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Ferguson prepares commemoration for anniversary of Michael Brown death

By Amy R. Connolly
Marc Morial, President of the National Urban League, (R), displays a ceremonial shovel with St. Louis Urban League President Michael McMillan during groundbreaking ceremonies at the future home of the Community Empowerment Center of Ferguson in Ferguson, Mo., on July 9. Officials are planning a commemoration weekend to mark the one-year anniversary of Michael Brown's death and the unrest that followed. Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI
Marc Morial, President of the National Urban League, (R), displays a ceremonial shovel with St. Louis Urban League President Michael McMillan during groundbreaking ceremonies at the future home of the Community Empowerment Center of Ferguson in Ferguson, Mo., on July 9. Officials are planning a commemoration weekend to mark the one-year anniversary of Michael Brown's death and the unrest that followed. Photo by Bill Greenblatt/UPI | License Photo

FERGUSON, Mo., July 30 (UPI) -- A silent march and a day of civil disobedience are among the planned events to mark the one-year anniversary of the fatal shooting of an unarmed 18-year-old black man by a white police officer, an event that launched a nationwide outcry over race relations and police brutality.

The "Ferguson Commemoration Weekend," from Aug. 7 through Aug. 10, will highlight the Aug. 9, 2014 death of Michael Brown by Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson, a white police officer who was later cleared of wrongdoing by a St. Louis grand jury and the U.S. Justice Department. He resigned from the department in November.

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Organizers said the goal of the weekend-long event is "to commemorate lives lost to police violence over the past year, to pay homage to our great civil rights leaders and ancestors and to honor the modern-day activists, young and old, who set off the Ferguson uprising, crystallizing a nationwide movement for black lives."

Ed Beasley, Ferguson's interim city manager, said the events are planned to bring the community together.

"They can expect were going to be very encouraging, supportive, but also make sure the laws are upheld," said Beasley, adding that it is very important that "people have the right to exercise their civil rights the proper way."

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Among the events is a 4 1/2-minute National Moment of Silence at 11:55 a.m. on Aug. 9 and a Day of Civil Disobedience and National Call to Action on Aug. 10.

Event organizers are using #unitedwefight to spread the word about the event and justice for those injured by law enforcement.

"We're using the hashtag #UnitedWeFight because we lift up and demand justice not just for Michael Brown, Jr., but for Sandra Bland, for Cary Ball, for Yvette Smith, for Kajieme Powell, for Dontre Hamilton, for Taneisha Anderson, for Vonderrit Myers and for far too many more," organizers said.

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