was gunned down by Darren Wilson, Center Stage radio host, Kheri Hines has invited several protesters who have been on the ground in Ferguson since the beginning to join us on Center Stage for our sixth consecutive episode about Michael Brown's murder, to discuss recent events in Ferguson and future plans to address their concerns. We will also be joined by Zaki Baruti, a local leader of the Justice for Michael Brown Leadership Coalition who will provide important information about the coalition's 'demands' for justice for Michael Brown.

We will speak with some of the protesters who have been on the front line of the "Justice for Michael Brown" movement since day one (including Edward Crawford, the young man captured in what many have referred to as "the most iconic photograph" of the protests). They will tell us why they have chosen to stay the course despite encountering militarized police presence and tactics that included being tear gassed, shot at with real and rubber bullets, having their movements restricted, constant checkpoints, facing attack dogs and being arrested. They will also explain why neither heat nor rain has hampered their need to seek justice for Michael Brown.

Please join us for what is expected to be one of our most interesting and informative episodes thus far as local residents and activists tell us why they are willing to die for Justice. The call in number is (347) 850-8390.

Get truth delivered to your inbox every week.
Subscribe to GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING by Email

MULTIPLE LIVE FEEDS FROM FERGUSON – AUGUST 30, 2014

Updated Daily:  National March on Ferguson Rally.  After a week of relative quiet, the streets of Ferguson are full of demonstrators again Saturday for the “National March on Ferguson”, demanding justice in the shooting death of Michael Brown. West Florissant Avenue has been shut down for the duration of the protest and rally. Read more

Residents have previously reported the presence of Clergy Response Teams and Agent Provocateurs during protests in Ferguson.

January Ansa Speaking the Truth in Ferguson:

Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream

Watch Live Streams:

Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream

Stay Tuned for further updates!!

We have the following Live Streams: 

OccupyIT, Soulsearchu, Rebelutionary_Z#Ferguson, Fox2Now, Jusstreaming, Joe Freedom, PANDA's Dan Johnson, Global Revolution,  Anonymous, James from The Internet, Activist World News Now, Infowars, Vice News, Fox2News, Liberty News Media, Film The Police Portland, Vice News' Tim Pool, Revolution News, DC Solidarity and STL County Police Scanner. (you can view all live streams below).  

Reddit also has a live stream gathering all the information coming out as it happens here. 

If you lose the connection, refresh screen.

You can visit our Ferguson article archive here.

We have also assembled a Youtube playlist to capture many of the events surrounding the shooting death of Michael Brown by Ferguson Missouri Police Officer, Darren Wilson.

Petition To Remove 'Support Officer Darren Wilson' GoFundMe Page

As a crowdfunding campaign for Darren Wilson approaches half a million dollars, GoFundMe defended its decision to let it stay up. Reuters

Despite enormous pressure to remove a crowdfunding effort for the Ferguson, Missouri, police officer who killed young Michael Brown Jr. on Aug 9., GoFundMe is standing by its decision to let the campaign organizers rake in the cash.  

“Much like Facebook and Twitter, GoFundMe is an open technology platform that allows for the exchange of ideas and opinions within the bounds of our terms of service,” a company spokeswoman named Kelsea said in an emailed statement Monday. “GoFundMe does not create or manage campaigns on behalf of its users. Rather, individual campaign organizers and their supporters act of their own accord.”

"You Can't Talk About Race and Class and Privilege in a Soundbite"

"Mainstream Media Is Increasingly Becoming Obsolete"

Get truth delivered to your inbox every week.
Subscribe to GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING by Email

The Flagrantly Fabricated Ferguson Phenomenon

by Zen Gardner

I’ve avoided getting into this because it’s so goddamn obvious, but I’ve had some requests regarding how I see this “news”. There’s nothing new about it – a convenient ignition point sparked by a lone incident, resulting in expected protest and deliberately inflamed chaos and media mind-pumping. Same old, same old. When will humanity wake up, I don’t know.

