FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM)- Four demonstrators were arrested in downtown Fayetteville on Tuesday (Nov. 25) while protesting the grand jury's decision to clear the Ferguson, Mo police officer, who shot and killed 18-year-old Michael Brown in August, authorities say.
The group of nearly 30 people met at the OMNI Center for Peace, Justice & Ecology in Fayetteville at 9 p.m. on Nov. 24-- about half an hour after the grand jury decision in the case against Officer Darren Wilson was announced-- to plan the protest.
Demonstration organizers said they would hold a civil disobedience protest from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Nov. 25 outside the Washington County Courthouse. The protesters planned to sit in the road at the intersection of College Avenue and Dickson Street, where they would block traffic and refuse police demands to move, according to organizers. The group said they expected to be arrested.
The group met on Monday evening to make sure their demonstration on Tuesday was peaceful, organizers said. Participants said they are disappointed and frustrated by the grand jury's decision.
"The importance of having a meeting tonight is we want to strike while the iron is still hot," said protester Tina Gaston. "Emotions are very high right now. We want to take that emotion and channel it into something extremely positive and like [Michael Brown's] family said, we want to make sure we not just make noise, but that we make a difference."
The event was posted on the Ferguson National Response Network Tumblr page, along with planned protests in numerous other cities.
"It's not just black people or brown people or people of color coming together," said Fernando Garcia, another protesters. "But, white folks, the LGBT community and anybody who believes in social justice."
Protest organizers said they have already discussed their plans with the Fayetteville Police Department. The department has been working with the demonstrators to ensure the protest is "safe for everyone involved," according to a spokesman for Fayetteville Police.