Protests entered their fifth and most tense day in Ferguson, Missouri in response to a police officer shooting an unarmed black man on Saturday, and it's hard to look at the photos and believe the scene is in the United States.
From heavily-armed SWAT officers aiming rifles at unarmed civilians to the use of intimidating armored vehicles - it looks less small-town U.S.A. and more like Egypt's Tahrir Square during the Arab Spring. The behavior of police is similar - albeit less deadly - in the use of tear gas, rubber bullets, and a deafening loudspeaker meant to break up the peaceful demonstration officers had declared "no longer peaceful."
Various live streams showed a defiant, but mostly peaceful crowd chanting and singing songs. But on Wednesday evening, the situation escalated as officers told the crowd they needed to go home over a loudspeaker, although they were told their "right to assembly is not being denied." Two reporters were later arrested while working inside a McDonald's restaurant nearby, for no apparent reason.
Soon after, police moved in on the crowd, firing tear gas and rubber bullets, and instructed people to turn off their cameras.
These are the unbelievable images we've seen so far:
AP Photo/Jeff Roberson
A member of the St. Louis County Police Department points his weapon in the direction of a group of protesters in Ferguson, Mo. on Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2014.
REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
AP Photo/Jeff Roberson
A man watches as police walk through a cloud of smoke during a clash with protesters Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2014, in Ferguson, Mo.
More tear gas on another violent night in Ferguson. #MikeBrown #Ferguson pic.twitter.com/iFnElwJWAa
- Robert Cohen (@kodacohen) August 14, 2014
More unrest in #Ferguson, Missouri, as police fire tear gas at protesters: http://t.co/k6gSxxbH1H pic.twitter.com/VFQYXasvtJ
- ?ynd?cal??? (@syndicalisms) August 14, 2014
Photo of teargas being fired in #Ferguson via @jonswaine pic.twitter.com/rgLGnpFg6I
- Paul Szoldra (@PaulSzoldra) August 14, 2014
This is someones front lawn in #Ferguson. pic.twitter.com/JCLQW4xxqJ http://t.co/eTUdOHT0BW
- grasswire (@grasswire) August 14, 2014
#Ferguson crowd threw rocks, bottles, Molotov cocktails, saw a gun, right before this stepped off pic.twitter.com/qNngeVLtVL
- David Carson (@PDPJ) August 14, 2014
The photos from Wednesday are among other disturbing images taken in recent days, showing militarized police units being used:
AP Photo/Jeff Roberson
Police wearing riot gear walk toward a man with his hands raised Monday, Aug. 11, 2014, in Ferguson, Mo.
AP Photo/Jeff Roberson
Police wearing riot gear try to disperse a crowd Monday, Aug. 11, 2014, in Ferguson, Mo.
REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni
Police officers patrol a street in Ferguson, Missouri August 11, 2014.
Scott Olson/Getty Images
Protesters are forced by police from the business district into nearby neighborhoods on August 11, 2014 in Ferguson, Missouri.