Ferguson, Mo. • The return of an armed militia group patrolling the streets of Ferguson drew criticism Tuesday from both protesters and the county police chief overseeing security amid ongoing demonstrations marking the anniversary of 18-year-old Michael Brown's shooting death.
St. Louis County police Chief Jon Belmar said the overnight presence of the Oath Keepers, wearing camouflage bulletproof vests and openly carrying rifles and pistols on West Florissant Avenue, the hub of marches and protests during the past several days, was "both unnecessary and inflammatory."
Belmar plans to ask county prosecutor Bob McCulloch about the legality of armed patrols by the far-right anti-government activist group, which largely comprises past and present members of the military, first responders and police officers. But Missouri law allows anyone with a concealed carry permit to openly display a firearm anywhere in the state.
John Karriman, a representative of the group who teaches at the Missouri Southern State University police academy, said there were five armed Oath Keepers at the Monday night protests and that another 45 or so unarmed group members were stationed nearby to try to help keep the peace. He said members plan to remain in Ferguson "at least through the end of the week."
"A handful of us were visible," Karriman, a former police officer in Joplin, Missouri, who ran unsuccessfully as a Libertarian Party candidate for county sheriff in southwestern Missouri. "The rest of us are behind the scenes."
Oath Keepers previously showed up in Ferguson in November after a grand jury declined to indict former Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson in Brown's death, saying they stationed themselves along several downtown rooftops to protect businesses from rioting and looters. Karriman said the group stepped in only after Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon declined to summon the National Guard in the aftermath of the grand jury decision.
County police ordered them to leave then, but group members intermittently returned. The five armed Oath Keepers interacted freely with police late Monday and early Tuesday but endured catcalls and jeers from demonstrators.
Protest organizer Nabeehah Azeez called the presence of the armed men "a contradiction in how things work. The rules don't apply to everyone. If those were black men walking around with rifles, they probably wouldn't be living today," she said.
Heavily armed civilians with a group known as the Oath Keepers arrive in Ferguson, Mo., early Tuesday, Aug. 11, 2015. The far-right anti-government activists, largely consists of past and present members of the military, first responders and police officers. St. Louis County Police Chief Jon Belmar said the overnight presence of the militia group, wearing camouflage bulletproof vests and openly carrying rifles and pistols on West Florissant Avenue, the hub of marches and protests for the past several days, was "both unnecessary and inflammatory." (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)