It’s getting hard to distinguish Ferguson, Missouri, from a war zone these days–a war in which one side has its arms up in the air with signs demanding justice for Michael Brown, while the other is armed with more conventional weapons.
Local police, backed by other authorities, roam the streets in tanks and armored trucks, and have been dispersing crowds with tear gas and rubber bullets. Every morning, residents and journalists take to Twitter to post photos of the canisters, magazines and bullets left behind from the previous nights:
Volunteering in action on W Florissant in #Ferguson Saw rubber bullets in street pic.twitter.com/EPYXeG1Q1Y
— Stefanie D. (@_StefanieD_) August 13, 2014
A volunteer cleans up rubber bullets from the street
Brian Schellman of St. Louis PD confirms these were shot at protesters. They are "less lethal wooden baton rounds" pic.twitter.com/5hV2t0cJwo
— Jon Swaine (@jonswaine) August 12, 2014
Wooden batons used to disperse protestors
From same street: remains of "Triple Chaser" CS gas canister, "60 cal stinger" rubber bullet magazine; rubber bullets pic.twitter.com/ImgZNfwyzN
— Jon Swaine (@jonswaine) August 12, 2014
Tear gas canister, magazine and rubber bullets
What remains of last night in #Ferguson: tear gas canisters, broken glass, discarded signs, rubber bullets pic.twitter.com/LdOOJWo99b
— Wesley Lowery (@WesleyLowery) August 12, 2014
Another tear gas canister and more rubber bullets
#Ferguson not sure who fired these rounds but Missouri Highway Patrol armored truck was at this site on Monday pic.twitter.com/NEgKVi7cjx
— David Carson (@PDPJ) August 12, 2014
And more rubber bullets
#Ferguson police ordering people to go home, people mad say they can’t because blocked by cops pic.twitter.com/iGgny72ChS
— David Carson (@PDPJ) August 12, 2014
Unknown munition
#Ferguson rubber bullets? Lots of them in grass at Lang and Gage also found more pepper balls? pic.twitter.com/3rPldMVpTK
— David Carson (@PDPJ) August 12, 2014
And even more rubber bullets
#Ferguson pepper balls? found in grass at Lang and W Florissant crowd here reported be shot by rubber bullets pic.twitter.com/YOPF8taHX6
— David Carson (@PDPJ) August 12, 2014
Peppershots, filled with hot chili powder and designed to
burst on impact to irritate the nose, eyes and throat.
#Ferguson found this discarded in grass on scene where I thought I heard rubber bullets being fired yesterday pic.twitter.com/J3Y8F4ZzT1
— David Carson (@PDPJ) August 12, 2014
Rubber bullet magazine
Remnants of last night. Rubber bullets found on the ground outside #Ferguson @QuikTrip. #MichaelBrown pic.twitter.com/qTwKq2noNW
— Eli Rosenberg (@EliKMBC) August 13, 2014
And, of course, even more rubber bullets