Return to Transcripts main page

NEWS STREAM

Hong Kong Police Arrest 148 In Protest Cleanup; Rallies In Support Of Ferguson Spring Up Across U.S.; Syrian Regime Bombs Raqqa; County Prosecutor McCulloch Blames Social Media For Unrest

Aired November 26, 2014 - 8:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

KRISTIE LU STOUT, HOST: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. And welcome to News Stream where news and technology meet.

Now demanding justice: rallies across the United States to support demonstrators in Ferguson, Missouri.

Plus, we'll look at social media's role in spreading the protesters' message.

And we are live on the streets of Hong Kong as police make dozens of arrests, some within their own ranks.

We begin the hour in Ferguson, Missouri where protesters took to the streets for a second straight night.'

Now the governor tripled the number of National Guard troops on the ground and it appeared to make a difference with fewer arrests and less

violence than the night before. Still, a police cruiser was set ablaze and vandals trashed local businesses.

We're also told there was sporadic gunfire in the area. More than 40 arrests were made.

Now a grand jury's decision on Monday not to indict a white police officer in the shooting death of an African-American teen sparked anger on

the streets.

And public outrage is not confined to Missouri. Now there have been protests in 170 cities across the U.S. as people take to the streets in

solidarity with the demonstrators in Ferguson.

Now on the east coast of America, protests in New York stretch from Union Square north through Times Square and Harlem. Now here you see a

crowd in the heart of Manhattan. Now in several cities, demonstrators blocked bridges, tunnels and major highways.

And in Los Angeles, a stretch of the 101 freeway was shut down in both directions as protesters placed roadblocks and debris there.

Now Darren Wilson, the officer who shot and killed Michael Brown, is speaking out publicly for the first time since the grand jury decision.

Now Chris Cuomo has that and a look at Tuesday night's unrest.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

CHRIS CUOMO, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): More police in riot gear. More National Guard out in the open. But still, more attempts to tear

Ferguson apart.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Hands up, don't shoot!

CUOMO: A police car set ablaze by a small group of agitators.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Anyone refusing, you will be subject to arrest.

CUOMO: Police using more aggressive tactics, making arrests sooner.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: There's the arrest.

CUOMO: Tear gas necessary again, hanging in the air, as the scent of the moment.

CAPTAIN RON JOHNSON, MISSOURI HIGHWAY PATROL: There are those that are stuck on violence that embed themselves with the peaceful protesters.

CUOMO: But all who hit the streets are outraged. What fuels their continued disobedience is obvious.

President Obama says it's not just made up that communities of color don't always believe they're being treated fairly.

BARACK OBAMA, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES: It's rooted in realities that have existed in this country for a long time.

CUOMO: Then came the next flashpoint, Officer Wilson saying the incident had nothing to do with race in an ABC News exclusive.

GEORGE STEPHANOPOULOS, ABC NEWS: If Michael Brown were white, this would have gone down in exactly the same way?

OFFICER DARREN WILSON, SHOT MICHAEL BROWN: Yes.

STEPHANOPOULOS: No question?

WILSON: No question.

CUOMO: The officer says on that fateful morning on August 9, he saw black teenager Michael Brown and his friend walking in the middle of the

street.

WILSON: I said, "Hey, come here for a minute."

And that's when he turned and said, "What the (EXPLETIVE DELETED) are you going to do about it?" and slammed my door shut on me.

CUOMO: Wilson says the teen hit him in excess of ten times, causing minor bruising and that there was a tussle over his gun.

WILSON: He's going to get this gun away from me. Something's going to happen, and I'm going to be dead. So I pull it the third time, and it

finally goes off.

CUOMO: Wilson admits Brown runs away, but says it was his duty to give chase.

WILSON: My job isn't to just sit and wait, you know. I have to see where this guy goes.

CUOMO: Perhaps the most important point: the officer says Brown turned and charged toward him.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Some of the eyewitnesses have said when at that moment he turned around, he turned around and put his hands up.

