when you watch tour de france it is our dream to take part. one day one of us will do it. >> reporter: this is one of the poorest countries in the world. and the club needs equipment and money. for these passionate men and women they continue to show the world that sports can make a difference in people's lives. al jazeera, bangui. >> ferguson missouri, the spark for what would become daily street protests was the killing of an unarmed african american teenager. frican american teenager. gunned down by a white police officer on august the 9th.

>> okay, it seems like they're throwing flash bombs now. there's explosions going off. we're not quite sure what the police are firing but there's gas coming down too. we're going to get out of here! >> in a matter of hours, the streets of ferguson had gone from peaceful protest and calls for justice to scenes out of a conflict zone. >> there's a line of police advancing towards the crowd here. there's tear gas everywhere. there's explosions from flash bang grenades. there's another one going off now. >> as the military vehicles advanced, rubber bullets were fired. anyone on the streets - including media - was in the line of fire. the police began to fan out into the surrounding neighborhoods with weapons pointed at people's

homes. >> it looks like they're firing tear gas into these neighborhoods here. you can see the plume of smoke. just have no idea what they're firing at. >> what if this was your job? what if this was your job? what if this was your job? what if this was your job? what do we want? justice! when do we want it? now! >> as night turned into early morning, it became clear that divisions in ferguson were growing deeper. >> hands up... don't shoot! hands up... don't shoot! hands up... don't shoot! hands up... don't shoot! >> a firsthand look at the ongoing battle against the isil threat. >> bombs are cracking off in the distance... >> this is a booby trap in the islamic state >> ...a sniper around the corner here... >> from the front lines, josh rushing reports, on al jazeera america

>> michael brown's killing had sparked the worst civil unrest this part of missouri had seen in recent memory...and now, it was getting attention from washington. >> i made clear to the attorney general that we should do what is necessary to help determine exactly what happened, and to see that justice is done. i also just spoke with governor jay nixon of missouri. i expressed my concern over the violent turn that events have taken on the ground, and underscored that now is the time for all of us to reflect on what's happened, and to find a way to come together going forward. he is going to be traveling to ferguson... >> after days of largely staying silent, missouri's governor finally showed up in ferguson - promising changes. >> today i am announcing that the missouri highway patrol under the supervision of capt ron johnson who grew up in this

area will be directing the team that provides security in ferguson. >> governor, how would you explain the nature of the presence that we saw on the streets yesterday? i mean, there were armored personnel carriers, about 100 police in military-style uniform, high-powered rifles being trained on the crowd, who is in charge of making those decisions and are they going to be held to account for mistakes that you clearly think have been made? >> i think that, that was yesterday, tonight's tonight. tomorrow's tomorrow. >> looking forward meant a new face for the police command: captain ron johnson, who was born in the community. >> don't shoot! don't shoot! >> the scene on thursday was very different from the previous night of tear gas and military vehicles. there seemed to be fewer police and those who were there walked the streets with the protestors. the change in approach seemed to lift the mood. but that atmosphere was

short-lived. the next morning, ferguson's police chief finally announced the name of darren wilson - the officer who had killed michael brown. but almost in the same breath, he also released this video footage. it allegedly showed brown stealing cigars from a convenience store in an unrelated incident...his grieving family was incensed. the motives for releasing the video, and its timing were immediately questioned. >> did he know that he was a suspect in the case or did he not know? >> you say you are concerned by our safety but it seems that you are only concerned by your officer's safety.. >> i'm going to read you a statement here. michael brown's family is beyond outraged at the devious way the police chief has chosen to disseminate piecemeal information in a manner intended to assassinate the character of their son. what's your response to that? >> we have given you everything that we have now and everything

that we can give you. so that's... from our police department, we have everything we've got. there's nothing else i can give you. >> what about the timing??? >> michael brown's family held an impromptu press conference outside the police station in response, >> this is just something that people do to try to diverge the attention from what the real problem is... condemning what they branded as an attempt to criminalize him and justify the officer's actions. >> whatever took place there had nothing to do with an individual getting down on his hands and knees raising his hands in the air and saying don't shoot! this is the universal call for "i surrender." i surrender." >> news of the video of the release has spread.

people were angry. but instead of trying to defuse the tension by minut minimizing police tension, the armored vehicles were out again. it didn't take long for things to begin to happen. soon a small group started smashing store windows. >> you can see people have broken in. okay, okay. let's get out of here. but then another group of young men quickly moved in to stop the looting. >> why are you standing there? >> there is a group over there. a group over there. we're stopping people from going in the stores.

to those protesters there was no question who was to blame for what was happening in ferguson. >> the city has got these black people down in ferguson--i get harassed on the daily. it's harassment that goes on every day to people including myself, including a lot of these black males, where you feel like the target, where you feel like a target. that's the real. >> so the guys protecting the convenience store say that they blame the police for inflaming the riots. we'll speak to the police and ask them why they deployed like this after everything that has happened. >> who's in charge here?

