Police and protest organizers painstakingly laid the groundwork this weekend to avert street violence in Ferguson, Missouri, and the FBI sent in nearly 100 extra agents as a St. Louis-area grand jury was expected to soon announce its decision on whether to indict the white police officer who fatally shot unarmed black teenager Michael Brown in August.
In a possible sign that an announcement on the grand jury’s decision is imminent, prosecutors told media organizations that they were making plans for a news conference to announce the outcome — but the date, time and location remained undetermined.
Protests on Friday night led to the arrest of three demonstrators as hundreds blocked traffic along South Florissant Road, the main thoroughfare through Ferguson where marchers and police have tangled regularly since the late-summer unrest over the Brown shooting.
St. Louis County Police and Ferguson police faced criticism this summer for heavy-handed tactics, including training sniper rifles on unarmed groups of demonstrators, sparking criticism of the militarization of local police forces nationwide.
The FBI has sent nearly 100 additional agents to Ferguson to help law enforcement agencies, according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity because the official was not authorized to discuss the FBI plans.
A 12-member St. Louis County grand jury has been weighing evidence on the disputed circumstances of the Aug. 9 slaying of Brown by police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, a predominantly black suburb of 21,000 people. The panel met behind closed doors again on Friday.
Some have speculated that an unexpected closing of schools near Ferguson on Monday and Tuesday next week — an extension of Thanksgiving break for the Jennings School District — signals that officials may be planning to make the announcement as soon as Sunday. However, the Ferguson-Florissant school district itself still intends to keep its schools open.
Lawyers for Brown's family say the youth was trying to surrender when he was shot, and a companion has said Brown, 18, had his hands raised. Wilson's supporters insist the officer shot Brown in self-defense.
The killing instantly became a flashpoint for U.S. race relations, triggering weeks of sometimes-violent protests in Ferguson calling for Wilson’s arrest. The officer has been placed on administrative leave and gone into seclusion.
Ahead of the grand jury’s expected announcement, Brown's father, Michael Brown Sr., made an emotional public appeal for a nonviolent response to any announcement.
"Hurting others or destroying property is not the answer," Brown said in a video public service announcement released this week by the group STL Forward. "No matter what the grand jury decides, I don't want my son's death to be in vain. I want it to lead to incredible change, positive change, change that makes the St. Louis region better for everyone."
President Barack Obama added his voice to the chorus of politicians, civic leaders and activists appealing for calm.
"I think first and foremost, keep protests peaceful," Obama said during an ABC News interview taped for the channel’s "This Week" program, due to air on Sunday.
"This is a country that allows everybody ... to protest actions that they think are unjust," he said. "But using any event as an excuse for violence is contrary to rule of law, contrary to who we are."
Against the backdrop of heightened tension, the FBI arrested two men suspected of buying explosives they intended to detonate during demonstrations in Ferguson, a law enforcement official told Reuters.
The two reputed members of a group called the New Black Panther party were arrested in the St. Louis area in an FBI sting operation.
As initially reported by CBS News, the men were suspected of acquiring explosives for pipe bombs they planned to set off during protests in Ferguson, said the official, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to publicly discuss the case.
The official said the two men are the same pair named in a newly unsealed federal indictment revealed on Nov. 19, charging Brandon Orlando Baldwin and Olajuwon Davis with purchasing two pistols from a firearms dealer under false pretenses.
Efforts to keep the peace were also taking place at the grassroots level. Activists held a news conference at a church in Ferguson on Friday to announce plans to deploy more than 50 volunteers, dubbed "Disciples of Justice," who plan to mill around with protesters to help defuse tensions on the street.
"We want the community to know we've got an extra set of eyes and ears in the midst of the demonstrations," said Brown family attorney Anthony Gray.
Officials have assured protesters that authorities will respect their civil rights.
Al Jazeera and wire services
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