I understand the outrage. Not only was there another example of the mindless cop killer meme we see played out daily “subduing” an unarmed suspect by outright killing hIm, but rightfully enraged citizens are treated like mindless savages in a prison ground. The fact that they’ve been caught bussing in looting agent provacateurs to make sure this conflagration gets sufficient fuel should make the hair on people’s necks stand up, but if they haven’t seen the obvious until now they’ll likely be blind to these reports as well.

All while the razor wire fences and military turrets of the totalitarian state get erected around them.  

Special Report: Ferguson Police Profiling of Blacks a Major Funding Source for City Budget

The Real News

Get truth delivered to your inbox every week.
Subscribe to GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING by Email

Spanish Lake and Its Connection to Unrest in Ferguson

controversial. political. racial.

Spanish Lake is an unflinching look at economic oppression and racism in the unincorporated township of Spanish Lake, Missouri.

ST. LOUIS COUNTY - A local theater franchise has canceled plans to show a new documentary about race in St. Louis County. According to Riverfront Times, Wehrenberg Theaters has decided not show the film "Spanish Lake" at local theaters when it's released this year. The film chronicles the decline of the North St. Louis County town, "Spanish Lake," situated just 8 miles from Ferguson, MO. Ferguson is the city currently experiencing daily protest since August 9, 2014  when Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson shot and killed 18 year old Michael Brown. Many believe the decline of both Ferguson and "Spanish Lake" are due to redlining by the county government.

Alleged audio of Michael Brown shooting has surfaced

While it has not been verified, an alleged audio recording of the shooting of Michael Brown, the unarmed teenager shot down by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, on August 9, has surfaced:

A man who lives near the scene of the shooting says he inadvertently recorded the shots that killed Brown, his lawyer, Lopa Blumenthal, told CNN. The man, who wished to remain unidentified, was recording a video chat with a friend when gunfire rang out in the background. Blumenthal said her client has already been interviewed by the FBI about the recording.

On the tape, you can hear six shots being fired, a short pause and than an addition four or five shots. An autopsy report released last week said that Brown was shot at least six times.

For more discussion on this, see justiceputnam's diary.

Get truth delivered to your inbox every week.
Subscribe to GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING by Email

Miami Mayor Wants Bodycams On All Cops

Written by Justin King | The Anti-Media

The Mayor of Miami-Dade is calling for cameras to be worn by hundreds of officers while they are on duty. Mayor Carlos Giménez is calling for the cameras in the wake of the massive civil unrest caused by the shooting of an unarmed teen in Ferguson, Missouri.

Giménez included the funds to purchase 500 of the cameras in this year’s proposed budget. That would be enough to issue cameras to roughly half of the department’s patrol officers. It is expected that the program would be expanded next year to include all officers. Giménez sees the cameras as a common sense approach to combat police brutality and provide accountability. 

He said:

Michael Brown laid to rest with recollections and calls to action

Lesley McSpadden, mother of Michael Brown is held by an unidentified woman as she approaches the casket of her son at the beginning of Brown's funeral at Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church on Monday, Aug. 25, 2014. Photo by Robert Cohen, rcohen@post-dispatch.com

ST. LOUIS • Shortly before Michael Brown died, his stepmother was admitted to the hospital. He became convinced she wasn’t going to make it.

“Because I’ve been dreaming about death,” Cal Brown recalled her stepson saying, recounting a conversation at his funeral Monday that the two of them had in early August. Several days later, a police officer shot Michael Brown on Canfield Drive.

Members of Brown’s family believe he prophesied his own death. About 4,500 people filled Friendly Temple Missionary Baptist Church to pay their respects to Brown, the teenager whose death has stirred a movement. Many said the images of his body lying in the street on Aug. 9 sent a message of marginalization that they could no longer ignore.