WILSON: That would be uncorrect [SIC] -- incorrect.

STEPHANOPOULOS: No way?

WILSON: No way.

CUOMO: Dorian Johnson, Brown's friend and witness to the shooting, says he knows exactly what he saw.

DORIAN JOHNSON, BROWN'S FRIEND: I definitely saw my friend stop and put his hands up, being compliant after being fired upon, after already

being struck with a bullet wound from Officer Darren Wilson's gun.

CUOMO: Wilson says there was not anything he could have done differently to prevent killing the 18-year-old.

WILSON: He kind of starts leaning forward like he's going to tackle me. And I look down my barrel of my gun and I fired. And what I saw was his

head, and that's where it went.

CUOMO: After the verdict, Brown's parents say they're profoundly disappointed.

MICHAEL BROWN SR., MICHAEL BROWN'S FATHER: I feel like they just killed him again.

CUOMO: The officer's response.

WILSON: I think those are grieving parents. They're mourning the loss of their son. I'm sorry for their son's loss of life. It wasn't the

intention of that day. It's what occurred that day.

STEPHANOPOULOS: Something you think that will always haunt you?

WILSON: I don't think it's a haunting. It's always going to be something that happened.

CUOMO: The officer's response offers small consolation.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: And that was Chris Cuomo reporting. We'll take you live to Ferguson a little bit later in the program and explore the broader issue of

race relations in the United States.

Now here in Hong Kong, police have cleared out some pro-democracy protest sites in the district of Mong Kok, arresting some 148 people in the

process.

Now student protest leaders Joshua Wong and Lester Shum (ph) were among those arrested.

Now the focus of police has been centered around Mong Kok's Argyle Street. Now the area intersects one of Hong Kong's busiest and most

crowded shopping areas. Now local businesses pushed for the court ordered clearout saying that they have suffered since pro-democracy protests

occupied the streets months ago.

But, in the past couple of hours, protesters, they have started moving back in. Now let's get the very latest now. CNN's Anna Coren joins us

live from the streets of Mong Kok. And Anna, what does Mong Kok look like right now?

ANNA COREN, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, Kristie, the situation is very tense. There have been scuffles breaking out. Police

really struggling to keep a handle on the situation. At the moment, there are hundreds if not thousands of police within the vicinity -- let's get

our cameraman Brad Olsen (ph) just to show you the situation.

You know, these streets were cleared all throughout the day. Police and bailiffs, they had moved in with court approval, high court approval,

enforcing those injunctions, getting the protesters off the street and dismantling the Mong Kok protest site, which we have to remember has been

the most volatile and violent of the three protest sites here in Hong Kong.

But in the last few hours, Kristie, with nightfall, people coming back from work, you just seen this stream of people: onlookers, protesters,

agitators taking on the police, goading them, really wanting to reclaim this area.

Now Nathan Road, that major, major thoroughfare, which is in that direction, a block in that direction, that is clear, the traffic is

flowing.

But certainly the side streets -- this is where the protesters have suspended. And they want these streets back.

Just before you came to me, Kristie, they were yelling we want true democracy, we want real universal suffrage and that is at the core of these

protests. They want to choose their own candidates for the 2017 elections, not Beijing.

But, you know, this has been going on for nine weeks. There's been no concessions whatsoever from the Hong Kong government, let alone the Chinese

government. If anything, they deem these protests to be illegal.

A little earlier, we heard from a policewoman saying you have to leave. This is dangerous. Stay calm. Go home.

You know, we have not seen any pepper spray as yet, Kristie, but you know if things get tense, if there is the standoff that we've certainly

seen as of last night, I would not be surprised if the policed used much heavier tactics than what we are witnessing right now.

LU STOUT: Anna, a number of protesters, they have returned to the streets. And there has been a significant number of arrests, including the

student protest leaders, but in addition and separate to that, a number of police officers have been arrested. What can you tell us about that?

