A morning in Ferguson
Free Press Houston arrived in Ferguson, Missouri at 6 a.m. The arrest count from the night before ranged from 31 to 47, depending on which outlet you subscribe to, with a possible 10 journalists included in the list.
But the streets were mainly empty. Several volunteers and police went through W. Florissant Ave., picking up trash and other leftover bits from the demonstrations the night prior. A night group of peaceful protesters (who sit a few miles from the more turbulent part of Ferguson) continued to hold up signs as cars trickled by. CNN jabbered into several of their cameras nearby. Anderson Cooper was nowhere to be seen.
AP style seems to side with “demonstrations” as a happy medium between “protests” and “riots.” What none of the media seem to pick up on is that riots and protests occurred simultaneously over the last twelve days. Using a neutral tone to describe two very different acts of expression no doubt ire both protesters and readers (but probably not the rioters).
Regardless, here is a short insight into what morning looks like in that mile or so of road where people, press and police have walked, protested, rioted, reported, fought, shot and gassed for the last twelve days.
