By 2 a.m. the protesters who remained on the scene in Ferguson appeared tired, but not weary. They had originally returned to their familiar demonstration route along West Florissant in the memory of Michael Brown Jr. – who was killed one year and 10 hours prior – on the anniversary of his death.
They remained because another officer-involved shooting had them protesting for answers.
Some stood along the sidewalks adjacent to the street, which was filled with police cars and a tank that was slowly advancing with a formation of officers as they urged the crowd to disperse. Others watched from the lot of the empty building that last year housed Red’s Barbeque.
“This is no longer a peaceful protest,” an officer announced through a speaker system. “You are now ordered to disperse.”
It was a phrase all too familiar to those who had been on the ground there for several months consecutively the year before, but new information had been added to the statement that would be repeated at least three more times as law enforcement inched along.
The officer suggested exit routes for the premises and gave fair warning that chemical munitions would be applied – in addition to saying that those who remained would be subject to arrest.
“So far from what I’ve seen they are doing a much better job than last year,” Patricia Bynes said, implying that they are applying more care and detail than when she initially became a fixture on the scene in 2014.
Bynes is instantly recognized by a “protest veteran.”
“Hey girl,” the young woman with a friend said as she greeted Bynes as if the two women were casual friends.
“How have you been?” Bynes responded.
“I see some people I didn’t see last year,” she commented to Bynes as she spoke of seeing a woman she figured was a protest newbie because she was wearing sandals.
“I’m just trying to find out what’s going on,” the woman said.
The woman also voiced her frustration with the police for moving down on the group even though there was no activity other than them being on the scene.
Bynes told the woman that she had to consider everything that had transpired earlier – referring to the shooting.
“But we are protesting peacefully,” the woman responded. “We have a right to be here.”
The police would give another warning of their intentions as the two exchanged casual greetings and reflected a bit about returning to the scene in what had to be a hint of de ja vu.
“She wasn’t here last year,” the woman said as she spoke of her protest partner. “I told her to cover her face as best she can and run that way when they start with the tear gas. But if she hears gunshots to fall to the ground as soon as she hears it and she’s just gonna have to take the tear gas.”
They moved on, trying get a close look at what was happening towards the street.
Not long after she gave her advice, the police advanced. She and her friend would do exactly what she spoke of a few minutes earlier as soon as she heard the gas being fired into the crowd.
As a regular demonstrator, she was probably aware that the first shot of gas is just smoke. But the pre-emptive move gave her and her friend a head start for when the actual tear gas hits the wind.
She knew it would save them from being caught up in the terrifying moment of being completely incapacitated and consumed by the gas.
