[ chants ] [ explosion ] >> announcer: violence grips an american suburb. a community in crisis, a deep racial divide. a wall of silence in missouri - still, so many unanswered questions. [ chants ] >> announcer: why did a police officer kill an unarmed black teenager? is a militarized police force heightening the tension? attacking freedom of the press,

and how can the community heal? a night of special coverage "flashpoint ferguson - the way forward." welcome back to al jazeera america's special coverage, "flashpoint ferguson," and the way forward. i'm joeie chen with my colleague and friend tony harris. you know what, it is important for us to look at is ahead. so much of this community wants to do that. down. >> that's right, it is so true. we spent time - great point. it helps me get to a ride along with a city manager of a community north of ferguson. max, the city manager. that is a community. not many people know the story, that is a community where there was a lot of vandalism and looting and the city manager talked about how to move forward. dell wood and ferguson working together, finishing a joint

presented, and in the week that was, right, here in ferguson they had been talking about other projects they could do toot. moving forward, i think what you see between the two small communities, neighbourhood communities side by side is a renewed effort to work together for the betterment of the ferguson community. it was terrific to talk to him. we'll run more of it tomorrow when we have a bit more time. a terrific conversation we have. separate to the looting saturday, sunday and monday week. >> it's an unusual territory, because st louis county. there's st louis city and st louis county, and this is the north county area. the st louis country incorporates more than 90 municipalities. each one developed as their own area.

as to the complexity, working together, and creating a unity of purpose. >> that is not something you understand unless you spend time here. i know you and your team got here yesterday picking up on the complexities of the area, and the dynamics. we are also, as we watched the night unfold. we believe it's been calm here in ferguson. we want to check in with robert ray to be sure of that, give us a sense of the mood and what is happening on the streets, quarter of a mile, half a mile from where we are. [ chants ] >> you know, as we talked about half hour ago, there has been about 150 more protesters coming up about the streets. still peace. but more people coming up to the streets. not everybody here in ferguson is demonstrating every night.

earlier today we talked to a couple who lives a couple of blocks away. let's have a listen. >> reporter: the patch of pavement where michael brown took his last breath are two blocks from a quiet street where we met a bi-racial ferguson couple who have not been protesting. they are among many who have not taken to the streets. their voices have not been heard much in the days since brown was killed. this husband and father of three worries about retaliation, so he doesn't want to show his face. >> i fear for the family. basically the protesters are in the neighbourhood. >> he says the anger that boiled over is misplaced. >> we are mad at the cop. we should have been standing in front of ferguson police station

"what are y'all going to do about what happened?" >> we have nowhere to go. now we have to go miles and miles to get gas. [ chanting ] >> reporter: they are hopeful there'll be change, and say the community should wait until the review on michael brown is complete. like many others, they feel not everyone was treated equally by the police. what you are saying there was police profiling in the community of ferguson. if they are black, you'll be police. >> automatically. if you see me causing a disturbance, stop me. if i'm just walking, minding my own business, beep your horn and

wave because i ain't doing nothing wrong. >> tony, remember about midnight, eastern standard time, that that is when the protesters got a little feisty, and we had a couple of situations. where i was standing there were some police officers that came in, the semiautomatics, telling people to disappears. amnesty international observers walked up here as the crowd is continuing to increase. things are peaceful, nothing bad is happening. i think as a precaution, the guys walked up and will monitor what happens here in the next few hours as we go into the midnight hour. >> if you would, keep an eye on that. if anything develops we'll get back to you. the eyes of the world obviously are on what is happening in ferguson, and the young people are watching what happened here as well.

they have been impacted by the advance here since august 9th and the shooting death of michael brown. schools were supposed to be opened last week, last thursday. as things stand schools may open on monday. the events here, again, rippling through this community, having an impact on parents, kids and what do parents say to their kids about what's happened here? we have more on the impact of the event in ferguson on kids and the parents trying to teach them. >> reporter:. >> reporter: at jessica williams house mum has more help unloading the groceries. school is closed. 12-year-old walter stayed home and schooled his baby sister. >> i taught her abcs, and 123s.

>> his family lives in jennings, where, like ferguson, administrators shut school on monday and tuesday. >> their education is important. i feel there's not a bunch of stuff going on, during the day for the kids not to be in school is unacceptable. >> no school allowed williams family to stay up during monday night's protest and spent several nights getting involved. >> i heard cursing. i saw al-sharp tonne. i heard martin, everything that can possibly go on in a world. >> how did you decide to take your kids to the protest. >> i wanted them to see how it really is, and just because it was on it, it wasn't fake. i want them to see that this is really happening. st louis, we are making history. i want my kids to know that this is real, we need to stand for justice for everyone. >> walt are says he's learning a lot after dark, but is anxious

