Refusing to go, accusing his critics of staging a coup. We will speak with Spencer Ackerman of the guardian and the to Northern Iraq to talk to joe stork of Human Rights Watch was been meeting with yazidis fleeing. Then to ferguson, missouri. He graduated, on his way to college. We cant even celebrate. We have to plan a funeral. Protesters took to the streets for a third day in a row near st. Louis monday demanding justice in saturdays Police Shooting that killed Michael Brown, an unarmed africanamerican teenager just days away from starting college. All of that and more coming up will sto. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman. The u. S. Bombing campaign in Northern Iraq has entered its fifth day. Obama authorized the strike last week and what he called an effort to halt the advance of Islamic State militants on the city of erbil as well as to prevent the massacre of iraqs yazidi minority. Thousands of yazidis have been fleeing for mountain where they were trapped for week of the rebels advance. House and more remain. U. S. Officials have confirmed the cia has been secretly sending arms and ammunition directly to Kurdish Peshmerga forces were battling the rebels. On monday, talking to gone official said the u. S. Strikes are unlikely to have a major impact on the overall capacity of the Islamic State. We assess u. S. Airstrikes in Northern Iraq have flowed isils operational tempo in temporarily halted their evinces toward erbil. However, the strikes are unlikely to affect isils overall capabilities or its operations and other areas of iraq in syria. As fighting rages in the north, iraq is facing a political crisis in baghdad. On monday, iraqs president named a new Prime Minister. Steppingfuses to be down. He accuses the president of staging a coup and deployed militias and special forces on the streets. President obama pledged u. S. Support for malikis support will stop we called them to urge them to form a new cabinet as quickly as possible. One that is inclusive all iraqis and one that represents all iraqis. I pledge our support him as well as to president masoud and speaker as they work to from this government. Talks more in the crisis in iraq after the headlines. Palestinians in the gaza strip have returned home to find their homes in rubble as a 72 hour truce with israel appears to hold for a second day. The United Nations has called the damage from the israeli siege unprecedented with 30,000 people in need of rehousing in alone. N of beit hanoun nearly 2000 palestinians have died including a month old baby who succumbed to injuries on monday. The United Nations has appointed a threeperson panel to investigate possible war crimes it says they have been committed by both hamas and israel. And three soldiers civilians in israel have been killed. In egypt, both sides are continuing talks on a longterm truce with palestinian seeking an easing of the crippling economic blockade of gaza. Of turkishgroup activists announced plans to challenge the blockade by sending another a flotilla to gaza. In 2010, israeli commandos stormed a gaza bound flotilla, killing 10 turkish activists, including a u. S. Citizen will the primerkey, minister has won the crunchies countrys first directly popular election for president. To hit a term limit as Prime Minister next year. Sweptear, massive protest turkey, accusing erdogan of authoritarian rule. In south sudan, the government and rebels have failed to meet a deadline to form a Transitional Government amidst a conflict that has killed at least 10,000 people. Fighting erupted in december between forces loyal to president salva kiir and supporters of his former deputy riek machar. About 1. 5 Million People have fled their homes and one in three are reportedly facing Dangerous Levels of food insecurity. Unicef says 50,000 children could die from on nutrition this year. The United States heavily backed the independence of south sudan in 2011. John kerry has condemned both sides for their failure to reach a deal, calling it an outrage. The death toll from a record Ebola Outbreak in west africa has topped 1000. The World Health Organization says there are now more than 1800 suspected or confirmed infections. On monday, liberia said it is receiving doses of an experiment all drug to give to two doctors. The doctors will be the first africans treated with zmapp, which is been used on two u. S. Missionaries now recovering in georgia and a spanish priest who has died. The who has backed the use of the drug to treat the current crisis, but its makers says stocks are very limited. Russia has sent a convoy of humanitarian aid to the rebel held city of lujans in eastern ukraine. Fighting between Ukrainian Forces and prorussian separatists has left residents without electricity or Water Supplies for days. The red cross was due to coordinate the relief effort but says russia appears to have gone ahead on its own. The move has heightened fears of direct russian intervention in the region where ukraine says 45,000 Russian Troops have massed along the border. On monday, nato secretarygeneral russ mason said russian intervention appeared likely. Probabilitya high we see the russians developing the narrative and the pretext for such an operation under the guise of a humanitarian operation, and we see a military buildup that used to conduct such illegal military operations in ukraine. In the report accuses the u. S. Military of failing to investigate or punish it alters for apparent war crimes in afghanistan. By Amnesty International examines cases involving more than 140 civilian deaths, none