Oath Keepers: Vigilantes among Ferguson protestors, assault weapons in hand
Tensions are high in Ferguson, Mo. as protestors commemorate the one-year anniversary of Michael Brown鈥檚 death 鈥� an unarmed black teenager shot and killed by former Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson. Activists have continued to demonstrate since the weekend, but it looks like a new group of protestors have joined the ranks, and they have assault rifles.
, a 鈥済roup of five white men鈥� showed up in the early hours of Tuesday morning. They referred to themselves as the Oath Keepers and carried high-powered weapons 鈥� alarming some protestors. One woman who saw the men tweeted out her frustration, saying "white men really do occupy whatever space they want," and later tweeting that black protestors would likely be arrested for openly carrying assault rifles.
However, St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar described their presence as "both unnecessary and inflammatory,"听听
, individuals with concealed carry permits are allowed to "briefly and openly display" firearms unless it's done in an "angry or threatening manner." It's still unclear whether the vigilantes actions were legal.
Who exactly are these mysterious Oath Keepers? , it鈥檚 a non-partisan association of current and former military, police, and first responders who pledge to fulfill the oath all military and police take to 鈥渄efend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic.鈥�
, a non-profit civil-rights organization,听describes the organization as a far-right, 鈥渇iercely anti-government, militaristic group鈥� that claims more than 30,000 members 鈥� a number the Center believes is unlikely.
The leader of the group, a man who simply called himself John, they had come to protect a journalist from the conservative "Infowars.com" Web site.
"There were problems here, there were people who got hurt. We needed to be prepared for that," said the man.听
Patricia Bynes, Democratic Committeewoman of Ferguson Township, went to check on protests early Tuesday and was surprised to find the Oath Keepers amid a heavy police presence, .
鈥淭hey just showed up, walking around carrying their assault rifles. There was really no need.鈥�
Ms. Bynes said she thought they were detracting from the real issue: racial inequality.
Other protestors echoed her words.听"You鈥檙e going to bring some uncommissioned citizens, white citizens, into a black community like this? It's disrespectful," Talal Ahmad . Mr. Ahmad has been a fixture in the last year's protests.
"Here, in a black neighborhood, we鈥檙e already living in a state of terror," Ahmad said.