COREN: Yeah, that is absolutely right, seven police officers arrested for the assault of Tien Thung (ph) that happened last month in

Admiralty. And that really shocked protesters. And people rallied together to see those hideous scenes of this protester being kicked, being

assaulted by police.

That was interesting that on the day that the police managed to reclaim the Mong Kok protest site that these seven police officers were

charged with assault causing bodily harm.

So, that is the situation in relation to that incident. But certainly here on the streets, it is very tense, Kristie. We don't know what is

exactly going to happen. Police are trying to hold the protesters, the onlookers back. But, you know, they want -- they want to reclaim these

streets. It's as simple as that.

LU STOUT: Yeah, and as they attempt to reclaim the streets, Hong Kong's police force they are there -- we see the police officers they're

behind you, they seem to be in full riot gear. How many are there? And are they armed with pepper spray?

COREN: Yeah, look, there are hundreds if not thousands of police officers. And it's not just within this vicinity where we are. They are

lining Nathan Road, making sure that the protesters don't reclaim those three blocks, which have been shut down for nine weeks. I mean, that is

how long these protests, the pro-democracy protests have been going for.

The police moving in this morning. They're expecting a great deal more resistance than what they actually came up against. But in the space

of an hour, they managed to clear Nathan Road.

Now anyone who has been to Hong Kong would know that this is a major commercial and tourist area. And, you know, it's impacting businesses.

It's now been dragging on for two months and local businessmen are hurting.

In fact, there was a taxi operator and a minibus operator who applied for those injunctions. They -- you know, as we know, Kristie, you speak to

people, you speak to businessmen and they will say that they are suffering.

I'm not exactly quite sure what (inaudible), but this is what we are seeing. They...

LU STOUT: Yeah.

LU STOUT: This is what we are seeing, Kristie. You, know, it's ongoing. They yell at police. They start chanting. They start booing.

The police officer is just talking now. She's asking people to go home. This is why they are getting this reaction.

You know, people that we speak to here say this is not fair. We are not going home. This is our way of protesting, this is our way of trying

to get democracy.

You know, these people know that they have not made any ground, except for actually holding these streets. They've lost the Mong Kok site,

obviously the major protest site, which was were a lot of students are, is over in Admiralty on Hong Kong island as well as Causeway Bay.

But it's certainly here in Mong Kok where you've seen not just students but every day Hong Kongers who are fed up with the way that the

system works, human rights, just equality. As we know, there is such a huge, you know, wealth gap in this city and everyday people are fed up and

they want equality.

So, it's not just democracy that people are protesting for, it's everyday rights, human rights. And that is why these people are so

passionate, that is why they keep on coming out here every night, even though police move in they come back after work and they yell at police and

they want -- they want to reclaim the site, because this is the only way, the only way they know how to push for the change for real democracy, the

true democracy that they so desperately crave.

LU STOUT: All right, Anna, thank you so much for giving us the necessary context to these very tense and dramatic scenes before you, this

standoff underway in the Hong Kong district of Mong Kok. We see Anna Coren amidst the police in full riot gear, the protesters who are attempting to

reclaim the streets, some of them with masks on, a few of them with goggles perhaps in anticipation of pepper spray being used.

Anna Coren reporting live from the scene for us, thank you so much for that, Anna, and take care.

Now Chinese media have already been reporting on the end of Occupy in Hong Kong as you can see in this tweet it came from the People's Daily on

Tuesday night.

Now the Global Times of China also published an anti-Occupy editorial. Here are some excerpts for you, quote, "with its goals appearing ridiculous

and public support quickly diminishing, the Occupy Central campaign has failed." It goes on to say "this incident on the streets of Hong Kong has

barely made any impact on the entire country." And "The central government has exercised restraint on this matter without exerting its strength

directly."

You're watching News Stream. Still to come, the self-declared capital of ISIS takes a hit, but this time it's not coalition airstrikes

spearheading the offensive. We'll explain after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Welcome back. You're watching News Stream. And you're looking at a visual version of all the stories we've got in the show today.