of which resulted in prosecutions by the u. S. Military. In one case, u. S. Plane want women and girls collecting firewood, killing seven. In another, former prisoner described torture and killings while he was held by u. S. Special forces in wardak province. Amnesty International Research director said afghan families are left without information or recourse when their loved ones are killed. It focuses on afghan victims who have been left in the dark without information and without access to justice. And how the deeply flawed u. S. Military system is a fundamental part of the reason why this is happening. A new report by Human Rights Watch find egypt killing of at least 817 unarmed prisoners protesters in a single day last attacks a premeditated that likely amounted to a crime against humanity. A year ago this week, Egyptian Forces dispersed the sit in as part of a systematic crackdown on protesters opposed to the ouster president mohamed morsi. Human rights watch executive director ken roth and middle east director Sarah Lee Whitson had attended to enter egypt to present the report, but they were detained and turned away. Ask him president Enrique Pena Nieto has signed into law a reform package opening the countrys oil and gas sector are to foreign multinationals as part of a neoliberal agenda. The reform has faced mass protests by environmentalists and indigenous groups who say it is a threat to their land. A federal judge has extended a ban on executions in ohio for several months amidst concerns over a new two drug method for lethal injections. Ohio is among the states to see prolonged executions ranging from 26 minutes to two hours while using new substitutes for drugs banned for use in executions by their european makers. Drug shortaged a earlier this year that prompted it to seek the opioid hydromorphone from local hospital. A Hospital Board member told the news site the land the hospital did not realize the drug was intended for use in executions and would not have provided it if it had. In ferguson, missouri, protesters to to the streets for a third day to demand justice after the fatal Police Shooting of 18yearold Michael Brown. St. Louis county police say brown assaulted an officer and tried to reach for his weapon but i witnesses say the unarmed africanamerican teen was shot with his arms up as he tried to flee and officers fire. The fbi has opened an investigation into possible civil rights violations. On monday, police fired tear gas and beanbag rounds at demonstrators, accusing them of throwing rocks. Or than 1000 people packed into a church to observe a moment of silence. We will have more on the shooting after headlines. And the actor and comedian Robin Williams has died of an apparent suicide at his home in northern california. He was 63 years old. News of his death caused such an outpouring that the list of trending topics on social media was dominated by film titles like mrs. Doubtfire and mybber, and the words captain, a reference to the film dead poets society. He was the voice of the genie in the disney film aladdin and a fast talking radio dj in good morning vietnam. He won an oscar for his role as matt damons therapist in good will hunting goes quote and starred as patch adams in a film based as the reallife dr. Who uses humor as medicine. In this clip from the film, Robin Williams stands before a medical board accused of treating patients without a license. Me five been practicing medicine. If this means opening your door to those in need, those in pain, caring for them, listening to them, applying a cold cloth until the fever breaks, if this is practicing medicine, if this is treating a patient, then im guilty as charged, sir. Do you consider the ramifications of your actions . What if one of your patients had died . Whats wrong with that, sir . What are we so mortally afraid of . What cant we treat death with decency and god for bid, maybe even humor . Death is not the enemy, gentleman. If were going to fight the disease, lets fight one of the most terrible of all indifference. Robin williams in the film patch adams. Among those in the scene is the late actor Philip Seymour hoffman. He died of a Drug Overdose earlier this year. Robin williams had also battled addiction and was reportedly suffering from severe depression at the time of his death. And those are some of the headlines. This is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman with aaron mate. Welcome to all our listeners and viewers from around the country and around the world. We turn now to iraq as the was continues airstrikes in the north for a fit day. A political crisis as escalating in baghdad. On monday, iraqs president into new u. S. Backed Prime Minister to and almalikis eightyearold. President obama praised the developments. Today iraq took a promising step forward in this political effort. Last month, the iraqi people named a new president will stop minister wasprime named. Under the iraqi constitution, theres an important step towards forming a new government that can unite iraqs different communities. Earlier today, Vice President biden and i called auctor alibadi to urge him to form a new cabinet as quickly as possible. One that is inclusive of all iraqis and one that represents all iraqis. According to report in the daily beast, the u. S. Has been pushing behind the scenes for alibadi to become the new Prime Minister to replace maliki. Under iraqs constitution, alibadi has 30 days to form a new government. During that time, the leaky remains caretaker Prime Minister. But he appears to be refusing to step down. On