Did the protesters and police in Ferguson go too far?

[Jazzy]

The shooting of Michael Brown - an unarmed 18-year-old African-American man who was shot to death by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri - has unleashed a wave of protests in Ferguson that have turned violent at times, as well as a forceful response by local police. Fifty-nine percent of Americans - including 67 percent of whites but just 43 percent of blacks - think the protesters' actions have gone too far, according to a new CBS News/New York Times poll.

Did the protesters go too far?

Fewer Americans are critical of the police response in Ferguson: 32 percent think the Ferguson police went too far in their response to the protests. But there are stark racial divisions on this measure. Half of blacks think the police went too far, while just 27 percent of whites agree. Instead, more whites (36 percent) think the police response was about right.

Did the police response to the protests go too far?

Overall, nearly two in three Americans don't know enough to say whether the incident that sparked the unrest - the shooting of Michael Brown - was warranted. Whites and blacks differ on this question as well: 57 percent of African-Americans think it was not justified, while more than two-thirds of whites (68 percent) feel they don't know enough to say.

Was the shooting of Michael Brown justified?

The Ferguson police have responded to the protests in military-style vehicles and gear. In general, many Americans disapprove of local police forces having military weapons and vehicles such as assault weapons and tanks. Sixty-eight percent think this type of equipment should be reserved only for the military and the National Guard, while 26 percent think local police forces should have it.

Should local police departments have military weapons and vehicles?

 

[Mozzie]

I only know what i have seen on T.V, being on the other side of the world we don't get a lot of info except through Foxtel, what i have seen is that in some cases yes the police have gone a little to far as captured on camera, but then i don't live there, so all i can give is a limited reply

 

[TommyTooter]

it's always too far when there's burning and looting. military hardware in the hands of municipal police should be horrifying to anybody who isn't a brain dead zombie wage slave tool of the perpetual war machine. michael brown was a volcano looking to erupt and officer wilson is a shiteating racist who set him off. end of that story as far as i'm concerned. jaywalking to rioting with 8 easy shots.

combat veterans are being very vocal about how their rules of engagement were stricter and how they used much less hardware and force to do similar crowd control work in iraq and afghanistan.



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