Now we've already told you about the latest effort to clear protesters here in Hong Kong from the busy shopping district of Mong Kok. And later,

we'll take you live to Ferguson, Missouri for more on what's motivating people to take to the streets.

But now, let's turn to Syria where it's air force has hit an ISIS stronghold hard.

Now the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports at least 95 people have been killed, 120 wounded in a series of Syrian airstrikes on the

northern city of Raqqa.

Now the self-proclaimed ISIS capital is home to training centers and the storage of weapons for ISIS fighters.

The monitoring group says it expects the number of dead to rise after 10 airstrikes on Tuesday left many of the wounded in critical condition.

Now the coalition is also hitting ISIS hard.

Now tracking all of this is CNN senior international correspondent Nick Paton Walsh.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

NICK PATON WALSH, CNN INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Severe, but rare Syrian regime airstrikes hitting the town of Raqqa. Now that is what ISIS

effectively called the capital of their self-declared caliphate across Syria and Iraq. These 10 airstrikes hitting the center of that town, a

market and also a key mosque, their characteristic, really, it seems of the disregard the regime have for whether they hit civilians when they drop

ordinance on populated areas.

Some activists suggesting many of the nearly 100 dead and over 100 injured are, in fact, civilians. We'll have to wait and see for

clarification of that. But ISIS will have trouble treating their wounded.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights also stating, in fact, ISIS have begun getting blood from detainees they're holding to try and assist

in the treating of their wounded from the various battlefronts their on.

But this rare regime airstrike, a different I think to many of their actions in the past few months when they've been accused of, frankly,

allowing ISIS to grow across northern Syria to be a counter to the more moderate rebels they're also fighting as well. But ISIS being hit hard.

Both fair, but also it seems in Iraq, in Anbar Province a key militant leader, an emir known as Sanam Matib (ph), hit it seems when the convoy he

was traveling in of 15 vehicles was, according to Iraqi officials, hit by a coalition airstrike.

Now if this man Matib (ph) was, in fact, killed, it would be a blow against ISIS. He's a key emir responsible for many deaths in that province

of Anbar where ISIS is making significant headway in the past weeks or so. But we'll have to wait and see for further confirmation.

Nick Paton Walsh, CNN, Gaziantep, southern Turkey.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: Now the UK is introducing a new counterterrorism bill. The proposed legislation provides a wide range of measures, including a greater

ability to monitor communications. It comes a day after British lawmakers said access to an online threat may have helped prevent the murder of a

British soldier.

Now the anger being seen on the streets of America has resonated around the world. And we'll look more closely at what has ripped Ferguson,

Missouri apart. We examine a racial divide when we come back.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Coming to you live from Hong Kong, you're back watching News Stream.

Now the U.S. city of Ferguson, Missouri waking up after a second night of protests stemming from what happened on Monday in the Michael Brown

case. Now 44 people were arrested overnight. And as you can see from this video, there were more incidents of vandalism.

Now the number of National Guard troops sent to keep order was tripled on Tuesday. For the most part, the streets were calmer compared to Monday,

that's when some among the protesters burned buildings and looted stores after learning that officer Darren Wilson would not be indicted in Brown's

killing.

Now protesters in the U.S. feel that Michael Brown was singled out because of his race. And statistics show African-Americans are arrested at

a higher rate than other racial groups. Now 12 to 13 percent of the U.S. population is black, but they account for about 37 percent of those in

prison. The U.S. Justice Department says black men are seven times more likely to be arrested than white, non-Hispanic men. And one report alleges

that once convicted, black offenders receive longer prison sentences.

In 2012, about one out of every 10 black men was arrested compared to about one out of ever 20 white men. And several reports say that nearly 1

in every 3 black men will be arrested at some point in their lifetime.

Now CNN contributor LZ Granderson has been a regular part of our coverage of the Michael Brown story. He joins us now live from Ferguson.

Elsie, thank you so much for joining us here on CNN International.

What does the Ferguson case say about race relations across America?

