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Ferguson verdict draws protest in Buffalo

Mike Desmond/wbfo news

Anger over the Ferguson, Missouri grand jury decision not to indict a White cop for killing a Black teen brought out protestors to Bailey Avenue Tuesday.

Protestors marched along Bailey, heading to the E-District police station to protest bad relationships with Buffalo officers and to attack the decision not to indict Ferguson Officer Darren Wilson for killing 18-year-old Michael Brown, who was unarmed. The decision not to indict was not surprising to some in the crowd, saying it's happened before and it will happen again.

Speakers called for local change, not just with the police but in issues like schools and jobs. Activist Britney McClain says this community must do better, no matter what government does.
               
"We are the City of Good Neighbors. We have that name for a reason. You know, share some food. Hug somebody," McLain said.

"We have to go back to these simple things, people, because the government, they want to separate us, keep us isolated and scared. And, that's when the bad things happen. So, when we stick together, we will win."

One speaker says change is possible here, reinstating the former community police officers who establish relationships with individual citizens and who can figure out where there is a problem or ask them to ease up and prevent problems.
 

Mike Desmond is one of Western New York’s most experienced reporters, having spent nearly a half-century covering the region for newspapers, television stations and public radio. He has been with WBFO and its predecessor, WNED-AM, since 1988. As a reporter for WBFO, he has covered literally thousands of stories involving education, science, business, the environment and many other issues. Mike has been a long-time theater reviewer for a variety of publications and was formerly a part-time reporter for The New York Times.