“We already know who did this, but we don’t want to give them the credit they want. You would think that Killing Michael Brown once was more than enough – but I guess it wasn’t.”
A young black man named David didn’t name who he felt to be the responsible party, but his insinuation and his “Cop Watch,” t-shirt made his allegations plain.
“I was here when it was still on fire,” His partner in protest, a white man named Jacob wearing the same shirt as David said. “The one black cop tried to put out the fire, while three white ones watched it burn.”
By 9 a.m. the smoke had cleared from the Michael Brown memorial site that was burned to the ground just as the sun rose in the Canfield Green Apartments.
Less than a handful of people who stood outside, but a second wave of rage was on the horizon.
A group of about a dozen or so came from the direction of West Florissant.
They were clearly on edge as they attempted to process the burned memorial that was just steps from where Michael Brown was killed by a Ferguson police officer six weeks before.
Hurt, pain and frustration was all over their faces.
Things erupted as St. Louis Post-Dispatch photojournalist David Carson attempted to capture the moment.
“No [expletive] media,” a young man shouted as he proceeded to chase Carson towards the parking lot. “NO [expletive MEDIA. Get the [expletive] on.”
It would take more than one of the other young men to restrain him as he continued to hurl expletives at Carson from the other side of a human chain of residents and passers by seeking to shield Carson from the residuals of his rage.
“I don’t know why they don’t want the media up in here to tell the truth,” an older woman addressed by others as Miss Kathy said as she lit her cigarette and watched everything unfold. “They need somebody in here to tell the truth about what people are doing to make us so mad. Everybody needs to see what happened over there. That don’t over there make no damn sense …look at that.”
The group had grown. Some were telling Carson to get out of Canfield, while others sided with Miss Kathy and came to his defense – including David.
“The Post has been telling the truth about what’s going on out here and in Ferguson,” David said. “They’ve been out here from day one just like I have – and they have been telling our stories.”
“Now ain’t the time for asking questions or taking pictures,” another young man said. “They want to catch us in our feelings for their story and that [expletive] ain’t right.”
“How come it ain’t right,” Miss Kathy asked, interrupting the young man. “When they tell it, they gon’ have to tell why we so mad. The whole world need to know what somebody did over there,” she said pointing in the direction of the incinerated memorial site.
The streetlight pole that was blackened by smoke and fire and the burned patch of grass where the memorial once sat. A towel was placed over the burnt grass and new teddy bears had already begun being placed in the area.
The only thing more disheartening than seeing Michael Brown’s burned out memorial was witnessing the pain and rage that had finally floated off of Canfield Drive appear to return with a vengeance.
“I don’t want to hear no prayers, I don’t want it to be no vigils or no church service,” a young man, still in his pajamas, said as he paced back and forth on the sidewalk near the memorial. “[Expletive] peace.”
By afternoon’s end, the memorial had been nearly restored to its former glory – well, aside from the singed light pole.
The hope is that the sense of calm that has been enjoyed for the past few weeks will follow suit.