LZ GRANDERSON, CNN CONTRIBUTER: Well, I think if you look at the 160 to 170 protests that are taking place since the non-indictment decision was

made, you begin to realize that this conversation that we're having right now is so much larger than Michael Brown, Officer Darren Wilson and

Ferguson, Missouri, it is about some of the statistics you're talking about, that in every major city, and even in our smaller ones, citizens are

aware that there is a disparity in the way that criminal justice system impacts African-American men in particular against everyone else.

And what this particular case brought to light was that you can have witnesses give detail about what they saw and that be ignored. In other

words, the voices of the community talk about what they saw and that being ignored. And that's the reason why it sparked anger here in the city. And

that's the reason why you've seen the connecting points all around this country.

LU STOUT: Now in your latest column for CNN.com, you write that there is a problem and there is a fundamental lack of trust and lack of empathy

between minorities in police in America. And I was wondering if you could share with our audience your own personal experience and how many times

you've been stopped by the police in the U.S.?

GRANDERSON: Well, you know, I wrote in that piece that I've actually have lost count after a number of times in which I've been pulled over by

police officers. But I would tell you the most recent time I was pulled over was actually yesterday on the way to this particular set I was stopped

because the officer said I looked like someone.

The first time that an officer pulled a gun out on me, I was 12-years- old. He told me that I looked like someone. So we're talking about a 30 year gap in my life in which I continue to look like someone that the

police officers are interested in. I have never committed a crime. I've never been prosecuted, but I keep feeling as if I'm persecuted. So that's

part of the reason why I wrote this piece and that's part of the reason why I came down here to make sure that I'm able to tell the stories of the

individuals who feel under siege in this community, but also again -- I can't stress this enough -- more than 70 departments in this country

reportedly have 10 times arrest rates for black men as anyone else, that's the reason why I'm here and that's the reason why I believe that so many

people are upset about this story.

LU STOUT: Now let's talk about Darren Wilson and his testimony, because in that testimony he describes Michael Brown as looking like, in

his words, quote, "a demon." And that he felt like a little kid trying to take on Hulk Hogan, a popular wrestler in the United States. I mean, does

that kind of characterization raise alarms for you? Does it reveal a bias, a race bias to you?

GRANDERSON: Well, absolutely.

You know, we have this conversation, those of us who have covered these types of situations over the years, and it's called the playbook.

And in the playbook, one of the first things that law enforcement will try to do when it comes to men of color is dehumanize us, make us seem

superhuman or not quite as an average person. And so that description that you see fits the playbook.

LU STOUT: All right, LZ Granderson, CNN contributor and columnist, thank you so much for joining us and sharing your thoughts, your piece on

CNN.com definitely worth watching. I want to let all of our audience across the world know about that. And thank you for joining us here on

CNNI. LZ Granderson joining us live from Ferguson, Missouri.

Now you're watching News Stream. And still to come right here on the program, as violence flares there in the U.S. state of Missouri, growing

questions on how the situation has been handled. Up next, we'll take a closer look at the backlash against the prosecutor who handled it.

Also ahead, the Michael Brown case, it's setting Twitter on fire. Should social media be blamed for some of the troubles in Ferguson? Some

are doing just that after the break.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: I'm Kristie Lu Stout in Hong Kong. You're watching News Stream. And these are your world headlines.

Now there was a second straight night of protest in Ferguson, Missouri, 44 people were arrested, far fewer than Monday night when anger

spilled onto the streets after a grand jury decided not to charge a white police officer in the shooting death of an unarmed African-American

teenager. Some 2,200 members of the National Guard are now on site

Now local media report Hong Kong's chief executive is urging pro- democracy protesters not to reoccupy protest sites that police have cleared. Now student protest leaders Joshua Wong and Lester Shum (ph) were

among 148 arrested by police.

Now seven police officers were also arrested, charged with assault.

A huge storm is threatening much of the northeastern U.S., that the day before Thanksgiving and the busiest travel day of the year. Major

airlines are waiving fees to change flights to affected cities. Travel disruptions and delays are predicted as snow is forecast from Virginia to

Maine.

