Ferguson, one year later: What’s happening this weekend

1	Ferguson, one year later: What's happening this weekend Add to...
2	One year after the police shooting of an unarmed black teen thrust Ferguson, Mo., into the global spotlight, the St. Louis suburb is bracing for a weekend of demonstrations over continued complaints of police violence.
3	Civil rights activists, religious leaders and others from around the United States are converging on the mostly black community of about 21,000 to commemorate the life of 18-year-old Michael Brown, who was killed Aug. 9, 2014, and call for improvements in relations with police.
4	What happened to Michael Brown?
5	Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson shot and killed Mr. Brown after stopping him and his friend, Dorian Johnson, on the street.
6	How did the public respond?
7	Mr. Brown's death fed into a long-simmering atmosphere of resentment and distrust between St. Louis-area minorities and police, sparking protests and sporadic rioting.
8	The Ferguson protests and subsequent police shootings of black men, such as Eric Garner, gave renewed life to the #BlackLivesMatter movement.
9	What happened to the officer?
10	On Nov. 24, after months of deliberation, a grand jury decided not to indict Mr. Wilson, who resigned from the force.
11	A second investigation by the U.S. Justice Department also declined to prosecute Mr. Wilson for the killing, saying there wasn't enough evidence to contradict the officer's version of events.
12	Earlier this week, a profile in The New Yorker magazine revealed Mr. Wilson has been unable to find another policing job.
13	Police in the spotlight: Ferguson's police came under heavy criticism for their militarized response to last August's protests, when they used heavy armored vehicles, dogs and noise cannons on crowds of protesters, at times escalating the violence in Ferguson's streets.
14	The Justice Department this year issued a scathing report on Ferguson's policing and municipal court practices that cited widespread racial discrimination and exploitation.
15	Chocolate, 36, an activist who wants to be identified by only her nickname, waves an American flag upside down while posing for a portrait in Ferguson, Mo., on July 24.
16	The events, many organized by Brown's father, include marches, concerts and a moment of silence at midday on Sunday on the street where Brown was killed.
17	"I'm expecting hundreds if not thousands of people," said Tommie Pierson Sr., pastor of the Greater St. Mark Family Church, where a service honoring Brown is scheduled this weekend.
18	Pierson's church held a "de-escalation" training session on Sunday to prepare for potential clashes between protesters and police.
19	"We are not anticipating any violence. However, you have to always be prepared."
20	Members of the National Guard stand guard outside the Ferguson Police Department on Nov. 28, 2014.
21	Area law enforcement leaders say they also want a peaceful weekend and have been meeting with protest groups to discuss strategies to make sure that is the case, said Ferguson city spokesman Jeff Small.
22	The Ferguson police force of 50 will be fully staffed this weekend and will have the help of the much larger St. Louis County police force, he said.
23	Ferguson Mayor James Knowles said the city has made many reforms in the last year, though it still has more to do.
24	This weekend Ferguson will not officially recognize the anniversary of Brown's death.
25	Instead, it will sponsor a job fair Saturday and a back-to-school event Sunday at the local community centre as an alternative, Knowles said.
26	The burned-down store that Michael Brown was suspected to have robbed is shown in Ferguson on Aug. 21, 2014.
27	For Ferguson residents, the year since Mr. Brown's killing has been one of slow recovery.
28	Several businesses that were looted or vandalized during riots in Ferguson are gone and its budget deficit has grown as costs, including overtime pay for the police force, have increased.
29	With an annual operating budget of around $14-million, Ferguson's deficit is forecast to increase to $3.2-million in the fiscal year ending in June, 2016.
30	That is up from $3-million the previous year and less than $1-million two years ago.
31	"We can't stay in deficit forever, we may have to start laying off employees," said Brian Fletcher, a city council member and former mayor.
32	About nine months after Mr. Brown's death, in a measure widely seen as directly linked to the protests over his shooting, the Missouri legislature passed a bill that sharply limited the amount of revenue municipalities can collect from traffic tickets and fines.
33	The move was hailed by some as a victory on the long road to police and judicial reform.
34	But the cap, combined with a moratorium on red-light traffic tickets, has caused Ferguson's income from traffic fines to drop to about $1-million in the projected 2015-2016 budget, about half the level it was two years ago.
35	To offset declining revenue, officials are banking in part on economic development to broaden Ferguson's tax base.
36	A small-business relief fund put together by a coalition of banks, the St. Louis Regional Chamber and the state has allocated $735,000 in interest-free loans to 73 businesses to recover from lost business or damage during the unrest.