monday, maliki accused iraqs president of staging a coup and deployed militias and special forces on the streets of baghdad. I tell all the fighters on the front lines, the volunteers and members of the armed forces, including the police and armies who are worried about the violation of the constitution and the attempted circumvent it, stain or positions and not to worry or be shaken by this constitutional violation. You are engaged in the sacred battle. Were with you and behind you, so do not lose heart. You must win. I call on you to stay put and not to worry because we will fix this mistake. The political crisis as escalating as the was Bombing Campaign enters a fit a Northern Iraq. U. S. Officials have confirmed the cia has been secretly sending arms and ammunition directly to Kurdish Forces. Obama authorized the strike last week and what he calls an effort to halt the militants advance on erbil, where the u. S. Has a consulate and military personnel as well as to prevent the massacre of the ucd minority. To talk more about iraq, were spencern new york i ackerman. Crisisout the political that is now taking place in iraq. This Prime Minister is going to be the one, right, because for the past 13 years or so, we have seen the u. S. Set up the governing council of handpicked iraqis. One who did not seem like is working out for the u. S. , settled on joffrey and in the the year later, found this previously unknown guy maliki can and now suddenly maliki after eight years increased authoritarianism, overwhelming sectarianism, and really an incredibly heavyhanded attitude along with nebulous ties to both iran and the u. S. , isnt working out, either. Shockingly, is leaving power. It doesnt look like the u. S. So much is dictating events is being dictated by them. In the dailyrted beast talks about how the u. S. Is looking for alternatives to maliki for quite some time. Alibadi seems to been someone both they and others within the didte to what degree iran engineer the elevation of alibadi and who knows what happens in 30 days . What do you mean to what degree did iran also elevate him . Iran has a tremendous amount of influence over iraqis shiite politics. It would be interesting to find out the degree to which iran was a consensus candidate so irans man is the u. S. Man . Can be. For longtime irans man by default was maliki. This is been a trend in iraq for some time. U. S. Has been confused about how it ultimately can keep iraq from sort of reverting by default to a proiranian foreign policy, even while it maintains its ties with the United States. Box what is your sense of what maliki is doing . Is he seeking to arrange a better exit term . I dont want to judge things 5000 miles away from where i can see them, but it doesnt really look like hes interested in anything other than staying in power. Role the u. S. The is lying now, what exactly president obama was doing. I want to turn to a clip of president obama. Lets go back to president obama emphasizing his claim the was is launching airstrikes mainly to protect american personnel in erbil. We will go to that clip in a moment. Malikis role in baghdad has affected the situation in Northern Iraq and the growth of isis, the Islamic State. Look at where the Bombing Campaign is happening. It is all happening with y twdetections. The two exceptions are isis positions besieging the city s. Ese yazidi where it is not happening is baghdad and around baghdad, isre many iraqis isis infiltrating, acting more like a terrorist organization. Sporadic bombings in baghdad. Yesterday, another isis announced in the battle for baghdad has begun and many are watching whether in fact i do will be made, when, if at all, isis will push into baghdad. What isis has not faced since its Campaign Began in iraq is been a concerted opposition, someone that checks them, that attempts to hold territories, even take especially take territories basically, act as a force to challenge isis. Isis basically is have the run of the place. The reason why the bombing is onlyg place in erbil is pretext really about protecting the citizens, your special advisers, lots of representatives of oil concerns and such. It is to make sure christine doesnt fall, to make sure erbil doesnt become the next battleground for isis, for Kurdish Forces that it feels it has to rely on. One of the reasons it has to rely on them is it back that should fall, something should happen of baghdad, division be overrun by isis or the green zone not be defensible, the u. S. Will have to extricate its forces, special operations personnel another personnel from the embassy. The only place to stage that is going to be in erbil today and get them out of the country. They need to keep erbil, that is why the focus is on those decisions. And now arming the kurds. There are two tracks by which this is happening. One is primarily one the cia is in charge of, which is a direct arming campaign. Im told these are small arms, ak47s that are not in the us military stocks, any mission for them, not at this point talking about missiles, armored vehicles, helicopters and things like that. That raises the question to which degree the militias and the kurdish can overcome a deficit force against a much better armed isis. Theres a second track by which the was military is trying to help the Iraqi Government conduct more airdrops to resupply the kurds with her own armaments, some of them which come from the u. S. The military started talking about expediting and seen what they can do. I want to talk about the cia arming the kurds in a moment. The issue of isis gaining