Now messages of concern and well-wishes are pouring in from around the world for cricketer Phil Hughes. The south Australia batsman is in

critical condition after being struck in the head during a match. Paramedics performed mouth-to-mouth resuscitation before rushing him to a

hospital.

Now more now on our top story, unrest taking hold in Ferguson, Missouri. Now public outrage fueled by the decision not to charge Officer

Darren Wilson is now also turning toward the prosecutor who brought the Ferguson case before the grand jury. Now he is defending the process and

the outcome.

But as our Ana Cabrera reports, many questions are being raised.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

ANA CABRERA, CNN CORRRESPONDENT (voice-over): St. Louis County prosecutor Bob McCulloch under fire...

M. BROWN: We're still hurting. It's -- basically, I feel like they just killed him again.

CABRERA: ... facing fresh criticism for his handling of the Michael Brown shooting case and his announcement of the grand jury decision after

dark. Tension that had been building for hours erupting into chaos, causing some to question the timing.

JAMES KNOWLES, MAYOR, FERGUSON, MISSOURI: Waiting for the announcement last night was wondering what the wisdom or the thought process was behind

waiting until that hour. I don't know that it would have been any better. I think ultimately those who wished to create disruption were bent on doing

that.

CABRERA: Others left wondering about the grand jury process.

GLORIA J. BROWNE-MARSHALL, CONSTITUTIONAL LAW PROFESSOR, JOHN JAY COLLEGE OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE: He said that there was a problem with the

evidence conflicting testimony. That's up to a jury in a regular criminal proceeding to decide the credibility of the witnesses.

CABRERA: McCulloch admits this case was handled differently than others, including remaining neutral and calling every single witness to

testify, even Officer Darren Wilson .

MCCULLOCH: In this case, we thought, I thought much more important to bring in the actual witness.

CABRERA: McCulloch defended himself in our interview on September 24. And he hoped releasing testimony and evidence to the public, also unusual,

would ultimately prove that his team was fair. And McCulloch didn't shy away from discussing how the media may have made his job harder.

MCCULLOCH: The most significant challenge encountered in this investigation has been the 24-hour news cycle and its insatiable appetite

for something, for anything to talk about.

CABRERA: But even as facts continue to come out and people hear the complete story for the first time, many members of this community still

lack trust and confidence in a system that's supposed to insure justice for all.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: You got a whole bunch of young people feel like the system don't work for them. So why should they obey a system that don't

work for them? Why?

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: And that was Ana Cabrera reporting. As you heard, the prosecutor McCulloch blames the media for making his job harder. He is

also bashing social media for spreading rumors and misleading the public.

Now for that angle and more, let's bring in our regular contributor Nick Thompson. Now Nick, misinformation we know is a challenge for any

investigation, but was the prosecutor out of line when he blamed social media for some of Ferguson's troubles?

NICK THOMPSON, NEW YORKER.COM: Well, I think in a small, narrow way he was actually correct. I mean, social media does have a way of inflaming

situation, it does have a way of bringing out people's anger, it does have a way of creating tension. And it's absolutely the case that there was a

lot of misinformation about the trial, which may have affected the grand jury, or it may have affected it in certain ways that he talked about.

So in that small, narrow sense he's right.

But in a larger sense, he's absolutely ridiculous. That's not the reason there was all this outrage, that's not the reason why this started.

And for the most part, what social media does is it allows another form of conversation, it allows people to talk, it allows people to dissect the

evidence, to understand the case. There was a lot of true stuff on social media, too.

Yes, this was a widely discussed case. Yes, there is some bad information. But for the most part, social media has helped this

conversation happen.

LU STOUT: Yeah, it's a new way of speaking up, it's a new way for marginalized people previously to speak up.

Now let's bring up -- I'm going to bring up a Twitter heat map. It was trending online. And this map, it shows this very dramatic spike in

online social media chatter when the prosecutor McCulloch announced that decision, the Ferguson decision to not indict the police officer Darren

Wilson.