It brought people to his funeral who had never met Brown. It brought mostly African-Americans, some who spent more than 12 hours driving from cities as far as Atlanta because they felt a strong connection to him despite knowing little about his life. He reminded them of their own sons and grandsons, and the difficult conversations they have had to have with their children about how to avoid getting shot by a police officer.

As Brown’s body lay at the front of the sanctuary, inside a black metal casket trimmed in gold, he was mourned by his mother and father and stepparents. Lesley McSpadden sat nearest to her son’s casket, gently rocking back and forth. Michael Brown Sr. wore a tie with an image of his son’s face on the bottom.

Read Full Article

Watch Michael Brown's Memorial Service (Full Length and Highlighted Versions)

(There is a brief glitch in the video from about 25:35 to 31:36)

Get truth delivered to your inbox every week.
Subscribe to GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING by Email

Russell Brand on Ferguson Unrest: There’ll Be a Lot More of This as Society Becomes More Unequal

The way comedian Russell Brand sees it, the two options the society is facing, not just in Ferguson but globally, are: 

“Shall we have a more equal society or shall we fortify and bolster our means for oppressing people?” 

To Brand, the current “disturbances” in the Missouri town are an “inevitable” result of the years of racism and poverty that make up American history, despite certain right-wing pundits’ attempts to de-contextualize the conflict and “apply” compassion selectively to the police force and not the African-American community.

Watch as Brand continues his war against Fox News’ misinformation and provides his take on the Ferguson protests on his Web show, “The Trews.”

Get truth delivered to your inbox every week.
Subscribe to GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING by Email

Orlando Jones Modifies the Bucket Challenge to Raise Awareness for Another ‘Very Serious Disease’

“It all seems to stem from a militarized police force threatening the rights of people to assemble.”

Actor, NRA member, and special member of the Louisiana sheriff’s reserve force, Orlando Jones, has put a new spin on the Ice Bucket Challenge. Instead of donning a bucket of ice and water, he grabs a bucket of bullets to raise awareness to the rising militarized police state and the lack of concern by citizens in the US.

Jones does not make light of ALS and in fact says he will donate to the cause. However, in this video he speaks of another serious disease, apathy.

"My heart goes out to all those who struggle with ALS but I am, of course, talking about the disease of apathy.  If (and hopefully when) Michael Brown’s killer is brought to justice and convicted of 1st degree murder, it still won’t prevent this from happening again. We cannot accept this as the status quo. We MUST continue the fight at the ballot box, in the media and by working to create systemic change."

Ferguson: Ten Days That Shook the Country

How the tactics of occupation came home

by Justin Raimondo

Antiwar

The facts surrounding the murder of Michael Brown, an 18-year-old resident of Ferguson, Missouri, gunned down by Darren Wilson, a Ferguson police officer, are not entirely known – but enough is known that it’s quite justified to characterize it as cold-blooded murder. Thanks to Brown’s family, an autopsy has revealed that of the six shots fired by Wilson, five were survivable, but the sixth – which entered through the top of his head – was not. Although the evidence is not yet conclusive, the forensics – and the testimony of eyewitnesses – point to the fatal shot being fired as he was falling to the ground with his hands up in the classic posture of surrender.

Rapper Talib Kweli Calls Out Corporate Media Coverage of Ferguson on Live TV

Nick Bernabe | The Anti-Media

Rapper Talib Kweli takes CNN reporter Don Lemon to task over the lopsided and superficial coverage that CNN is doing on the Ferguson civil unrest. 

The town of Ferguson, MO has become a national media sensation following the shooting death of 18 year old Michael Brown, the subsequent civil disobedience and massive militarized police reaction.

Here’s the clip:

The corporate media’s notoriously pro-government slant is coming under increased scrutiny following the incredible citizen journalism coverage showing the unadulterated situation on the ground in Ferguson, often at odds with TV reporting, as Kweli points out.

Kweli makes another extremely valid point about how much of the escalations that are happening in Ferguson have been a direct result of overly militarized police presence and reactions.