power, because of the u. S. Men, giving tens of tons of dollars to the maliki government or in weapons and other forms. And the role of maliki government has played in the isolation of sunnis who might not support isis, except the policies. Ikis this is a guy among the first things he did within hours of the was withdrawal in 2011 was arrest the leading sunni politician ordered the arrest. He ended up having to flee. He started a campaign of harassment, detentions, arrests of sunni forces, x insurgency flip sides x insurgents who flip sides. The sunni to include iraqis empowers he opted against. To great degree, gave a base of support for isis. Isis, from everything ive been able to glean and lots of sources on this were not on the ground, it is kind of a crapshoot figuring out exactly what is going on with isis, but talk about isis is a less conservative group in a rather coalition, including a lot of sunni organizations that feel compelled to bandwagon with them. The question that everyone has had has been, to what degree is isis going to overplay its hand . What degree will its brutality eventually force this coalition to flee or will that require e kind of socialist event exhaustion asked event . Governmentive iraqi has the was ever shown any facility in been able to forge . Was maliki the way was because iraq is the way it is or is iraq the way it is because of maliki is the way he is . Were going to take a break and come back to this discussion with Spencer Ackerman, part of the culture prizewinning team that did the pieces on Edward Snowdens revelations. When we come back, we will also go to Northern Iraq to speak with joe stork of Human Rights Watch who is met with yazidis. Stay with us. [music break] this is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman with aaron mate. The issue of isis, lets turn to comments made by Senior Pentagon official Army Lieutenant general william mayville. Speaking reporters on monday but the u. S. Military campaign in iraq. We assess u. S. Airstrikes in Northern Iraq have flowed i still isils tempo and temporarily disrupted their defenses per the province of erbil. However, the strikes are unlikely to affect isils overall capabilities with operations and other areas of iraq in syria. Focused on securing and gaining additional territory throughout iraq and will sustain its attacks against iraqi and Kurdish Security forces and their positions as well as targeting yazidi, christians, another minorities. In the immediate areas we have focused our strikes, we have had a temporary effect. Somee may have blunted tactical decisions to move mr. Ructions and move further east to erbil. What i expect the isil to do is to look for other things to pick up and move elsewhere. In no way want to suggest we have effectively contained or that were somehow breaking the momentum of isil. , he iscer ackerman saying we are not effectively contained isis with the strikes. That was an extraordinary briefing. Usually when the military steps up at the pentagon, youre a lot about the success, the effects being achieved, the progress that is happening and so forth. This was just doom and gloom. This was in the airstrikes are having a limited effect, temporary, not really going to isiss capability overwhelmingly. Usually when the military does that, it is because the subtext of it is, and we should do more, we should be escalating. A lot of people the south past several weeks have been exceptionally distraught about how rapidly it seems iraq has unraveled. Theres not any appetite that ive been able to pick up for reinvading iraq. So everyone is sort of default policy is a more concerted air campaign that is happening now. These are more like temperate strikes. Theyre taken out artillery. They have taken out positions. There taken out checkpoints. There taken out convoys, but there really been part of what looks more like a campaign. Just taking territory away, taking out commandos, key leaders. Talk more about the cias involvement in iraq and kurdistan. Potentially fatal. For decades, successive the ministrations, as sympathetic as they may have been to the kurds, they have not wanted to actually arm the kurds or have the kurds be explicit for the reason or i should say the very understandable reason that the boundaries between air of iraq and kurdistan are under fierce dispute. If it looks like a great power is back the kurds, gives the kurds far more ammunition for the separatist and it sees and the u. S. Has not really decided it wants to see and foster an independent kurdistan whenever the merits may be. Termser affects happen in of supporting the independent kurdistan or supporting a kurdistan Strong Enough to ,erhaps assert its independence the greater anxiety there will be in baghdad and the greater difficulty the u. S. Will have an stitching together a cohesive government. One of the first thing the kurds did with isis invaded was to take disputed cities in baghdad control of iraq. If arming the kurds is not effective and of the bombing is not effective as the pentagon officials have told you, then launching these limited strikes as president obama has, has he put himself in a position where investors Massive Public opposition he will be forced to expand the strikes . I think that is free strong in terms of likelihood. This is the sort of thing that lends itself well to incrementalism, which has been something the Obama Administration as both tried to resist and yet, in effect whether it is in libya or pakistan or afghanistan, he finds himself drawn in by degree and here he is outlined what seemed