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Ferguson protests around U.S. clog streets - CNN.com
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STORY HIGHLIGHTS
- Vandals in Oakland, California, bust windows of a car dealership and loot stores
- Part of the 101 Freeway in Los Angeles has been shut down in both directions
- New York protester: "Now we're going to make sure things are going to change"
- Boston's mayor estimates 1,000 people have taken to the streets
Are protests taking place near you? Please share photos, videos and thoughts with CNN iReport if you can do so safely.
(CNN) -- [Updated at 1:18 a.m. ET]
From New York to Los Angeles and dozens and dozens of cities in between, protesters flooded the streets to denounce a Missouri grand jury's decision not to indict Ferguson police Officer Darren Wilson.
A day after the country learned Wilson won't face criminal charges for killing unarmed teenager Michael Brown, protests sprouted up in more than 170 U.S. cities.
Some demonstrations blocked bridges, tunnels and major highways. But unlike the violence that erupted in Ferguson on Monday night, the protests across the country Tuesday night were largely peaceful.
New York
A massive protest wound its way from Union Square to FDR Drive and to the United Nations, Times Square and Harlem.
"Now it's not clear where we're going," said CNN's Miguel Marquez, who was interviewing protesters as they continued marching after midnight.
One demonstrator said he didn't even know about the protest until he saw it pass by his workplace on Times Square. He decided to join in.
"I just want to help bring about change ... sometimes I am profiled based on my race," said the protester, who is black.
"I think this is progress ... now we're going to make sure things are going to change."
As they marched, some protesters chanted, "Mike Brown! Mike Brown!"
Police, who were nearby in large numbers, stayed back and let the marchers go.
Oakland, California
Perhaps the greatest concentration of turmoil Tuesday night was in Oakland, where vandals smashed the windows of a car dealership and looted several businesses, including a T-Mobile cell phone store.
Some also set several bonfires in the city. One row of bonfires stretched across a road, blocking off access, footage from CNN affiliate KPIX showed.
Some people were seen adding more items to the fires.
Los Angeles
A stretch of the 101 Freeway in Los Angeles was shut down in both directions after protesters took road blocks from the streets, along with debris, and placed them on the freeway, police said.
And demonstrators gathered outside of the Los Angeles Police Department headquarters, Officer Sara Faden said. Faden said protesters are demonstrating peacefully.
An LAPD spokesman said officers are allowing people to vent.
"We have detained people. We don't have any property damage to speak of," Officer Jack Richter said. "We are letting (the people) exercise their constitutional rights."
Boston
Mayor Marty Walsh estimated about 1,000 protesters took to the streets Tuesday night.
The gathering has been largely peaceful.
"It's a beautiful thing to see," demonstrator Daniel Jose Older said.
Denver
Several hundred people took to the streets of Denver on Tuesday night, police said.
Officers tried to prevent demonstrators from marching onto Interstate 25. Most protesters dispersed peacefully, but a "small group" refused and grabbed officers.
Officers used pepper spray, and three people were arrested, police said.
Dallas
About five protesters were arrested after marching on Interstate 35, CNN affiliate WFAA said.
Some 200 demonstrators gathered at Dallas police headquarters before marching onto the interstate, the affiliate said.
Washington
In Washington, protesters lay down on a sidewalk outside police headquarters as if dead, according to a tweet by Nikki Burdine ofCNN affiliate WUSA.
Some had handwritten notes on their chests: "Black lives matter."
Minneapolis
A woman in a group blocking an intersection was run over by a car.
The Star Tribune newspaper reported that the driver of the car honked at the protesters before knocking a few people onto the hood of the vehicle and apparently running over the woman's legs. She was hospitalized with "very minor injuries."
Chicago
About 200 members of the Black Youth Project staged a sit-in outside Mayor Rahm Emanuel's office Tuesday afternoon. They planned to be there for 28 hours.
Protesters in the New York area briefly blocked one of the entrances to the Lincoln Tunnel Tuesday evening, but then headed off to the city's West Side.