>> what do you need? >> who is the commanding officer. >> i need to speak with the commanding officer. >> stay right here. >> no, but we need you to get to a safe spot. >> we've been spending time in the crowd, and they're asking why the police have deployed in armored vehicles. >> we're trying to maintain safety. >> why did you feel like it was necessary to bring out the armored vehicles. >> i'm done talking. you need to head back to where you need to be. we're done talking. >> is there a media contact here at all? >> not right now. >> what? >> sir, we're done. >> the militarized response was back, and no one could tell us why. meanwhile, down the street the police continued advancing on the protesters.

the looting had stopped, but it seemed like anger and distrust were growing once again. >> did you hear about the first riot? >> yes. >> what do you think? it was an outcry. that's pure emotion. everybody feels the way these kids. these kids have no outlet. you want to know the truth, talk to the oppressed. >> i'm ali velshi, the news has become this thing where you talk to experts about people, and al jazeera has really tried to talk to people, about their stories. we are not meant to be your first choice for entertainment. we are ment to be your first choice for the news. >> 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.

>> we have an exclusive story tonight, and we go live... >> trafficked labor on the front lines? >> they're things, they're commodities...

>> we go undercover... >> it isn't easy to talk at this base >> what's happing on u.s. bases? >> the tax payer directly pays the human trafficker >> fault lines al jazeera america's hard hitting... >> they're blocking the doors... ground breaking... they killed evan dead... truth seeking... >> they don't wanna see what's really going on >> break though investigative documentary series america's war workers only on al jazeera america >> during the protests on the streets of ferguson, we'd met miller, ronald and solomon - they'd been out demonstrating every night since the shooting. they're from northern st louis county - an area that includes ferguson and is predominantly african american. >> tell us a bit about this neighborhood. >> it's the slums...you know.

my whole family, ya'll grew up over here you grew up over here in... >> you grew up over here? >> umm huh..yep >> you grew up here. >> yes. >> what kind of a neighborhood is it? >> it used to be a nice neighborhood years, many years ago. so we just were forgotten about. >> the anger and frustration with the police ran deep. >> they treat you like you don't belong. >> who do, the police? >> the police. there are two strikes, black and male. we just have to miss a blinker we're stretched out in the middle of the street. >> that's what they say, two strikes. >> strike three, you're going to jail. >> it's not just a perception of unfair treatment. >> they have no connection to them culturally other than as police officers patrolling their area and enforcing the law. >> the head of the naacp chapter

filed a complains against the police for disproportionately targeting blacks. >> a young black kid living in the urban area. if he leaves his house going for a walk, going to work, going to school, he's subject to be stopped by police. he's subject to be questioned. he's suspect to have to produce identification and ran through the system to see if he outstanding warrants, and in some cases it happens for no reason at all. >> reporter: even if they avoid the police these young men have other odds stacked against them. the unemployment rate for african-americans in this county is three times that of whites. st. louis is probably one of the most segregated communities in the country both racially and socio-economically. when blacks move in the whites move out and the jobs go with

them. >> reporter: among black males the unemployment rate has gone to 50%. >> i went to college and got my medical assistant. i wanted to be in the medical field. they found out i had a felony. guess what happened. i spent $20,000 for nothing. i get my hands dirty working on cars now. >> how does that make you feel? >> what am i supposed to do? >> does it make you angry? >> hell yeah. >> when people talk about the anger that they feel, it's not just about law enforcement. it's about life in general. >> some people want to roll over, don't talk to the police

like that. it's crazy. just be quiet. i thought, what happened to freedom of speech? what happened? why is mine modified, you know. >> reporter: long time community activists say the underlying discontent is the same that fueled protests in the 60's by the black community. >> you have somebody who can't find a job. you find somebody who has been marginalized in society. then three or four times a week you get hassled by the police? how much can a young person stand who doesn't necessarily have the tools to deal with this stuff, and sometimes it comes out pretty raw. then you have the response of the police department to a community's natural organic reaction to what has happened. what do they get? they get a militarized police force. that has to do with systemic

racial issues that need to be resolved. >> the police department declined our repeated requests for an interview. >> don't think that you'll be able to get away with this. this stops. it should never have happened. >> after more than two weeks of protests on august 25th the community of ferguson came together for a day of mourning as michael brown's family laid their son to rest. the family had asked for calm. [ cheers and applause ]

at the cemetery a crowd of family members and friends watched as michael brown's coffin was buried. as the mourners went home michael brown's mother said her final goodbyes to her son. >> i know a lot of people thought this would be a fly by night situation, and it would be a fly by night movement. but i tell you what, there is rubber bullets and tear gas, when it's on, it's on for life. you hear me. >> i day after the funeral there

was the announcement of a new movement. it's called "hands up united." >> wherever we go. we get laid down. we get executed. >> the demonstrators say they're going to march against the attorney general in st. louis. they're asking for investigation of systemic brutality. it said it wanted an investigation into the practices of the ferguson police department, separate from the michael brown shooting. but for this group and the community they represent their underlying message is unlikely to change. that their calls for justice are bigger than just ferguson or michael brown. they're fighting to change a system that they say is stacked against them from birth.

>> you hello, welcome to the news hour. jane dutton in had a. doha. coming up in the program. >> you will find no safe haven. we'll find you eventually. >> president obama rules out usin