“Here we go with this [expletive] again,” a motorist who apparently forgot his windows were down shouted with frustration as traffic came to a standstill on chambers a few blocks down from W. Florissant Friday night.
“It’s been a long day, I’m just trying to get home,” he said in a much more demure tone after locking eyes with another driver after noticing he had their attention.
It’s been a long year for the region – even longer along the route where the motorist was stuck; made evident by the burned buildings and decorative graffiti art along the way.
Last night, after months of rest and reprieve from the unrest that began with the shooting death of Michael Brown Jr. by former Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson, protesters had returned to the streets.
They marched from the site of Michael Brown Jr.’s death in the Canfield Green Apartments up West Florissant, down Chambers and across S. Florissant to the Ferguson Police Department Headquarters.
A feeling of familiarity rang through the demonstration.
The “Mike Brown Mobile,” a white compact car with “Justice For Mike Brown” and other protest related chants and phrases spray painted over its entire body, honked fervently. The Lost Voices youth protest group – which grew directly out of response to the killing and consists of young people from Canfield and the surrounding region – were “turned up for Mike Brown” as usual.
The lime green hats of the legal observers floated through the crowd as demonstrators flooded the street directly across from the police department.
There were also changes from last year.
Most noticeably, protesters were not facing off with a formation of officers dressed down to the socks in riot gear who appeared ready to deploy “by any means necessary” tactics to quell the crowd.
Actually, there was no police opposition whatsoever.
Wurm’s Tire parking lot – located across from the Ferguson Police Department headquarters – had been a refuge of sorts for protesters last year.
When they returned to their familiar stomping grounds last night, they were met with barricades and warning signs that those who violated the no parking order would be towed. One photojournalist almost learned the hard way that this was not a bluff.
Protesters flanked the tow truck and the Mike Brown Mobile swooped in front of the tow truck after the vehicle was chained and hoisted onto the bed.
The tow truck driver conceded – and the protesters rejoiced in the victory.
“They don’t give us our [expletive], we gon’ shut [expletive] down,” they chanted.
It would be the only moment of tension – and serve as a reminder of the most noticeably absent element from last night that was all encompassing last year: rage.
The atmosphere of the Ferguson protests wasn’t one that provoked response or incited anger – and there simply wasn’t any.
In addition to commemorating Mike Brown, the scene served as a reminder that there is still much to be done with respect to the relationship between law enforcement and the African American community – and that the killings that take place because of it are happening on the watch of all Americans.
At around 11:30 p.m., The Lost Voices announced that they were ending their demonstration for tonight and returning to their camp ground on West Florissant – effectively ending Friday night’s protest.
The crowd followed suit and disbanded. It was an uncharacteristically quiet end to protests that usually culminated with standoffs, arrests and fury.
Though most of the protests were peaceful over the course of the Ferguson unrest, many were emotionally charged by the frustration of seeing an unarmed young black man being killed with no consequence by law enforcement.
This night was a protest family reunion of sorts that paid homage to the tireless nights they spent in the name of Michael Brown Jr.’s memory two days before the one year anniversary of his death – and a celebratory reflection of how their cries caught the world’s attention.
