Protesters react to Ferguson grand jury decision not to indict Darren Wilson

UPDATED at 10:25 p.m. EST | A St. Louis County grand jury will not indict police officer Darren Wilson for fatally shooting unarmed 18-year-old Michael Brown Aug. 9 in Ferguson, Missouri.

Prosecutor Robert McCulloch said there was “no probable cause” for an indictment.

The Brown family released the following statement following the grand jury’s announcement:

We are profoundly disappointed that the killer of our child will not face the consequence of his actions.

While we understand that many others share our pain, we ask that you channel your frustration in ways that will make a positive change. We need to work together to fix the system that allowed this to happen.

Join with us in our campaign to ensure that every police officer working the streets in this country wears a body camera.

We respectfully ask that you please keep your protests peaceful. Answering violence with violence is not the appropriate reaction.

Let’s not just make noise, let’s make a difference.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch crime reporter Christine Wilson tweeted Darren Wilson’s written statement shortly after the decision was announced:

Darren Wilson's statement regarding grand jury decision #Ferguson pic.twitter.com/zAsOPMZSTm

— Christine Byers (@ChristineDByers) November 25, 2014

President Barack Obama made a statement following the announcement.

Before, during and after McCulloch announced the decision, people gathered in Ferguson and beyond preparing to protest in the event no indictment was declared. #Ferguson, #FergusonRiotTips, #BlackLivesMatter, #Chi2Ferguson, #MikeBrown and #FergusonDecision were included in tweets around the country. And demonstrators took to the streets in Chicago, New York City, Oakland, Seattle, Washington, D.C., Ferguson, and elsewhere.

Protestors in #Seattle after no indictment in #Ferguson case pic.twitter.com/nRnh7fcDBo

— Nick McGurk (@NickMcGurkTV) November 25, 2014

#Ferguson protesters turn off U St onto 16th St. Sill marching. @wusa9 pic.twitter.com/JNzYtJDbPt

— Mola Lenghi (@MolaReports) November 25, 2014

#Ferguson protestors starting to destroy property: pic.twitter.com/azGiFRn6MN

— Micah Grimes (@MicahGrimes) November 25, 2014

"Whose streets, our streets" #Chi2Ferguson has now shut down both sides of lake shore drive pic.twitter.com/4xBrXkMgGJ

— Rebecca Halleck (@RebeccaHalleck) November 25, 2014

Protesters have taken to the street marching in south L.A. following the Michael Brown decision #DarrenWilson pic.twitter.com/H4aiag5cgb

— David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) November 25, 2014

Protesters lying on the ground in the intersection in Oakland. #Ferguson pic.twitter.com/mCWIo8pXRF

— Jill Tucker (@jilltucker) November 25, 2014

Up 7th Ave, #Ferguson 1000s of angry protesters close in on Times Square. #MikeBrown #DarrenWilson pic.twitter.com/Cmx6NHwrjF

— Wilson Dizard (@willdizard) November 25, 2014

Throughout the day, the St. Louis area prepared for protests ahead of that revelation.

Police near #Clayton courthouse fill barricades with water, blocking surrounding streets. #Ferguson pic.twitter.com/tJNLQZisoS

— Stephen Fee (@stephenmfee) November 24, 2014

More boards going up in Clayton #ferguson https://t.co/dYqTjh0vq6

— Ryan J. Reilly (@ryanjreilly) November 24, 2014

Mailboxes outside the St. Louis County courthouse are locked. Lots of prep here for the Ferguson grand jury decision. pic.twitter.com/9GXAx0U3SB

— Mitch Smith (@MitchKSmith) November 24, 2014

Surrounding school districts took precaution and closed school Tuesday. The decision affects thousands of students.

In a press conference prior to the grand jury’s announcement, Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon called for “peace, respect and restraint.”

People in Ferguson, Missouri, and cities around the U.S. readied for the grand jury’s announcement earlier in the day and night.

New York City

https://twitter.com/mollycrabapple/status/537045590300188672

Protestors, public + press at Union Square, for #ferguson protest rally. #BlackLivesMatter light brigrade in back pic.twitter.com/rYRay4b4oR

— newyorkist (@Newyorkist) November 25, 2014

Chicago

Testimony in front of #Chicago Police HQ#Chi2Ferguson #MikeBrown #Ferguson pic.twitter.com/BGiZBz0R8j

— Elysian Recluse (@MinkuAzad) November 25, 2014

Philadelphia

Protesters start to arrive outside city hall in Philadelphia for #fergusongrandjurydecision #FergusonPHL pic.twitter.com/bT2KK0p5I2

— Rory McGlasson (@rorymcglasson) November 25, 2014

Ferguson

Street in front of #Ferguson PD blocked @ajplus #darrenwilson #mikebrown pic.twitter.com/JIsdiBXC4W

— Shadi Rahimi (@shadirahimi) November 25, 2014

Outside #Ferguson PD protesters pray pic.twitter.com/rix92MlOPE

— Willis Arnold (@WillisRArnold) November 24, 2014

A protester waits for the verdict across the street from the #Ferguson Police Dept. pic.twitter.com/mkqT1cvU9b

— Alex Wroblewski (@alexwroblewski) November 24, 2014

Safe house set up at veterans for peace headquarters in Clayton. #ferguson pic.twitter.com/urzlUBPSh5

— Durrie Bouscaren (@durrieB) November 24, 2014

I've seen everything now. This memorial is wrapped. Wrapped. America. #Ferguson pic.twitter.com/bGH8XWwNaz

— deray mckesson (@deray) November 24, 2014

Clayton Fire Department on Forsyth boarding up bell in front of the firehouse. #Fergsuon pic.twitter.com/4KPglR76Bq

— Lisa Brown (@LisaBrownSTL) November 24, 2014

According to Hashtagify, “Gaza,” “Anonymous” and “Tcot” are three of the most popular Twitter hashtags related to “Ferguson.”

Just some of the media gathered outside the St. Louis County Justice Center #Ferguson pic.twitter.com/QHqIBzg9cg

— Jay Gray (@jaygraymatters) November 24, 2014

The grand jury has reached a decision. At the scene of Michael Brown's death in #Ferguson, all is calm. pic.twitter.com/91h5oCRTko

— Micah Grimes (@MicahGrimes) November 24, 2014