>> and ultimate betrayal... drawing lines in the sand that would shape the middle east and frame the conflict today >> world war one: through arab eyes only on al jazeera america this is al jazerra america live from new york city. i am tony harris with a look at today's top stories. after a night of loud protests in new york, demonstrators and police are getting ready for a second day of demonstrations. >> my message is people is take that pain and frustration and work for change. >> new york's mayor announces a plan to retrain the city's police officers. change is coming to cleveland after the department of justice found police there showed a pattern of excessive force. and the pentagon opens its books

on sexual assault and reveals what victims are up against in military culture. ♪ ♪ more protests are planed in new york tonight. one day after a grand jury decided not to charge a white police officer in the choke hold death of eric garner in august. now, this afternoon a judge released some information about the grand jury proceedings but the not the evidence they saw. and new york city mayor bill de blasio announced officers will undergo more training. >> this training is much more about the vast majority of our officers who chose this profession because they wanted to help people. were willing to risk their lives because then to help people and want to do it right and deserve more train for this complexity of what they are facing. they deserve an opportunity to get the best possible preparation for what they face every day.

>> pa trier a sobgpatricia sobgm lower manhattan where a protest is supposed to take place in about 90 minutes, we hear from the mayor again and what did they have to say? >> reporter: that's right, tony. ahead of tonight's scheduled protests, the police union was on the defensive. now, the head of the police union patrick lynch came out and praises the grand jury's decision and praised the officer involved in the case describing him as, quote, a model of what a police officer should be. but the police union also lashed out at mayor bill de blasio for not being more supportive of the nypd in comments made in the wake of the grant jury's decision. >> what police officers felt yesterday after that press conference is that they were thrown under the bus. that they were out there doing a difficult job in the middle of the night protecting the rights of those to protest, protecting our sons and daughters and the

mayor was behind microphones like this throwing them under the bus. >> reporter: now mayer deblasio has spoken about this case in intensely percentage terms. keep in mind the mayor's wife is black and he has biracial children and he has shared his fears for the safety of his biracial son here in new york city. now, today when mayer deblasio came out to speak he was full of praise for the nypd in their handling of last night's frosts which were largely peaceful. but he also reiterated his position that the police need to change the way in which they engage with the community. >> the relationship between police and community has to change. the way we go about policing has to change. has to change in the city, it has to change in this country. i am fundamentally convinced it will change. >> reporter: now, those comments were made at the nypd police academy. and again, as you said, tony,

the mayor was also saying how the programs are being initiative to retrain police or to train them to engage in the community -- with the community in a different way. now, behind me i will tell you what's going on right now, the protest is scheduled to get underway in about an hour and a half, we are not see very much activity at all here. it is extremely relaxed. there are police around, but i don't know if you can see behind me, but the crowd control barricades are still bundled up right now. so we had peaceful protests last night. right now the situation here is very calm. >> all right, patricia sobga for us. good to see you, be thank you. across the country several cities saw protests against the decision. starting in new york, protesters blocked streets and december straighted near several landmarks including times square and rockefeller center. of police a 83 police were aest ared. in washington peopled marched and blocked streets in protest. demonstrators also walked through downtown atlanta carrying signs and chanting. a group gathered in chicago to call for justice in the deaths

of eric garner and michael brown. in downtown seattle some people staged a die in to protest the decision. and in oakland, dozens of people showed up at a rally. there has been a strong reaction where garner died on new york's staten eye lend. john henry smith spend the morning there talking to people who knew garner. >> there is no justice and there is no peace. >> reporter: eric garner is missed in his staten island neighborhood she said. >> he was very nice. he was a very gentle guy. >> reporter: william galloway says his friend was a gentle giant. >> i used to play chess with him. we called him big-e. he was big but he was never -- wasn't a bully or anything like that. he sold cigarettes and people start today emulate what he was doing. they saw him making a little bit of dollars and he basically, you know, ran things. he made sure people didn't fight. >> reporter: safer to say there was a lot of lover for eric garn never this neighborhood of staten island. the place where he ultimately

lost his life. his family says they are filing a civil suit against the city of new york and the new york city police department. but they say, that can't heal all of their wounds. >> i am not talking about civil, i am talking about locking the cop up. who gives a damn about mon i want eric garner's stepdad says i hopes the civil rights inquiry promised by eric holder whip give him the justice he wants. the justice he says they didn't get from the grand jury. >> it's prejudice. prejudice, that's what it is. it's a bunch of damn clans mens. the whole damn grand jury up there. >> reporter: others share the garner family's anger and confusion. >> we are in a nation that convicted michael vick for killing dogs. and i am an animal rights believer and we can't get a conviction for a black man being killed. >> it appears successive force was used especially since the

