Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon announced Tuesday that in anticipation of the grand jury verdict in the death of Michael Brown that he is ordering the National Guard to work in conjunction with Ferguson police, and that the scenes of violence “cannot be repeated.”
“Citizens must also have the right to express themselves peacefully without being threatened by individuals intent on creating violence and disorder,” Nixon said in a press conference. “In the days immediately following Michael Brown’s death, peaceful protests were marred by senseless acts of violence and destruction.”
“Vandals smashed the windows of small businesses, criminals looted and set fire to stores, gunshots and Molotov cocktails endangered citizens exercising their First Amendment rights and law enforcement attempting to maintain peace,” he continued. “That ugliness was not representative of Missouri, and it cannot be repeated.”