A point we made here on The Anti-Media when the Mike Brown shooting first surfaced was that the corporate media quickly shifted the focus of media attention away from the slaying of teenager Mike Brown, and instead focused it’s attention on the few people who began looting. Here’s an excerpt from our article titled “The Media Conveniently Focuses on Ferguson Looting Instead of Rampant Police State“:

In the predictable manner in which the corporate media operates, the news cycle has been shifted away from the tragedy of the killing of 18 year old Michael Brown, and switched to the few who lost their cool and began looting and rioting. While the riots are newsworthy, the main focus of the news coverage should be on the death of this unarmed young man, and the overall rise of documented police brutality that is permeating in all corners of America. More Americans have been killed in the last decade by the police than the total number of US soldiers killed in the entire Iraq war, but they won’t talk about that on TV.

It’s easy to figure out why the corporate media has a tough time talking about police militarization; they were complicit in turning America into a battle field. While the government began arming local police with an unimaginable amount of weapons of war, the TV media turned a blind eye to this fact. Most people don’t even know that their local town has MRAP (mine resistant ambush protected military) vehicles, and that is partly due to the mind-numbing reporting seen on TV about Justin Bieber and Kim Kardashian.

You can visit our Ferguson article archive here.

Get truth delivered to your inbox every week.
Subscribe to GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING by Email

Human Rights and Justice Committee Calls for Boycott

"Boycott Now!  We Demand our Human Rights!"

by Mark Daniels

The Human Rights and Justice Committee (HRJC), a grassroots organization in Missouri, is calling for a boycott of corporations and corporate media beginning Monday, August 25, 2014 until specific demands related to the shooting death of Michael Brown are satisfied.

In a Press Release made public via the HRJC Facebook event page, the grassroots organization says: "BOYCOTT NOW! WE DEMAND OUR HUMAN RIGHTS!", announcing a "National Day of Boycott against Banks, Businesses, and Retail stores as an act of solidarity and remembrance of the family of Michael Brown, Jr. and those of Eric Garner, LaVena Johnson, Trayvon Martin, John Crawford, Ezell Ford and countless other families that have had over 5,000 of their loved ones murdered by police, profiled, harassed, robbed, tortured, beaten, lynched, unlawfully arrested and framed by law enforcement officials and courts all over America...HRJC calls for Boycott for Human Rights, Justice, Peace, and Jobs to commence on August 25th, 2014, starting at 8 a.m. (EST), 7 a.m. (CST), and we will not stop until Michael Brown, Jr. gets justice and we make Human Rights, dignity, justice, and freedom the norm for all people In America".

Homeland Security Enlists Clergy to Quell Public Unrest in Ferguson Missouri

Greater St. Mark's Church has seen a lot of cops lately and they haven't come by to pray.

As evidenced by the following video, Clergy Response Teams were deployed by Homeland Security to quell public unrest during the declared "state of emergency"in Ferguson Missouri this week.



For the third time since the police slaying of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, St. Louis County police raided the Greater St. Mark Church property Wednesday. Church leaders have allowed community activists to use the gymnasium of an abandoned private school on church property as a first aid station for treatment of people injured by tear gas in protests against the shooting of Brown. People could also get food and water there, and community activists used it to plan protest strategy.  

But all that apparently made it a special target for the cops whom one would think have enough on their plates in Ferguson not to be harassing a humanitarian operation.

BREAKING: SpecOps Forces Being Deployed in Ferguson, MO

Asymmetric Solutions, a private contractor firm consisting of retired U.S. Navy Seals and Army Special Forces, announced via social media that they have been called up for deployment in Ferguson, MO.

The announcement came via a tweet and did not include specifics of the deployment.

We've been to Baghdad, Kabul, KL, Manilla, Peshwar, Bogata. Never guessed we would deploy a high threat team in our own city. #furgeson
— Asymmetric Solutions (@AsymmetricUSA) August 19, 2014

Via 1776 Channel:

Missouri-based private security contractor Asymmetric Solutions, which employs elite former U.S. military special operators, tweeted Tuesday afternoon that the company is deploying a “high threat team in our own city”.