crime was a petty one. >> reporter: while the legal process plays out eric garner's memorial sits as a bitter sweet reminder to those he left behind. >> when i walk by the place i feel hoop i, i feel sad but happy at the same time because i know he's still around me. >> reporter: john henry smith, al jazerra. staten island is home to a large number of police officers. and according to a recent university poll it's the most pro police area in new york city. roxana saberi joins us live from staten island where she's been trying to get that side of the story. i know from conversations, i know that you have been having here back in the here in the news it's been difficult to get that side of the story. what's been the reaction from that community today? >> reporter: it has been difficult, tony. and i'll tell you why, but first let me give you an idea of the kind of community that we are in right now. we are about two miles southwest from the place where eric garner died. in this place it's a mostly

large community and mostly working class. in the bar where i am in one of the bar own percent a firefighter and i am hold when the crowd picks up we'll probably run in to other fire fighters and police officers. earlier today we spent time at another bar up the street. they all seem to have somebody in their family who is a police officer or know somebody who is. but nobody wanted to talk to us on the camera about eric garner's case. still off camera some people did tell us they can see both sides of the story. others said they know the officer personally, one is even his neighbor and told us she's glad that he was not indicted. >> you know, roxana, you touched on it just a moment there. but for people who aren't familiar with staten island, explain how it is as a location different from the rest of new york city. that they are much more familiar with. >> reporter: well, tony, according to the 2013 census, almost 80% of the people on staten island and there are

about 500,000 people on staten island, are white. and that's twice as high as the percentage of the white population across new york city's five burr borrows. the lack community is most north eastern part of the borough where eric garn he tied. this is the most politically conservative borough and has the highest average median income of the five burrows in new york city. >> interesting. since the news broke last night people have been sharing their stories of police en counters. inning he is joins us with more on that. >> two hashtags illustrate the contrast in the stories. alive while black, african americans describing their encounters. crossing the street cops stopped to ask me what i was doing there. i was holding grocery bags. and groove saying walking to the

library campus security stops me and asks for i.d. several times, claims like i don't look like a law student students. and jazz saying my car stolen and i was asked, well, was it really your car. alive while black started in response to a #called criming while white. basically white americans showing their encounters. i'll give you one. emily says got pooled open with no license, drug, cop told me to be more careful. i'll share more of these later on in the hour. >> terrific. thank you, enes. joining us now is charles steal the president of the southern christian leadership conference. it's a pleasure to talk to you. are you surprised at all by the decision from this staten island grand jury not to indict the officer? >> yes, i am very surprised due to the fact -- and disappointed due to the fact that we have come a long ways, but we have a long ways to go.

what the problem is from our perspective, is that we are dealing with a culture, even with the black and white situation. it's a police state mentality throughout this country and we are saying that we have proven with the history of. [ inaudible ] with peace and training in the. [ inaudible ] theory which we have implemented throughout the world. we know hugh to bring to the table the aspect of the april fee ophilosophy of dr. martin lr king, jr. i just got back to berlin, germany the reason you had the fall of the walls is president mikkel gore khof was. [ inaudible ] by the civil rights movement. the movement has been removed, relinquished from our society. from all of ethnicity and background. people thought we had arrived. but i am here to say that the civil rights movement would

always be needed within society. and that's why we are here today as the southern christian leadership conference. >> association mr. steele, first of all as we continues our conversation i want to roll in pictures of a protesting happening right now in boston, liver pictures from boston a demonstration that's happening right now. you know, there was a lot of anger expressed by the police union, we just aired a bit of that moments ago about the comments from the mayor of new york, bill de blasio, the police union here in new york believes it's been thrown under the bus, that all the officers have been thrown under the bus by the mayor here. i need you to, because there were a lot of people who will feel a similar i sentiment and wonder what is at the core of this. this is an officer who says he did his job. here is the other thing i want you to take on here. what i am hearing from people who are really frustrated about eric garner, really frustrated about michael brown and others, is that the same country where the highest court in this land,

the u.s. supreme court could rule a black man, we are talking about dread scott was not and could not be an american citizen. is the same country where in 2014 a black man can be beaten, killed in front of cameras by police officers and that that victim won't get a day in court. from your perspective as the president and ceo. the southern leadership conference. take that on, please. >> first of all i am going to mention a word that many of us from our various background are afraid to discuss. and that's racism. we have discrimination within our society. even within all aspects of ethnicity. those who have been successful in terms of the struggle from the movement, still relinquish the fact that they must go back to the bases and always take

care of those who are less fortunate. dr. king advocated for poor people. and it's a race war. it's a class war. it's a war against those who are less fortunate. or perceived as being poor. we must realize this is what dr. king died for. fought for and gave the supreme sacrifice, his life for. we don't have any people lobbying for poor people. mr. garner was a poor person. he was selling loose cigarettes to make a living for his family. that's very minute, very small in comparison of people doing other criminal acts within our society. it's an attack upon those who are less fortunate. those who can't advocate for themselves and trying to set an example. and ultimately, we are living in a police state. regardless if you white, black, green, or blue, if you are involved with law enforcement, and you are not at the status of

making decisions and bringing about the direction in which the law enforcement process is going to implement itself, then you just another head count. you just another number that's in law en toss. enforcement. we must start at the top of the conversation and the talk. we must start with all cities coming together embracing the keenyn philosophy of piece and nonviolence. >> charles steele is the president and ceo of the southern leadership conference joining us from atlanta. thank you for your time, sir. >> thank you. attorney general eric holder today announced the results of a federal investigation in to cleveland's police department. the justice department report said the city's officers are poorly trained and too quick to use force. lisa stark joins us live now from washington with more on this. lead a, good to see you, why were the police in cleveland even under investigation? >> reporter: well, tony it was because of the number of very troubling events, cluck a

high-speed chase back in 2012 that ended up with 137 shots being fired and two unarmed citizens dead. so this investigation has been going on for more than a year and a half. and it did find that the cleveland police routinely used excessive force and that there is no consequence for them doing that. now eric holder used this event really to also talk more broadly about what's been going on, of course, in the country and the events in ferguson. and in new york. >> the tragic losses of these, and far too many other americans, including just last month the shooting death of 12-year-old timmy rice here in cleveland, have really raised urgent national questions. and they have sparked an important conversation about the expensive trust that must exist between law enforcement and the communities that they serve and protect. >> reporter: and in fact, of course, the attorney general has been holding a number of meetings to try to restore some of that trust. by the way, cleveland just one

of more than 20 police departments the justice department has investigated in the last five years. and just to give you an idea how tough it is to get a handle on these problems, cleveland was investigated before. they were under a consent decree to clean up their act in 2004. didn't work and they are going to try again. tony. >> lisa, this is an issue that president obama touched on today as well. what did he have to say? >> reporter: he did. he was at an education events but took a few minutes to talk about what's been going on in the country and to give voice really to what many feel who have been watching these events unfold. >> when it comes as we have zenon fortunately in recent days to our criminal justice system, too many americans feel deep unfairness when it comes to the gap between our professed ideals, and how laws are applied on a day-to-day basis. >> reporter: and, of course, the president earlier -- sorry, the president earlier this week announcing steps that he wants

to take including federal money, tony for body cameras for police officers throughout the country. >> lisa stark for us, lisa, thank you. in the wake of the eric garner case the department of justice has also announced it will start a separate investigation in to the officer in new york. how difficult of a case is this going to be to pursue. >> it could be, because while the grand jury was looking at the criminality of the choke hold and whether or not that violated any laws, in the civil rights case investigators have to find evidence the choke hold was motivated by a racial component. that will have to determine that he put him in a choke hold because he was african american or race was a fact in the officers trying to arrest garner for selling loose cigarettes in the first place. this can be a difficult burden for investigators to reach, because if the officers testified to the grand jury that they were motivated by garner's size or demeanor, not his color,

that would be enough to block charges related to civil rights laws. >> but, david, what about the police pattern of arrests in this area. is that something that could be a factor in this civil rights case? >> it could be because that's where the avenue might be best for the civil rights investigation. if they can show in this northeastern part of staten eye hands he land, african americans are singled out for kind of arrest over loose cigarettes or that the poor, which are predominantly african american in this area are singled out and it's disproportionate to similar poor people who are selling cigarettes or might face this rinds after rest that are white, then you start to meet the burden of, okay, this is perhaps a pattern of violating civil rights, maybe not specifically regarding to what happened to garner, but in terms of the overall pattern of what the police department is engaged in. >> any precedent for these types of investigations in new york? >> about 20 years ago, tony, in the bronx there was a white police officer that got in to a dispute with an african american

over a touch football game. as part that have dispute the officer put the man in the choke hold. the guy guide. the officer was indicted and went to court but he was not found guilty of any sort of criminal negligence, however, the feds eventually brought a civil rights case and found that, yes, he had gotten in to the fight because the guy was motivated by race. so there was a conviction on civil rights laws. but they had to show in this police officer was motivated by the color of the victim's skin not because he per seeped the guy as a threat. >> david shuster for us, thank you. still ahead on al jazerra america, secretary of defense chuck hagel receivers a new report on sexual assault in the miles an hour tail i but the news conference certainly took a attorney. also how a faulty valve and winds always kept nasa's newest space craft on the ground for another day.

significantly more u.s. troops have been speaking up about sexual assault in the military, that's according to a report released today by the secretary of defense chuck hagel. in it the pentagon announces new plans to deal with the problem. jamie macintyre joins us from washington. what else have we learned from this report, jamie. >> reporter: depending on who you listen to, this report either shows that the pentagon has made substantial progress combating sexual assault in the

military or it shows that not enough has changed in the past years. as the old saying goes, where you stand depends on where you sit. outgoing defense secretary chuck hagel hailed the report he sent to the president as showing improvement in the way the military handles sexual assault in the ranks. but not enough. >> sexual assault threatens the lives and well being of both the women and men who serve our country in uniform. >> reporter: nine report includes a rand corporation survey of 145,000 service members. the numbers suggest a decrease in the rate of servicemen and women who say they have been sexual assaulted over the past two years, down from 6% of women to just over 4%. the report also says among those who say they were assaulted there has been a dramatic increase in the number of victims actually willing to come forward. up from 10% to 25%. hagel's directive offereds a multi-year study of risk factors, new training for junior officers and civilian bosses and

strict rules to detect and prevent retaliation against victims. but critics such as senator kirsten jill brands of new york, says it does nothing to stop commanders from using their authority to overturn convictions returns by military juries after a fair trial. >> victims still don't feel justice is possible. the bias within the chain of command is still so present it makes the victim feel she has no chance at justice. >> reporter: gillibrand has powerful report from a retired air force prosecutor who saw a rapist economy victoried reinstated by the superior officer. >> the boss should not determine the fate of the victim's case. >> reporter: senator gillibrand's wanting to remove that authority was short by five votes. she wants that action taken this year. >> so tony, chuck hagel resigned last week and he certainly got a

lot of questions about that today. >> reporter: this is the first chance they had to talk to him about since announcing his regular i go face. reporters pressed him on whether he really volunteered to step down whether it was a mutual decision or whether he was really pushed out of office. and hagel game some long, rambling responses and insisted that he was good with what happened and it was a mutual decision. but it went on for so long that he never actually took a question about the sexual assault report that he was there to present. i tried to and him a question about that i guess we'll have to wait for the history books write the definitive account of the departure of chuck hagel. >> thank you, jamie. bliss in abu dhabi have

arrester aid suspect in the murders of an american women. officials in the united arab emirates also say they have uncovered a plat by that same suspect to plant a bomb in front of another american's home. the state department is calling these acts of terror. on monday a 37-year-old kindergarten teacher was stabbed to death in a bathroom mall -- in a mall bathroom by someone who was completely covered in a covering traditionally worn by muslim women. we will have to wait at least one more day to see nasa's new orion space craft launch. the space agency cubbed the lift off today after a series of problems. andy gallagher has our report now from cape canaveral. >> reporter: it was a straighting start. these delays are darned in the space program. remember they have a 24-day launch opportunity. 2 1/2 hours for each day for the next 24 days, that could go ahead. initially this morning the first

launch attempt was delayed by eye boat out in water. we have high winds now. eventually the mechanical problems, safety is a top priority here in nas a. remember many people are watching this launch program. we have had a couple of accidents in the commercial sector, so all eyes are on nasa right now. but still, there is a sense of great hope and expectation from this program, when the orion capsule does launch it will go for 4 1/2 hours and orbit the earth twice, it's basically a test flight for this unmanned vehicle it will be test today radiation but go 6,000-kilometers above the earth, that's 14 times higher than the international space station so it's an important step in what will be a long process. remember, this is the first test flight. there will be another one in about two and a half years time. and in about five tkwraoerpbz they plan to put four astronauts on board the craft and they will potentially go to low earth astroids and eventually the planet mars. so exciting times here at nasa. still adhere on al jazerra

america. despite national attention on a few recent incidents it's hard to say how often people are killed by police. we will talk with someone who is trying to change that. and politicians from both sides of the aisle are weighing in on the grand jury's decision in the eric garner case.

♪ ♪ the eric garner case has touched a real nerve across the country and reignited the debate on the police use of choke holds. the tactic was bans by the nypd over 20 years ago. but america tonight sarah hoye met one man a young guy who says the practice is still very much alive sarah joins us now with more on that. >> absolutely. we'll feature more on this tonight on america tonight we met a young man who was put in a choke hold and it was very

dramatic we have some sounds so ache a listen. what was your initial reaction when you heard the news about eric garner. >> my first reaction was like, yo, that could have been me. >> angel martinez is more than a thousand people that filed choke hold complaints against the nypd in the past six years. >> i was tearing up when i thought about him because i was in the same predicament as he was so i knew his fear, you know. for that person to die because of that, it's just a shame. like -- whew. i think -- when i really think about it, it makes me cry because i have been in that situation. and i know the fear that he must have felt. the not knowing, the not knowing why this is happening to me. maybe if somebody spoke up, if maybe somebody had reported the incidents more, there would be probably more -- they would have looked harder in to the choke hold thing and go ahead it be something that they would not tolerate. >> ,sarah the choke hold is

still clearly being used. how commonly is it being used. >> angel martinez is one of a thousand people that filed complaints over the laugh six years. the practice is still on the excuse on the up tick. >> i can't wait to see the report tonight on a miles an hour tonight. here is what you need to know. the numbers are unclear because the federal government does not have a complete record of homicides by police officers. data is collected but they rely on information voluntarily reported by state and local police departments. there is an independent effort to create a national database. reno news and review editor brian, but heart runs a website it's called fatalencounters.org. with outside help he has compiled a list of at least 2900

police killings since 2,000. brian joins us now on skype from reno. good to see you. you are doing something that the fbi doesn't do particularly well. how are you able to do this job and who are you relying onto assist you? >> well, i don't know that we are doing it particularly well. we have added nearly 3,000 incidents since march. we've got another 9,000 in our research file, which is also available on the website. we will get the officers we are looking for but it's a long haul. >> i want to go at a -- look, it is -- we are following high-profile cases right now.

following these high plaintiff profile it can give you the impression that it's open season black males by the police. maybe that gets to the purpose of what you are doing now to provide data. why is it that you took on this assignment? >> you know, i -- i am a journalist. i have been a journalist for 20 years. i -- the actual impetus for this is i was basically driving home from work and i saw an incident that was obvious to me either the police had killed somebody or somebody had killed an officer. when i got home i got on the internet and i wanted to point out how often does it happen in nevada or what shaw county. i went to the uniformed crime report, the fbi data. i gotta be honest it seemed low,

but i didn't have any information to show me that it was low. so i put it aside. there was another incidents a kid name gill collar killed at the university of southern alabama and seemed like the same thing, it made me crucial justice to see how often it happens in the country, state, whatever. so i dug in and started looking. what i started finding was stories that were complaints about the lack of a database. well, i live in an internet age, i am internet journalist. i am also in the newspaper, but i couldn't -- i couldn't understand that. i couldn't make that work in my mind. when they know what kind of soda poppy drink. , you know. >> yes. let me go in another area here. >> sure. >> brian, you said before it's no accident that the police themselves don't provide this information. why is that? >> i don't know the answer to that. i always feel like are the information would help everyone.

i don't think this data is necessarily against police. the whole idea of collecting it is so that people can get better outcomes in interactions with police and citizens. >> all right. brian, it's good to see you, brian, but heart he is with us from rinne. appreciate it, thank you. polight cass reaction to the garner grand jury has been very different than the reaction last week to the case in ferguson, missouri. whereas the response to ferguson mostly broke down along partisan lines the garner case is prompting criticism from both sides. here is one of the nation's most influential conservative column assists. >> from looking at the video, the grand jury's decision here, is totally incomprehensible. it looks as if at least they might have indicted him on something like involuntary manslaughter at the very least. >> shawn davis wrote it defies reason, makes no sense just going on the plain language of the law.

the police officer who killed garner certainly appears to be guilty of second degree man salute he at the very least. a columnist for the conservative blog redstate.com. this decision is baffling to me and innin infuriating besides. one republican lawmaker says congress peter king says governor's death was his own fault. >> you had a 350-pound person who is resist ago rest. the police are trying to bring him down as quickly as possible. if he had not had asthma and a heart condition and was so obese most definitely he would not have died from this. >> let's bring in al jazerra political correspondent michael shore. and political strategist dare, a good to see you both. michael, first of all to you, what to you make of congressman king's comment. >> they are consist went his career, if you followed his career at all. he has always been a pal, a chum to the police, the nypd particularly. he represents long island and he has supported them in everything

from profiling muslim americans to any time there is a confrontation with the police he has their back. so it's not really -- it's a curious thing no he, you know, that he hooked his teeth in to there when he talked about, you know, obesity and that if he -- if he had been in better shape he would be alive is really the -- >> right. >> what you can draw from that, tony. that was an odd comment. and peter king also for people who don't follow politics very closely is someone who has talked about running for president in 2016. >> putting king's comments aside. why does there seem to be a bit of unity in the outrage to the garner grand jury, whereas the reaction in ferguson was certainly split? >> if you are asking that of me, tony, i think because -- first of all, i think there is a video there. of course it brings up the question you talk about having issue know, arming police with body cameras, there was a body camera in this instant and didn't make a difference. but i think when we can see

something, we were able to share the outrage a little more and there were so many things that were unseen in ferguson, so many we didn't know. >> tara, first of all, i haven't seen you in a while and certainly haven't seen you since this news broke. good to see you. first of all what's your reaction to the decision by the grand jury the decision not to indict in this case? >> i think the decision is. though i am not really surprised. which is unfortunate. i should be surprised. i think it's unfortunate on so many levels, but when you look at the data which you talked about earlier in the show we know that there is racial bias the at play here and in staten island let's remember staten island is not the most progressive part of manhattan and that's where the decision was made. and i think it shows the racial bias because we are not just the video, the video was compelling enough, but there was also the medical examiner who said, who called this and ruled this a homicide. very specifically based on data. this was a homicide. so there is that in addition to

the video. i do think, though, it shows one thing that doesn't get talked about enough, is the closeness between prosecutors and police departments. >> right. >> and is it a good idea to have prosecutors who work hand in hand with police departments then policing h essentially the. >> are you calling for special prosecutors in police-involved shootings? >> i think so. it's hard to -- when you look at prosecutors who are elected. the prosecutor in staten islands was elected to that position. by definition he will be trying to please his constituents and in staten island people were okay with this decision. >> yeah. you know what, michael, what do you think comes out of this? do you think there are hearings that come out of this? do you think there is support for what the president is proposing the request for $263 million a bulk of that money going to buy body cameras for police officers? >> yeah. again, i don't know that that is going make the difference here. i think that what is going to

come of this is the justice department rather than what they have in ferguson, which is a very high bar, the justice department seems to have a little more power behind themselves. here it will be interesting to see how this impacts eric holder in hayes waning days at justice, perhaps loretta lynch if she's confirmed to be the attorney general how she will handle the case. it's a case that has, fortunately, as you alluded to earlearlier in the program has gotten people generally not on the same page about these things together and that always helps the justice deem. i don't think it will be the body cameras that makes a difference be i the demeanor of the mayor and the conversations even what tara is saying a look at the the prosecutorial connectedness to the police department probably will be reviewed as well. >> first to tara and then to you, michael. what's the conversation you want to have? who do you want in the room and where do you want to have it?

>> i think these are very local issues and so i think that while the president can be helpful, and should be helpful and the justice department intervention is definitely needed so i think we need the president, we need the justice department, but i think these issues need to be resolved locally. i think we need to see more protests because we know in this country, we don't see change in the country until the people stand up. and ask for change. that is our history. and we know these things take a long time. so i would like to see in the room, you know, the federal government obviously, but i would like too see a local response to this in these various areas because a local level has so much influence over decisions that were made. for instance, in new york, the governor of new york could have called for a special prosecutor. opted not do so. that made all the difference -- that made a big difference in the case. >> right. michael, i know you are sensitive to all of these issues and you are a keen observer in issues of race and generally speaking, just folks getting along better in this country.

what's the conversation you would like to see? you would like to be a part of? who is in the room? where do you want to have it? >> i would like to see, for will be of a better word, white america agree that they don't know what it's like to wake up black in america. and i think when you have politicians who are able to have that conversation and you have former police officers and you have former mayors and people involved, you know, i think first of all tara should be in that room because of the way she's talking about it right now. i do think local officials would be helpful this to conversation, but more than that, i think that it has to not be about retribution, it has to be about forward thinking any conversation the president has by have you ever sue of the office, who are he or she is in the office has married to it. you saw it with game marriage, when the president came out in front of it, you saw how quickly he came to it. not that he came to an it in honored that everyone wanted him

to come to it. but he came to it and changed things quickly. when you there are the white house talk about this, it will make a big difference so they have to be in the room. >> michael shore, appreciate it. tara good to see you again, thank you both. i enjoyed that. thank you. the former police chief of a small town in sacramento was indicted yesterday on murder charges for killing an unarmed man. richard combs was charged last year misconduct in office for the shooting death of bernard bailey in 2011. prosecutors say combs was the a aggressor in a fight that let to the shooting in bailey's truck. combs was chief of police in utahville which has a pop since of 300, one-third of which is african american. still to come on al jazerra america, caught in the middle of some of the most violent drug wars in north america. we will take you to a small town. wince only known for its silver.

russia president vladimir putin is talking tough while admitting his country has experienced a difficult year in his state of the nation speech putin vowed that he would not allow the west to break up

russia. like it did with yugoslavia party sharp reports from moscow. >> reporter: for the president arriving at the grants kremlin palace with his traditional entrance, this was always going to be a difficult speech. the economy battered by sanctions and the fall of the price of oil. the country isolated by the international community over the war in ukraine. but the president was in combative move accusing the west of wanting to see russia broken up. dismantled he said. >> translator: despite the fact we have been treating our enemies of yesterday as close friends and almost allies the support of separatist in russia from abroad including the informational, political and financial one, through intelligence services was absolutely obvious. and there is no doubt that they would have loved to see the yugoslavia scenario collapse and dismemberment for husband with all the tragic consequences it would have for the peoples of russia. this has not happened. we did not allow it. >> reporter: and he said the

military supremacy of russia's armed forces must be guaranteed. national pride and safety are a necessary condition for russia's survival. he said the west was using crimea and ukraine as an excuse to cripple russia. >> translator: speaking about the sanctions this is not just a nervous reaction of the united states and their allies to our stance in regard to the events and coup in ukraine. not everybody in regard to the so-called creme vinnie spring. i am certain that if all of this didn't take place, they would just come up with another reason to contain russia's growing capabilities to influence it or even better, use it for its own goals. >> reporter: as the ruble continued to fall putin said the central banks' decision to allow the currency to float did not mean it was giving up influence over the rate which has fallen 40% against the dollar. he insisted that russia would never go down a path of self isolation. >> translator: russia willing be open to the world. to cooperation, to attracting

foreign investments and to the implementation of joint projects. >> reporter: and as closures and lay off become more common on the streets of moscow, he announced special mesh tours protect the small businesses, that he believes will help lead the economy out of recession. so what about russia's annexation of crimea and its support for the rebels in east turn ukraine. president putin defended the kremlin's aggressive foreign policy. saying its actions were necessary for the country's survival. peter sharp, al jazerra, in moscow. >> al qaeda's branch in yemen has released a hostage video showing a kidnapped american journalist they say they will kill him in three days if the u.s. government doesn't meet their demands, 33-year-old luke summers a free-lance photo journalist he was kidnapped in yemen in september of 2013. now last week u.s. special forces attempted a rescue mission but the kidnappers had moved him before the team got to the hide out. the. the mexican town of toss co is known as a quaint tourist village with perhaps the best

quality silver in the world. but the area is also caught in the middle of the drug wars with people missing in just the past six months. month be ca has the story. >> reporter: as itco is one of the most beautiful places in mexico, perfect cobble streets. tourist have his come here for years, lurers bers by the sitesd the world famous silver journey. but behind the stands there is a dark secret. she raise praise so st. jude the saint to lost causes her son disappeared two years ago, she says she reported the case but authorities did nothing. >> translator: i don't know thousand receipt or write, but do i know that those who kidnapped sigh son don't have call. they are killing us all here slowly. >> reporter: sitting on a drug corridor the law of the land here is set by traffickers and

corrupt officials. critics say that became osseous in the nearby town of iguala where 43 students were allegedly detained by the police and then hand toyed a drug gang. >> concern for our safety, but concern in general that it's happening and there is not a lot of information about it. people say, okay, it's drug related but it's like it's quite complicated i think. >> reporter: nearly everybody in aastasco earns a living out of e silver industry, he says families work at home where they manufacture the jewelry. the workshop is busy as usual, but something has changed the place. two teenage boys, his son and nephew, disappeared in 2012. in six months, 72 young men went missing. he asked authorities about this statistic but never got an official reply. >> translator: i don't think we

will find my son alive. but i do hope we at least find his body. >> translator: many here say traffickers take the boys and lock them up in safe homes and make work in their drug labs. >> reporter: there are many theory about his what happens with the missing. the tragic reality of a town where authorities seemingly don't investigate or provide any answers. monica, al jazerra, tasco, mexico. thousands of fast food workers all over the country walked off their jobs today. employees in chicago were among workers nearly 200 cities who took to the streets. they are demanding a raise to $15 an hour as well as the right to join unions. airport and home healthcare workers joins them on the picket lines. and coming up on the program, some white americans are highlighting the racial gap in the u.s. by telling the world what they've gotten away with.

and it is taking off on social media. maria is back with that. that's next. hello, i am ray suarez, eric garner was confronted by new york police officers who believed he was selling loose cigarettes. moments later he was dead. after police took him to the ground. now in the wake of a grand jury's decision not to en diet, people are asking tough questions about police procedure and the accountability. what constitutes failure or success in encounters between police and public? it can be the difference between life and death. join us at the top of the hour.

>> an unimaginable story of betrayal. >> they lived this incredible life. it just never occurred to me that they were living on the dime of the clients. >> greed... >> bernie was stealing every nickel but he wasn't trading anything. >> ... and entitlement. >> you took my grandchildren's future away from them. >> 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. a solemn remembrance in germany. hundreds turned out to pay their

respects to a brave young woman. as nick spicer tells us being many are honoring her legacy. >> reporter: they call her a good samaritan. champion of the weak. a woman who dared to stand up against violence. studying to be a teacher died on her 23nd birthday after two weeks in a comb a during that time and since her death on friday, she has become front page news for stopping boys from harassing two teenage girls at a mcdonald's after she heard their screams. >> translator: base of her went to show our own courage, she was very brave and she's become a role model. we demand a stop to violence. >> reporter: an 18-year-old male is in custody over the attack in a mcdonald's parking lot in central germany. after stopping the boys, she was struck once and hit her head as she fell. she would never recover. this is the residents of germany's president. over the weekend, he wrote her parents saying your daughter showed courage and exemplary

moral fortitude in standing up for the victims of an act of violence, he also said that he was seriously considering a petition signed by over 100,000 people calling for her to be awarded germany's highest civilian a honor. her aunt and uncle remember a woman that was strong and fearless, a model in life and death. >> translator: my children say we will be like sister, we will do the same thing that she did. as their mother, i am actually proud of them. and i am really proud of her for showing real courage. >> reporter: one leading newspaper wrote that her death proved wrong the stereo type that people with immigrant backgrounds are a source of crime. that she will not have died in vain if very mans begin to notice that immigrants, too, wants to change society for the better. nick surpriser, al jazerra, berlin. back to our top story now, reaction to the eric garner case. so white and african americans are posting story on his social media right now about their

encounters with police. enes is back with some of that for us, enes. >> yeah, tony, earlier we told you about the #alivewhileblack, african americans talking about their encounters with law enforcement like alexis who wrote. so compare that experience with some of the stories white americans are sharing using the #crimingwhilewhite like this: >> you can see the contrast in those stories, tony.

>> we had a significant event today. the mayor of new york city, essential i staying -- wait a minute i have the quote right here. a fundamental questions are being asked now in the aftermath of this grand jury decision. the way the quote continues, the way we go about policing certainly has to change. and the mayor going onto announce some plans. while not specific plans according to some of the reports about that news conference. the retraining would require some two to thousand officers to complete a 3- course. i know a number of communities around the country are looking at how to improve training. the president has called for improved training. has asked congress for a chunk the money, $263 million to do that. and maybe this is the nurse step forward. some of the plan is that's going on by the new york city police department. we saw a couple of placards, billboards of what the mayor

wants to do that certainly wasn't thought up overnight. so it's something that the police departments are clearly beginning to look at. there you go, maria appreciate it. >> thank you. >> i didn't leave you any roo think there, sorry. i am tony harrison, "inside story" is next on al jazerra america. four officers pounce odd eric garn neve garner for resist a grand jury found no reason to indict. michael brown was shot after an encounter with a missouri police officer that began with an argument. are police train today lower the temperature or raise it. it's "inside story." ♪ ♪