Now, in the wake of the Ferguson decision, do you think social media has been enhancing the discussion about what's happening in Ferguson or has

it been fanning the flames?

THOMPSON: Well, it's been both. I mean, if you go on to Twitter right now and you look at say hashtag #ferguson, you will see all kinds of awful

stuff. You will see, you know, defenders of Darren Wilson saying lots of terrible racist things, you will see lots of protesters, you know,

advocating violence.

But you will also see a lot of intelligence. I mean, this is the way social media works. We're understanding the norms, or understanding how it

builds. You have a lot of stuff on the edges, you have a lot of anger.

But eventually as we understand it and certain tweets that provide real information get retweeted, eventually it becomes a -- you know a

method of enhancing conversation.

So, to lash out against it the way McCulloch did is wrongheaded. What we need to be doing is figuring out how it can work to bring better

information, have less of the bad effects, but overall it's a very important and it's a very effective medium for people who want to

understand it and for people who want to grieve.

LU STOUT: And finally, Nick, the demographics of social media, do you think platforms like Twitter are representative of the diversity in

America?

THOMPSON: Well, this is one of the amazing things. If you look at the numbers of people on Twitter, it is extremely diverse, just like

America is that diverse. But it's in fact even more diverse, it's the number of African-Americans who use Twitter. The last numbers I saw was

something -- you know, there are about twice as highly represented on Twitter as on the rest of the Internet.

So, Twitter is a place where everyone has -- everyone has a voice, where lots of different communities speak. I mean, as you said it's a

place where people who don't have a lot of power have the same power as anybody else to put a tweet out there, which can get retweeted by anybody

else.

So, it does change the dynamics and that can be upsetting to a prosecutor who is used to having all the dynamics and the communication

work in his favor. But it is a much more democratic medium.

So, yes, absolutely, lots of groups representative of a wide ranging conversation.

LU STOUT: Fascinating conversation there. Nick Thompson, many thanks indeed. See you next time.

THOMPSON: Thank you, Kristie.

LU STOUT: Now you're watching News Stream. Still ahead on the program, while some rowdy protesters in Ferguson are causing trouble,

others are stepping up to defend their city. We'll explain next.

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

LU STOUT: Welcome back.

Now let's return to Ferguson, Missouri. And despite the violence this week, there are some people in the community standing together to try to

protect local businesses from looters. Sara Sidner introduces us to them.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

SARA SIDNER, CNN CORRESPONDENT: On a night of chaos Andre Thomas wasn't a part of it. He and his friends stand in front of a wig shop with

its windows smashed out.

(on camera): Tell me what you're doing out here.

ANDRE THOMAS, MOLINE ACRES, MISSOURI: Stopping people looting. That's not what I'm about. So, just want to protect it.

SIDNER: Thomas lives a few miles away. He doesn't know the owners, but he says it is his duty to protect it. He wasn't the only one defying the

destructive behavior unleashed mostly on two streets in Ferguson. Less than a block from the Ferguson police station, a show of force outside another

business with its windows smashed out.

UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Not Kathy's. Not Kathy's.

SIDNER: Kathy's Kitchen is owned by an African-American businessman who has also coached many of the young men in this town. He did not board

up, but the looters did not pass the human chain. Some of his neighbors did board up. We he were there when salon owner Constance Garnett secured her

salon. Now she's glad she did.

CONSTANCE GARNETT, TASTE OF HONEY SALON: I just pray that somehow the business, you know, they find it in their hearts to come back because the

neighborhood needs the business. Ferguson is a good place to be.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

LU STOUT: And that was CNN's Sara Sidner reporting there.

And while some people try to protect businesses in Ferguson, others lent a helping hand to clean up, vandalized stores picking up the pieces to

bring a bit of peace back to their community.

And that is News Stream. I'm Kristie Lu Stout. But don't go anywhere. World Sport with Alex Thomas is up next.

END