When responding via Twitter to a request for information, a spokesperson said “we cannot professionally hand out that information, regardless of client or location. We put a security team of former SOF personnel into the STL area at the request of a client.”

The entire tweet reads “We’ve been to Baghdad, Kabul, KL, Manilla, Peshwar, Bogata. Never guessed we would deploy a high threat team in our own city. #furgeson”.

Asymmetric Solutions employs former U.S. Navy SEALs and Army special operators.

The group later clarified their mission is one of “escort detail augment for individual” in Ferguson. One might be able to assume this means they will be a part of additional security detail for DOJ head Eric Holder or other high profile individuals.

To clarify we are not protecting state, law enforcement or those exercising their right to assemble. Escort detail augment for individual.
— Asymmetric Solutions (@AsymmetricUSA) August 20, 2014

In any event, it’s profoundly interesting that the same sort of security detail needed in hot zones of Iraq is now necessary in Ferguson, MO.

Get truth delivered to your inbox every week.

Subscribe to GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING by Email

It's no longer "hands up, don't shoot" in Ferguson

As reported by Daniel Johnson, Founder of PANDA (People Against the NDAA) moments ago via Ustream (see below), following another police involved shooting earlier today, some protesters in the Northside community of St. Louis (near Ferguson, MO) are saying:  "It's no longer 'hands up, don't shoot'.  It's now 'shoot back'." 




Broadcast live streaming video on Ustream

Get truth delivered to your inbox every week.
Subscribe to GLOBAL POLITICAL AWAKENING by Email

VIOLENCE IN FERGUSON PROVOCATEURED BY FBI AND DHS

Watershed event by government to impose further restrictions on liberty

by KURT NIMMO | INFOWARS.COM

Last week Fox News reported the FBI was concerned members of the New Black Panthers are in Ferguson, Missouri to advocate and promote violence against police.

The report filed on August 13 cited an alert issued by the St. Louis Division of the FBI. It claimed the National Chief of Staff of the New Black Panther Party, Chawn Kweli, and others have traveled to Ferguson to exploit the protests in response to the shooting of Michael Brown.

Kweli had previously put a bounty on the head of George Zimmerman, who was acquitted in 2013 of murdering Trayvon Martin.

Another New Black Panther Party member, King Samir Shabazz, has called for killing white babies. He was named in a civil suit filed by the Department of Justice in 2009 alleging violations of the Voting Rights Act after Shabazz and another New Black Panther Party member brandished weapons at a polling place in Philadelphia.

The FBI alert did not prompt action by the Justice Department or the Obama administration.

DHS Infiltrated New Black Panthers

The FBI’s role in producing the vast majority of terror plots in the United States is well-known.

“Over the years, FBI provocateurs have repeatedly urged and initiated violent acts, including forceful disruptions of meetings and demonstrations, attacks on police, bombings, and so on, following an old strategy of Tsarist police director TC Zubatov: ‘We shall provoke you to acts of terror and then crush you,’” explains the authors of COINTELPRO: The Untold American Story.

No habeas corpus in Ferguson: New Black Panthers call for murder of Officer Darren Wilson.

In addition to the probability of provocation by the FBI, the journalist Dave Hodges reports the Department of Homeland Security may be involved in inciting violence.

“In the past five days I have been contacted, via one of my most trusted sources, a member of DHS who is opposed to the events and DHS involvement in Ferguson, Missouri,” Hodges wrote on August 15. “This source stated that DHS is running the Ferguson Police Department and their actions are designed to antagonize and to provoke the locals to violence. He further stated that he believed that the ultimate goal is to inflame the local citizens to such a point martial law will be declared.”

The DHS, according to the source cited by Hodges, has inserted agents provocateurs within the New Black Panthers. The police reaction to the protests, he notes, resemble procedures put in place by the DHS, Northcom and the federalized National Guard: