FERGUSON, MO — The protesting and rioting died down overnight here in Ferguson, and this morning residents were left to confront the mess left behind. At the intersection of West Florissant and Canfield, the main site of last night’s protests, and the August protests immediately following the death of 18-year-old Mike Brown at the hands of Officer Darren Wilson, the smell of smoke was still acrid in the air.
Down the road, next to a burned-down gas station, 14 burned-out cars lined the street.
Over by the Ferguson police department, where protesters gathered last night to express their frustrations with Grand Jury decision not to indict Darren Wilson into a trial over Brown’s killing, storefronts were littered with broken glass, their windows knocked out after a night of looting.
Near the police station, there weren’t many people out aside from news crews. One family, owners of a shop called Andy Wurm Tire & Wheel Co., was cleaning up the area near their store. They were reluctant to talk, but told ThinkProgress that they’ve lent their expansive parking lot to demonstrators during the protests, and have overall been a support pillar to the community. The family, who are white, hadn’t locked down their store in preparation for the protests the way that other store owners had.
Overall, the mood was fairly calm on Ferguson’s streets this morning. Residents of the town say they weren’t surprised that people looted and set fires, but they’re astounded to see the damage in person.
