Ferguson, Missouri is once more the scene of mass protests and there are fears the situation may escalate before it calms down.
People have taken to the streets, angry that criminal charges will not be pursued against Darren Wilson; a white policeman who shot and killed black teenager Michael Brown on August 9, 2014.
Nial O’Reilly spoke to euronews’ Washington correspondent Stefan Grobe about the wider impact of the decision, on a nationwide level.
Nial O’Reilly:
“Joining us now in Washington is our correspondent Stefan Grobe.
“We’ve seen anger on the streets of Ferguson, what are the emotions like in the United States more generally?”
Stefan Grobe:
“There are a lot of communities like Ferguson, Missouri, in this country. And, of course, the underlying problem won’t go away anytime soon. And you’ve heard from President Obama, who alluded to that.
“There is a deep-rooted feeling in minority communities of colour that things are stacked against them, that the law is being applied in a discriminatory fashion. Things like racial profiling, policing minority neighbourhoods and sometimes excessive police force are perceived as injustices in the existing criminal justice system.
“Now some of this, of course, is the result of the legacy of racial discrimination in this country and all of this hatred comes back to the surface whenever there is a case like the Michael Brown case in Ferguson Missouri – that killing in Missouri.”
Nial O’Reilly:
“Well, Stefan, you mentioned President Obama. He made that speech – what do you make of it?”
Stefan Grobe:
“Well, first of all, it’s highly unusual that the president weighs in (at) the moment that the looting was underway. As the president said, there needs to be a rethinking of race relations with respect to law enforcement. And, of course, people need to be more engaged in community life. Obama made this point over and over again, not only yesterday – last night – but in the past. But, here’s where things need to be addressed in the future.”
