Protests held in 100 US cities against Brown killing

Thousands of protesters have held demonstrations in more than 100 cities across the United States to honor the memory of a black teenager shot dead by a white policeman in Missouri.

The protests have been held in the St. Louis suburb of Ferguson, Missouri, every night since 18-year-old Michael Brown was shot multiple times and killed by police on Saturday. Police have dealt with the demonstrators harshly.

On Thursday, massive demonstrations were staged in Washington, New York, Boston, St. Louis and Philadelphia, NBC News reported.

“I have two grandchildren, and I want them to be able to walk the streets safely without the police shooting them,” said Debbie Ray, who attended the protest in St. Louis.

“There doesn’t seem any reason in the U.S. for rifles to be aimed at people in the streets,” Ray added. “Will they have firehoses and dogs in the street next?”

“We want to stand in an effort of love and support and organize community support for how we can mobilize our anger and our upset and our disappointment,” said Renee Chapman, an organizer of the vigil at Marshall Park in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Protesters criticized the police for killing the unarmed Brown and called for an end to the racial killings.

Meanwhile, the security of the city of Ferguson, where the deadly happened, has been handed over to state police.

The decision has been taken after nights of violent clashes there. Local police have been criticized for dealing harshly with protesters.

Earlier in the day, US President Barack Obama called for “peace and calm” and urged police to respect protesters. He also demanded an investigation into the killing.