to go backs to class. >> i missed science and maths and my friend. >> some of the people are people that have just called in. >> walter's superintendent dr tiffany anderson brought her staff to florissant avenue to help clean up after the protests she's preparing them to bring the students back, knowing there'll be questions when they come back. >> there's many avenues to talk to the kids, it's the prisons approximatelies, the kust odians - we are trying to show kids we are a life line. >> do you have a plan to bring this into the lesson plan, or how do you plan to bring it up in the classroom all the time. >> we try to be proactive. you should bring up the hard conversations about bias and

equity and all the isms, and racism and homophobia. we talk about that in the classroom, we don't shy away from it. >> the plan is for anderson's district to reopen. >> we need to establish our routines and normalcy. i think that we will set aside time to talk about this. and, you know, they'll bring it up, i'll bring it up. i'll read f, i'll write about it and we'll discuss. >> i feel it should be a topic or discussion to where they talk to about what is going on, and how do they feel about the situation, because behind this a lot kids may need counselling. it's hard to adapt to the situation. these kids are squared. >> williams says she -- scared. >> williams says she wants her

children to learn constantly, she want her town to learn lessons too. community? >> i hope for a changed community all around, within the community, police department and people. people coming together as one, not just stop killing each other too. >> probably important to take a moment and remember at the center of all of this is the story of the death of an 18-year-old unarmed black man. brown. >> reporter: big mike is what friends and family called him, a burley good natured young man with an easy smile. >> any problems going on, any situation, there wasn't nothing he couldn't solve to bring people back together. he was a good boy. he didn't deserve none of this. >> brown had dreams of becoming a rapper and was on his way to college. the 18-year-old was supposed to start classes this week. >> he didn't bother nobody.

my son turned 18 and graduated from high school. >> this family never said that michael brown junior was a perfect kid. i anticipate you may see bs a attorney parks stated, other images or photographs or pictures that don't paint him in a complimentary light. >> reporter: the family says surveillance video that appears to show him robbing a store doesn't show the whole story. they accuse the police of character asass face. michael brown was unarmed when shot by darren wilson. police say there was a shuffle. pj crenshaw said she took the shots. he's rubbing this way: hands in the -- running this way. hands in the area, being compliant. he is shot in the face and chef. >> it wasn't long since

longstanding tensions boiled over in the st louis suburb. relatives say violence is the last thing brown would have wanted. they might have wanted it and don't allow it to happen. >> brown's son was visiting the grandmother on the way back to the store when his life came to an end on a weekend afternoon. >> you not god. you don't decide when to takiun. that belongs to me. >> welcome back, everyone, i'm joined by maleek, executive director for black lawyers for justice and has been on the ground in ferguson for about a week now, yes. >> yes, sir, nine days. >> give me your thoughts and reflections - nine days on the ground here, august 9th is when this happened. i know you have been organising, talking to people. give me your thoughts and in.

>> i'm impressed with the tenacity of the youth and our people and their fight for justice day in, day out. point for point, the fight for justice. i admire them. i'm here to support them. i same to do a legal investigation. i got into making sure the women and children were not hurt in confrontations. when i got here, the militarized police were out of control. >> what did you do in yourest to ensure women and children and young people were not the next victims. first of all, and good faith i went to the commanders getting them to adjust the tactics. then i filed a cease and disift notice on the police chief and the may or, charging them with violating the constitutional

rights of people standing on the side walk. and then a break came, and they pulled the police back. the ferguson police off the case. other times i got out in the crowds when there was no leadership, no one to help direct. people were milling around, and looked like a prescription for disaster. so i added focus and clarity. lives. >> how did you do that? what were the circumstances. the the circumstances - just the other night, because of the heavily militarized vehicles and gas asks and the military presence provides a flashpoint. the crowd comes up against it, one or two appearance want to charge the lines and the men come out with their guns. i jumped in the middle and risked my life to help the people to keep the peep away from destruction and disaster, and keep them marching in a

disciplined fashion. >> we are talking about moving forward. looks like there's a bit of momentum building from last night. i don't know what role the weather is playing. we are talking about a calmer night on the heels of last night. what are your thoughts about mogg forward and healing. people will tell you about the demonstrations. there wasn't enough work done in the communities. the conversations that needed to be had were not held. what were the conversations about communities around this neighbourhood or area. how did they move forward. there's a cry saying no justice, no peace. we are nowhere near the arrest for prosecution of officer karen wilson. the community or the murder of michael brown has not been solved.

