An armed citizens' brigade that has been standing guard on Ferguson, Missouri, rooftops has been ordered down by the city's police,
Talking Points Memo reports.
Members of the group Oath Keepers had stepped up to offer protection after several of the city's businesses were burned to the ground amid protests over a grand jury's decision not to indict a police officer in the shooting death of a local teen. That officer has since resigned.
Oath Keepers is a volunteer group of former law enforcement officers and military veterans who make a pledge to defend the Constitution, TPM said.
The organization had recruited members to go to Ferguson to stop the vandalism caused by rioters who had looted and burned businesses there as law enforcement, including thousands of members of the National Guard, had failed to stop the destruction,
according to The New York Times.
"That some business owners accepted aid from a group regarded by some as an antigovernment militia is a testament to the rawness of emotions here," the Times noted of its presence, which includes wearing camouflage and military-style apparel.
After the city and state failed to protect businesses, allowing millions of dollars in vandalism the first night after the decision was announced, some owners welcomed the support.
"When they’re here, there’s definitely a weight lifted off of our shoulders," said restaurant owner Davis Vo to the Times. "I’d be lying if I said otherwise."
While several business owners have resorted to online crowd-funding sites to help rebuild, including one bakery owner who raised more than $250,000, they may be eligible to receive state and federal relief funds for repairs, Beitbart.com reported.
“North St. Louis County communities that have been impacted by civil unrest should know that the state of Missouri is committed to providing the resources necessary for them to recover and rebuild,”
Gov. Jay Nixon said Friday.
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