Protesters back to Ferguson one year after Michael Browns killing

Protesters regrouped in Ferguson, Missouri, on Monday evening after a state of emergency was declared, aimed at preventing a repeat of violence the night before on the anniversary of the police shooting of an unarmed black man.

Protesters, some waving flags, beating drums, and shouting anti-police slogans, assembled on a street near the site where Michael Brown, a black teenager, was shot dead by white officer Darren Wilson a year ago and ignited a national firestorm on race relations.

The emergency order was issued for the St. Louis suburb and surrounding areas amid tensions between residents and police after officers shot and critically wounded an 18-year-old man in an exchange of gunfire Sunday night that marred what had been a day of peaceful demonstrations.

Prosecutors charged the man, Tyrone Harris, who was in critical condition in a hospital, with four counts of assault on law enforcement, five counts of armed criminal action, and one count of shooting a firearm at a vehicle. His bond was set at $250,000.

St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger said he made the state of emergency declaration because of “the potential for harm to persons and property”.

In Ferguson, a few merchants said they were ready to protect their businesses with firearms, while store owners pleaded for calm.

What began as peaceful demonstrations on Sunday night in Ferguson descended into chaos as volleys of gunshots rang out as police in riot gear tried to disperse protesters blocking traffic and smashing storefront windows along a street that was a flashpoint of riots last year after Brown, 18, was shot dead.