the issue of the police brutality and our men and youth have not been sold. you can't expect - i have not seen this many day after day in any city i have gone in. the fact that they do it, they get credit for it, i don't say it's at a point where everything will calm down and we'll sing kumbaya. it's a temporary low. stronger. >> before i let you go, i know that you said you were doing legal work here, and i know this there's something that you are set to announce here tonight. >> yes. >> tell me about it. >> i want to be the first to anuns it on al jazeera. on friday, at the u.s. district federal court house in the eastern district of missouri black lawyers for justice, on behalf of the victims of the first initial days when the ferguson police department, the

militarized police forces, when they were running up on women children and helders, gassing them, arresting them, throwing them into gaol were filing a class action lawsuit on their behalf. to violate the constitutional rights. it is not just darren wilson and michael brown, but they will make plane that a systematic back pattern of discrimination in the police department. up. >> maleek, you'll give me the leave. >> we are working on the filing. we will release the filing on friday at 12 into. we'll be the first to get it. >> appreciate it. thank you for your time. we wanted to get you on the programme. glad to have you on the programme. we'll take a break and come back in a moment. ,

>> hundreds of days in detention. >> al jazeera rejects all the charges and demands immediate release. >> thousands calling for their freedom. >> it's a clear violation of their human rights. >> we have strongly urged the government to release those journalists. >> journalism is not a crime.

welcome back to al jazeera's continuing coverage, a special night of coverage on "flashpoint ferguson," and the way forward. so much of the events of the day's since michael brown's death have been played out in social media. an important critic and server of the culture of the digital world is jamilla, joining us if new york, speaking to us about the circumstances on digital

media. if you can talk about what has played out. really, the images have happened more in the digital world than the traditional media world over the last few days. >> absolutely. on social media you have action to the information coming in from traditional reporters and major outlets, you have activists, citizens, people on the ground sharing images, who are debunking some of the information that we received through the media, and local police representatives, and were able to, you know, share information, strategi strategise,find kinship. >> not only bring images, but, really, emotion - personal emotion and stories through the social media. >> absolutely, these are difficult times, whether you are in ferguson or had the

opportunity to go to ferg or, or watching it -- ferguson or watching it through your living room. many of us need someone to watch it now. families are not paying attention in the way that you are. finding people struggling with the emotions in the same way that you are. even tonight they are continuing to be demonstrations out on west florissant, the main drag of the demonstrators throughout the conflict. also we have seen protests happening in new york and out to california and communities in between. this speaks to a shared sense of emotion, and that is what is happening in the social media environment. we also want to know activity at the command center. i suspect you'll see some images coming back from west florissant, but it's real time following of what is happening

that we can only get through some of the environment. we had the opportunities to go to ferguson this weekend, and i had seen it first hand and i'll return tomorrow. the difference in what my ability to translate the information on social media versus before i wept, social media is giving me a great up close and personnel look in a way that from the best intention news media. and news organizations are working with social media. some organizations have been able to - around some stations, and there's a bias, agenda, what have you - you all, and some of your colleagues have done to reach your fewers, and how to connect with you and

ferguson. >> that is one of the things we are encouraging, and we want to hear from the audience, particularly through twitter from the hashtag. that is a campaign we have and we would like to know what the community thinks, what images the community would like to portray before they begin the social rights. he's a keep observer and we appreciate you being here. my colleague tony harris is with us as we wrap up this hour. >> it's been another quieter evening on the streets in ferguson, missouri. we hope it stays that way through the small hours of the morning. a louder evening in new york, at the east village, and oakland. as we leave you we'll show you

some images during the last 12 days. you. >> we'll cover a special coverage... >> he put his hands in the air, started to get down, and the officer fired shots. my friend died. . >> we have a race problem here that needs to be addressed.

. >> in the city of ferguson, they are firing. [ chants ] % >> there is never an excuse for violence against the police. >> i'm not afraid to protest. i'm ready to lay my life on the line for this one. i'm not afraid to go out and focus. >> the officer involved in the shooting of michael brown was darren wilson. . >> this is a test. the eyes of the world are watching. >> we had a subject in the middle of the road with a handgun. we had a police car shot at, yes, i think that was the proper

response. . >> if verifies that the witness accounts were true. >> giving in to the anger by looting or carrying guns, and attacking the police deserves to raise tensions and stir chaos. >> don't go there, there'll be no peace. no justice, no peace. >> saturday on "tech know". >> i cannot imagine being trapped in ruble like this. >> a miraculous new invention. >> this if finder... it's a victim detection radar. >> that could save your life. >> as long as your heart is beating, we can detect you. >> "tech know". every saturday, go where science meets humanity. >> this is some of the best driving i've ever done... even though i can't see! >> "tech know". >> we're here in the vortex. >> saturday, 7:30 eastern. only on al jazeera america.

>> i'm joie chen, i'm the host of america tonight, we're revolutionary because we're going back to doing best of storytelling. we have an ouportunity to really reach out and really talk to voices that we haven't heard before... i think al jazeera america is a watershed moment for american journalism >> and welcome back. we are once again at the command center here, near ferguson, missouri where law enforcement is getting ready for yet another night where they will be watching and seeing exactly what demonstrators do to keep things under control. i'm joie chen. harris. coverage. there are so many developments and we're watching closely to see what the night ahead brings tony. >> we are, thiis