Ferguson businesses brace for more protests ahead of grand jury verdict

FERGUSON, Missouri — Protest organizers in Ferguson have said repeatedly that demonstrations over the past three months have been 99 percent peaceful. There’s truth to the statement — a few troublemakers among thousands, a few ugly nights among the more than a hundred that have passed since Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson shot and killed Michael Brown on Aug. 9.

Even so, the protests at times have shown a harder edge. The burned shell of a convenience store, destroyed in the first night of looting, became both a gathering place for protesters and a symbol for their movement. Windows at many businesses were broken, and their spray-painted plywood replacements were among the indelible images broadcast around the globe.

With the investigation into Brown’s death dragging on, tensions have waxed and waned week to week. But as the grand jury decide whether to charge Wilson wraps up its deliberations — an announcement is expected at any time — anxiety is once again palpable.

All along, protesters have hinted, suggested and occasionally threatened that if Wilson is not indicted, things could turn ugly. Most legal experts believe that the chances of an indictment are remote, setting the stage for what could be the largest demonstrations yet.

http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2014/11/19/ferguson-economyprotests.html