The Washington Post reports that police in Ferguson, Missouri, have accelerated their efforts to suppress peaceful protests about Michael Brown's killing by a white police officer several weeks ago: "A Washington Post review of county and state arrest records, and interviews with Justice Department officials, Ferguson and St. Louis County police chiefs, dozens of protesters and several civil rights officials reveal that: Hundreds of protesters have been arrested since August for violating unwritten rules and committing minor offenses, such as failure to disperse or unlawful assembly, and for violating a noise ordinance. Many have been taken to jail without being told what charges they may face and are often released without any paperwork. For weeks, officers employed a 'five-second rule' under which any protester who stopped walking was subject to arrest — a policy ruled unconstitutional by a federal judge this week." Protesters also complain that their jail time is increasing and bail amounts for their release are increasing.
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