CNN is reporting some protesters threw Molotov cocktails which led to the tear gas. Is that

[still_one]

Accurate?

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. How would we know?

[HipChick]

2. The pigs are lying again..

They are just itching to shoot on a bunch of black people...I don't see any fires...

[still_one]

16. I am wondering if inciters from right wing racists are setting this up. That is they are

Interspersed in the crowd throwing the cocktails or other such things

[GoCubsGo]

33. That was my first thought, too.

That's the kind of shit I expect from them.

[etherealtruth]

37. I listened to a brief segment on some NPR program this morning/ afternoon

... stating just that.

Reporters on the ground felt that there were outside agitators (described loosely as anarchists) and "criminals" (exploiting the protests and turmoil by coming to town and looting after dark)

[pintobean]

3. Yes

Channel 5 is interviewing corporal Wheetley of the highway patrol. He says they attacked the command center with molotov cocktails.

[Bjorn Against]

9. Maybe we should wait for all the facts to come in before taking police at their word

[pintobean]

11. Go ahead.

This was a spokesman for Johnson's command.

[Bjorn Against]

14. I gave Johnson a chance but he is rapidly losing my trust

[pintobean]

20. He lost mine Friday

and has confirmed that since.

[kath]

32. Yeah, no shit. Lost mine too.

[justice1]

40. If only the media weren't corralled like cattle.

[still_one]

19. If it did happen how do we know it wasn't a planted inciter?

[pintobean]

24. That would be plural, but yeah,

I suspect that they are. From who/where is the question.

[notadmblnd]

26. well I did read today that the local KKK was taking donations

for the cop that killed Mike Brown. They've promised to support him.

[alcibiades_mystery]

4. CNN playing interview with protestor saying police fired on peaceful protestors

Protestor named Lisha Williams said police opened fire on the crowd with tsar gas unprovoked. Ten years in the military, she said, and they shooting us. Very upset and persuasive.

[davidpdx]

6. I heard that

She stated she was in front and she saw no violence from the protesters.

[pinboy3niner]

5. There also are reports that gunfire precipitated the police response

And that the Molotov incident came later. All of this is unconfirmed, and we haven't heard from the police yet about what reports they were responding to.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

7. Speaking as a Negro, I don't know one Negro who knows what a 'Molotov cocktail" is, much less how to

make one...

They need to stop with that bullshit. Right now!!!

[still_one]

10. Need to ask why you are using such an outdated form to describe African Americans?

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

12. Tongue n' cheek.

[still_one]

17. Sorry I am dense. Thanks

[NOLALady]

13. Word!

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

15. Ask any black person. We use terms in a sarcastic way to make a point. Again, tongue n' cheek.

ETA: Maybe I should've added a . Geez!

[NOLALady]

34. Maybe we need "Translators".

[kwolf68]

35. LOL that was my thought

I was thinking, "how the hell do those folks know what that is and how to make it?"

As soon as I saw the title it smelled funny...

That said, the molotov coctail is very easy to make...so they COULD make it without knowing WHAT it was. But I still think the story is bullshit unless it's on video.

[elehhhhna]

36. I wonder why they haven't been renamed IED's.

I mean, technically they are.

Too bad they fucked with the press. They'd have shown these random bottletossing incidents.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

39. Nah, you called it right the first time: BULLSHIT. :)

[Live and Learn]

8. I was watching live and none of the protestors knew what the heck

was happening. Just that cops started tear gassing and telling them all to leave. But they couldn't because it was too crowded and women and kids were in the area and getting gassed too.

Funny how the police just happened to have their military chit set up hour before curfew and ready to go at any excuse.

[jillan]

18. This is now being confirmed. Shit. This does not help anything.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

22. By whom??

[jillan]

23. CNN interviewing people on the ground.

[alcibiades_mystery]

25. Multiple accounts by people at the scene on cnn

No clear account.

[Lex]

29. cleared as fireworks

is what Chris Hayes tweeted

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

21. Ta-Neshisi Coates is tweeting, and reports the following:

Ta-Nehisi Coates ?@tanehisicoates 1m

"I was on the front lines. Wasn't no shots fired. Didn't nobody throw any cocktails...."

My point is made.

[Marr]

27. Why would anyone trust a statement from police in this country?

They lie all the time-- especially under oath. I put as much stock in the words of police officers as in those of politicians or salesmen.

[Lex]

28. A woman (10 years in the military) marching said NO cocktails thrown or shots fired.

The cops starting firing tear gas into the crowd. She was interviewed live by MSNBC.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

31. Yep. Just as I said, we know nothing about no 'Molitovs" or whatever the hell they are!

[JI7]

30. International News Reporters are all over this so i would look to them first

to confirm something before believing anything CNN says.

right now the person on air is poppy harlow who was part of the horrible stuebenville verdict reporting.

[moondust]

38. Capt. Johnson confirms Molotov cocktails thrown.

“Peace and justice took a very different turn after dark,” Johnson said. “Molotov cocktails were thrown, there were shootings, looting, vandalism and other acts of violence that clearly appear not to have been spontaneous, but premeditated criminal acts.”

http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2014/08/18/capt-johnson-peace-and-justice-took-a-very-different-turn-after-dark/