to be contradictory goals. The very limited goals of protecting u. S. Personnel which you could have just moved them. Simple enough, right . And alternatively, making sure there is inclusive government at some point to fight isis. What you started hearing from the administration yesterday was that more defense eight will be forthcoming, provided alibadi is installed as per minister and does things that washington wanted to do in terms of putting sunni faces onto a cabinet, reminiscent of what we heard from the bush a administration. At that point, obama will be hardpressed to resist cries from the Iraqi Government which of and longstanding for weeks now, if not months, to increasingly americanize the war. You wrote the piece how u. S. Actions in iraq fueled rise of rebel war. Can you talk about the rebel leader of isis . Someone that the u. S. Imprisoned in iraq eventually, the short version is, now the emir of isis, now the most important figure in the Islamic State. And the u. S. Has not shown much introspection about the effect that attention has on radicalization. The piece i mentioned was a New York Times these are you also have been looking thats right. Continue with what youre saying. Massivetion, this apparatus the u. S. Has set up since 9 11, over rolling late focused on overwhelmingly focused on muslims and middle east, has now been shown for yet another time to have a radicalizing effect. Use all this you saw this with a man detained and brutally beaten by the egyptian government. This seems to be a recurring threat and yet you never get the sense from american officials that there consider the effect they have had in terms of radicalization by virtue of detentions because particularly, battlefield detentions, while this has been a category the u. S. Has been able to find rather fungible, another for the last nevertheless, has to end at some point. Spencer ackerman, thank you for being with us. Thes a reporter with guardian, part of the Pulitzer Prize winning team that exposed the revelations of edward snowden. As we continue our coverage of the crisis in iraq, we go to Northern Iraq to deal with the plight of the yazidi religious minority fleeing jihadist advance in the north. Thousands remain trapped or the syrian border, taking refuge there under the threat of attack from the Islamic State, which is branded them as devil worshipers. Iraqs human rights minister says the Islamic State has killed at least 500 yazidis in recent days. Some victims were reportedly buried alive. Around 300 women were reportedly also kidnapped as slaves. Thousands of using these have been able to escape the militants advance, but many are trapped without food or water. In addition to its airstrikes targeting the Islamic State in Northern Iraq, the u. S. Has also carried out airdrops of relief aid onto mount sinjjar. President obama says theyre coming to their aid to prevent a potential genocide. Or more were joined by joe stork , Deputy Director of the middle east and north Africa Program at Human Rights Watch. He has been in iraq for a week and visited the is eating camas in recent days prior to the was airstrikes. He joins us now from erbil. Can you give us the latest in Northern Iraq . Im glad to be with you. The latest is come as you have outlined, the situation of the ucds continues to be grave. Moved to the isis town and the surrounding villages assange are, yet about 400,000 yazidis there. Some fled to the east and directly into kurdistan. Fledhe other about 200,000 north into the mountains, expecting to be able to come off the other side and then be released. But they got trapped up there in the mountains as isis surrounded the base of the mountains. As a result, we have seen over growing 10 days now, amount of people managing to get off the mountains, but they are still probably well, we dont know, anywhere from 20 to 40 or 50,000 people still up there. And probably the most vulnerable people, the elderly, people with infants or young children, people who are sick and worn out from exposure. Theres very little shade up there. There is very little vegetation. Theres very little water, some people are extremely dehydrated and hungry and very weak. Make the long trek down the mountain, 15 kilometers or so then into syria, then i think we have seen the end of that. There needs to be some sort of safe access them a safe passage in order to get the rest of the people across the mountain. Marketers remarkable to think those who are fleeing from iraq are safer in syria, but joe stork, can you tell us who the yazidis are . You recently visited a yazidi village . Is a religion that goes back about 4000 years. It is before islam, before christianity. They have unique the leaves that set them apart from islam, from christianity. It is seen by hardline religious types as infidels, not worthy of any respect whatsoever. I think what is happening is theres basically a sectarian cleansing campaign. That is fundamentally what this assault of isis is about. [indiscernible] basically all nonsunni muslim minorities starting with the christians and the yazidis. S basically, isis wants them out of there. S commitdi committed t seems like theyre forcing them out to leave their historic homeland, where the traditional shrines are and so forth him a out, by treating property ng their they consider women to be property by treating them to be exploited and taken over by the isis. Thean the yazidis cap on Kurdish Forces to protect them . They havent been able to. That is the issue. The forces that were in sinjar were quite numerous, as i understand, but