It was a hot weekend in Ferguson, but protesters continued calling for justice.
On Saturday afternoon, the NAACP hosted a youth-led walk down West Florissant Avenue — where most of the protesting and police clashes have taken place. Later that day and into Sunday morning, protesters continued to gather on the street to march. In the short audio clips below — which were edited down from longer interviews for length and sound quality — people who attended these various protests explain what they were doing, why, and what they hope to accomplish.
Hubert Hoosman Jr.
Hoosman's wife was one of the organizers of the march Saturday, and as the group began, he brought up the rear with a megaphone. He owns a business in downtown Ferguson and said that even as a business owner he has suffered discrimination.
Shaniece Mahone
Shaniece Mahone (right), along with Keith Griffin (left), were on West Florissant on Saturday giving away Little Caesar's pizza, granola bars, and water. They also had care packages for Ferguson residents. Due to the ongoing street closures in the city, many residents have had a more difficult time getting around to do errands.
Stefanie Williams
Williams marched with several hundred other people during the NAACP rally Saturday. After the march, she explained the different images on the sign she made for the demonstration.
Chester A. Deans Jr.
Deans was representing Fathers United to Raise Awareness at the march on W Florissant Saturday.
Paulette Thompson
Thompson has worked in Ferguson and has family in the city. She came to the city for the NAACP march on Saturday.
Eugene Gillis
Gillis was among the most prominent members of the march on Saturday because he played his trumpet as he walked. He said that he has family living in Ferguson. In the 1980s, he also marched with some of the people who had worked with Martin Luther King Jr.
This is Gillis playing his trumpet before the march.
Jimmy Knight
In the clip above, Knight talks about the ongoing problems with racism in his community.
Knight attended the protests on West Florissant many times, including on nights when the police fired tear gas at crowds. Knight said that was gassed himself, and described the smell as "like a stink bomb. Like a million onions." However, he also said that he believed the protests and movement could make a difference. He was pleased at the diversity of the crowd that was out on the street Saturday night, saying that the goal was unity.
Nelson Pierce
Pierce said Saturday night that racial profiling is a harsh reality for black men in America. He added that came out to the protests to "bear witness to the ongoing injustice" of "police occupation of an African-American neighborhood" while the man who killed Brown was still free and uncharged. Nelson said the police were continually the aggressors during the protests in Ferguson and that they needed to go home.