they were , butly armed with ak47s not much beyond that. Were talking about isis, as you know back in june, took over andn the iraq he army the iraq he army ran and left a storehouse of weapons. Theres a mismatch. The isis are much better armed. , toothe shooting started much to say sinjar was taken without shots being fired, there were shots fired, but relatively few shots fired. This wouldve withdrew without giving any warning to the population they sort of withdrew without giving any warning to the population. On sunday the third, they saw the jeeps and humvees and so forth leaving and immediately panicked. The yazidis panicked and took off. This happened in a matter of hours. Massive numbers. It is so incredibly rapid. U. S. Bymportant to the the oil resources, so concentrated there in kurdistan . Chevron and exxon mobil are there. President obama has not talked about oil, but how important is it actually . The importance is oil in the middle east generally, in iraq specifically, i think the United States would probably like to see the oil industry in iraq functioning, flourishing, albeit with the collaboration and participation of American Companies like chevron. I dont think that any particular interest in seeing kurdish separatists the developing its own oil resources. I think the United States would probably like to stay away from that problem is much as they can but it is certainly interested in Flourishing Oil industry and iraq operating with the big american president s presence. Joe stork, has been in iraq for a week visiting yazidi encampments. When we come back, we go to st. Louis, missouri where protesters for days now have been demanding justice for Police Shooting that killed an unarmed africanamerican teenager. Stay with us. [music break] this is democracy now , democracynow. Org, the war and peace report. Im amy goodman with aaron mate. We turn now to st. Louis, missouri where protesters are demanding justice in a Police Shooting that killed an unarmed africanamerican teen. 18yearold Michael Brown was shot to death in the suburb of ferguson on saturday afternoon after he was confronted by police. Witnesses say brown was walking the middle of the street with his friend when a Police Officer drove up and ordered them onto the sidewalk. Rounds friend described what happened. Me my friend were walking down the street in the middle of the street and we wasnt causing any harm to nobody. We had no weapons on us at all. We were just walking and having a conversation. No cars were blowing or honking at us like we were holding up traffic or anything like that. A Police Officers car pulled up. When he pulled up, he said get the[bleep] off the sidewalk. We said we werent shortly be off the street. We were having a conversation. He went about his wife or about one or two seconds as we continue to walk in and he in a manner car which i must hit us. It blocked both lanes the way he turned his car. He pulled the site is and try to thrust his door open but we were so close it ricocheted office and bounced back to him. I guess they got him a little upset. At that time he reached out the window. He did not get out of the car. He reached out and grabbed my friend around his neck and was trying to choke my friend. He was trying to get away and the officer then reached out and grabbed his arm to pull him into the car. Now the officer is pulling them in the car and use try to pull away. At no time the officer said he was going to do anything until he pulled out his weapon. His weapon was drawn and said, im going to shoot. In the same moment, the first shot went off. We looked at him. He was shot and was blood coming from him. We took off running. As we took off running, i doubt been hit for my life as i was fearing for my life. I hid by the first car i saw. My friend kept running and he told me to keep running because he feared for me, too. As he was running, the officer was trying to get out of the car. Once he got out of the car, he pursued my friend but his weapon was drawn. He did not see any weapons drawn at him or anything like that. His weapon was already drawn when he got out of the car. He shot again. When my friend felt that shot, he turned around and put his hands in the air and started to get down. The officer still approached with his weapon drawn and fired several more shots. And my friend died. He didnt say anything to him. He just stood over shooting. By then i was so afraid for my life, i got up and ran. That was Dorian Johnson describing how he saw a Police Officer shoot and kill his friend Michael Brown on saturday. The st. Louis county Police Version of events is sharply different. It claims brown physically assaulted the officer involved and tried to reach for his weapon inside a police car. This is the police chief. Allegedly, pushed the Police Officer back into the car where he physically assaulted the Police Officer. It is our understanding at this point in the investigation at within the police car there was a struggle over the officers weapon. There was at least one shot fired within the car. Michael brown lived in st. Louis, but was in ferguson visiting his grandmother. It recently graduated from high school and was due to begin College Courses this week. Just last week, he posted a haunting message on facebook as he prepared to enter new phase in his life for writing protests began immediately after Michael Brown was shot. Police reportedly left his body laying in the street for several hours. Officers said they needed time to process the site and the crowd that gathered may had made it hard for them to evidence. Ather protesters took to the streets and were met by riot police with dogs. A cnn reporter got one officer report referring to the demonstrators as animals. Racial tensions, nerves on edge, even in officer week on camera gave into his rage calling protesters animals. Listen. Bring it. [blee] Michael Browns parents discussed her sons coming at a news conference. This is michaels father Michael Brown, senior and his mom lesley mcspadden. He was funny come a silly, would make you laugh. Any problems that the going on or any situation, there wasnt nothing he couldnt solve. He brings people back together. He was a good boy. He didnt deserve none of this. None of it. We need justice for our son. If you have any information, please, please, give it to us. He didnt deserve none of this. We need to know everything. We want everything. We want this done. Were going to do this right, i dont want no violence. We dont want no violence. Michael would not want no violence. Would not have wanted none of this. None of it. None of it. Few would want us to do what is right. That is why were doing it right. We need justice for our son. He is my firstborn son. Everybody that knew me knew my feelings about my son. I just wish i couldve been there to help him. Anything. He didnt deserve that. Michael browns mother and father. The families being represented by the attorney for Trayvon Martins family. Meanwhile, the and id invite officer who shot brown has been put on administrative leave. On monday, the Justice Department announced civil rights investigation. The fbi will continue to monitor the investigation being carried out of the st. Louis county Police Department. For more were joined by two guests in st. Louis. Antonio french has been in ferguson live tweeting and posting vine videos of protests. His coverage has been widely credited for drawing National Attention to the demonstrators concerns, as much of the media portrayed them an angry mob. Ferguson is also a st. Louis alderman representing the 21st ward, Longtime Community advocate. And were joined by Cornell William brooks, president and ceo of the naacp. He is been in ferguson, missouri to support browns family and spoke there monday night at a Community Meeting called by the naacp, where they held a moment of silence in browns memory. There are plans for a National Moment of silence this thursday. Cornell William Brooks and antonio french, we welcome you both to democracy now i want to start with antonio french. Three days are protest have taken place. The Justice Department says theyre also going to conduct an investigation. His it the same investigation . Will they be doing an independent investigation . The family is calling for separate autopsy. Tell us the latest. Is been described as a parallel investigation. It is being conducted at the same time as st. Louis county investigation going on. I think that is what is needed. Theres so little trust between the community and local Ferguson Police department and even the st. Louis county Police Department that people really need an outside view of what is going on down here in order to make sure justice is delivered. Im lookingrench, at some stats. This is last year black missourians were 66 more likely to be stopped by the police. Shooting, thiss killing, and that context . The context is there is tension that has been around for years. This has been growing and i think the Michael Brown incident has caused it to boil over. The tension, especially between young africanamerican males and the point people who police are neighborhood, has been ongoing. You take an area like ferguson, which is geordie africanamerican township and it has an almost allwhite police force. Many not from the ferguson committee. As ferguson has called for backup from neighboring Police Departments, even missouri hog patrol has come in, it is another case of people coming and i cannot relate directly with the community. Eyewitness tother the Police Shooting of Michael Brown. Shots fired and im like, my goodness, what is going on . A look back out the window and at this moment, he is running, chasing after michael down the street. Gunshots were being fired repeatedly as well. I went from the window to my back in the where i saw balcony where i saw michael running this way, turns his body toward this way, hands in the air amid being compliant, get shot in his face and chest and goes down and dies. She is putting out her hands, showing as he is putting up his hands in a kind of surrender signed. Cornell William Brooks is president and ceo of the naacp. What are you calling for now . Calling for not only an exhausted investigation by the Justice Department, but by local authorities. This unfortunate tragic shooting and debt occurred in ferguson,. Issouri they need to assure the community therell be a full accounting, that is officer will be held accountable. We are also calling on the community to take action, but take action constructively and nonviolently. Intoe here to support them support the folks on the ground who have been in this community for years and who represent the community the Michael Brown grew up in. I understand the st. Louis naacp has met with the local police. Do you know if the police have spoken to these witnesses . We have played two witnesses giving such a divergent account from the Police Account of what happened. What im aware of is that the st. Louis president mr. Prewitt has spoken to these witnesses in conjunction with the Justice Department, and the naacp is assisting this effort in terms of bringing forward witnesses who have credible testimony and offering a safe space for them to come forward. It is important to preserve the integrity of this testimony and convey to the community that it is safe to come forward. And what you say, any evidence you may provide, will be taken seriously. To the extent the naacp represents a trusted vehicle, were happy to do that on very circumstances. Ad this is the st. Louis county police chief speaking monday about how Police Responded to the demonstrations over the weekend. We really felt like the emotions running as high as they were with the shooting the previous day of mr. Brown that we did not want to add any of that, so later in the afternoon it became very clear that special operations from the county was going to have to deploy. And they, in fact, did. Antonio french, i want you to describe more what is happening on the streets and how you as a st. Louis alderman, one of the youngest, decided to get so deeply involved with this. You are not stop tweeting, sending videos all through these protests. Yeah, and so it really started just hours after Michael Brown was killed, even while his body still late on the ground. The local newspaper here ran a quick story with the headline that Police Shooting leads to mob reaction. That offended me, frankly. It was not a mob reaction. It was a justified community reaction, i felt. Knowing how local media sometimes treats these situations, the background in journalism so i grabbed my iphone and ran down there. When i arrived, by that time, mike browns body had laid on the ground for close to four hours. Police had separated citizens and mike browns mom and family members from the site. She was angry and hysterical in the street. No one from the Police Department came to offer any information to her about the condition of her son, what had happened to her son, would not let her identify her sons body. It became a standoff. So the tone of the last few days was that in the hours following the killing. Police formed a barrier, a human barrier of Police Officers. There was a standoff between the community. Luckily, we did not have any violence that night. People were patient. They were hopeful the next day the press conference that there of justiceme hope being served, that some information would be given to the family. That did not happen. There were very disappointed with the rest conference. The narrative does not align with any of the eyewitness accounts of what happened. Also that day, the mother of Michael Brown went on local radio and detailed her interactions with the Police Department. She described being cursed at, being disrespected, not being included, no information being given. And so people from all over the community the ward i represent, st. Louis city, just a few miles down the road from ferguson. The death of this young man has struck a chord. Like it said, the tensions between the Young Black Community and the police is the same whether it is in ferguson or small municipalities around it. People have come in support of the family. And to air their frustrations at the situation. Antonio, you are at a Community Meeting monday night. What are the protesters demand that the police even released the name of the officer yet . Not yet. The protesters delivered for demands. The first was the identity of the man who killed mike brown. The second was his immediate firing. As you might know right now, hes on paid minister it of leave. The third was something reasonable, which is that the ferguson officer handbook be distributed to all ferguson citizens so they know what police can and cannot do. The rules by which everybody is playing. I think is a reasonable demands. The community has come out repeatedly over the last few days and had Peaceful Demonstrations in front of the Police Department. Even yesterday in a peaceful demonstration, the police were moved removed the protesters even though they were standing lawfully on a public sidewalk. I think the way police have handled this with a heavy hand has made the situation worse. I think what we need at this time with like we just have 30 seconds and i want to bring Cornell William brooks back in. Youre just in your meeting with commissioner bratton were eric garner was just killed. There was a video taken. The young man who took the video and his wife were arrested by police and said theyve been arrest. We havent seen this kind of video in st. Louis. Your final comment . Be one seems to additional chapter the larger tragic narrative. That being young people accused of minor offenses met with overwhelmingly major or excessive uses of force. This is being played out across the country. It speaks to a need to change in policing culture and policing tactics. That is to say the best way to protect the community we have to leave it there. Cornell William Brooks and antonio french, i am amy goodman with aaron mate. Want to feel cooler or warmer without running up your utility bill . You can reduce your bills with a flip of a switch on your ceiling fan. In summer, set your fan counter clockwise. It stirs up the cool air that hangs near the floor in winter, just flip the switch again so your fan runs clockwise on low speed. This pushes the warm air down where you need it. And if youre buying, choose an energyefficient fan. Now that makes sense. Now that makes sense. Female announcer today our chefs collaborate on ideas for cooking for teens and share triedandtrue recipes for even your pickiest eaters. Toni fiore puts together a refreshing and nutritious citrus salad. 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