Atlanta
The Public Enemy anthem pumping from mounted speakers at a protest in downtown Atlanta captured the mood of the crowd Tuesday night.
"Fight the Power," the rapper's voice shouted over the speaker. "Fight the powers that be. ..."
About 300 people tried to follow Public Enemy's advice when they gathered to protest the grand jury's decision.
As helicopters circled above, black college students, white urban hipsters in skinny jeans, middle-aged socialists and black militants in berets gathered for a raucous rally to vent their anger at the events in Ferguson.
"They have given us no justice! We will give them no peace," the demonstrators chanted at they massed in front of the Underground Atlanta shopping district.
Some protesters had also gathered outside CNN Center.
'It's a travesty'
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Burkina Faso army told to hand over power - BBC News -
New military leader Lt Col Isaac Zida has held talks with diplomats in an attempt to end the crisisThe African Union (AU) has given Burkina Faso's military a two-week deadline to hand power to a civilian ruler or face sanctions.
The AU said the army had acted unconstitutionally when it took over after President Blaise Compaore was forced to resign on Friday.
The military said a civilian-led transitional government would be established as quickly as possible.
Mr Compaore quit after mass protests at his bid to extend his 27-year rule.
On Saturday, the military named Lt Col Isaac Zida, previously second in command of the presidential guard, as the new interim ruler.
'Supporting role'A popular revolt led to Mr Compaore's resignation, but the military takeover was against democracy, said AU official Simeon Oyono Esono, following a meeting of the body's Peace and Security Council in Ethiopia.
The AU will apply sanctions against Burkina Faso if the military fails to give up power within two weeks, Mr Esonohe told Reuters.
The BBC's Emmanuel Igunza in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa says the sanctions could include suspension of Burkina Faso's AU membership and a travel ban on military officials.
No protest against military, reports Laeila Adjovi
The AU's Peace and Security Council is expected to meet again in two weeks' time to discuss the crisis, he says.
Col Zida told diplomats and journalists in Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou, that the military had no plan to usurp power.
It wanted a transitional government made up of civilians to take office, he said.
The military would play a supporting role, Col Zida added.
BBC Afrique analyst Lamine Konkodo says many people in Burkina Faso expect Col Zida to honour his word, and it is now up to politicians and civil society leaders to agree on who will lead a transitional government.
The parliament building in Ouagadougou was set on fire by protesters last Thursday
The headquarters of state TV were also attackedMost businesses were open in Ouagadougou as the city returned to normal for the first time since last week's protests against Mr Compaore's rule.
At least one demonstrator was killed on Sunday after soldiers fired shots at the state TV station and barricaded the main square in Ouagadougou.
Thousands of protesters demanded the military give up power, chanting slogans like: "The soldiers have stolen our revolution", "Zida get out!" and "Zida is Judas."
Mr Compaore, who has now fled to Ivory Coast, first seized power in a coup in 1987, and thereafter won four disputed elections.
The protests were triggered by Mr Compaore's plan to amend the constitution so that he could run for office again in elections next year.
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Ethiopia ‘quite different’ from other African countries, says Swedish entrepreneur
Ethiopia is home to the biggest population of cattle in Africa. The leather and textile industry is central to the economy of the East African nation and has attracted millions of dollars in foreign investment. There are over 230 textile and garment factories in Ethiopia.
Madeleine Rosberg
In 2010 Swedish entrepreneurs Madeleine Rosberg and Stephanie Persson started Responsify AB, a company that helps retailers in western markets source textile and leather products in sub-Saharan Africa.
Responsify works with factories that manufacture cotton and leather goods such as T-shirts, leggings, skirts, bags, gloves, shoes and belts. In addition to Ethiopia, the company also has a presence in Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Rwanda.
Rosberg believes Ethiopia is one of the markets with “great potential”.
‘Africa is hip right now’
“Ethiopia has a big population of 90m people. Adults all need work. They also have raw materials given that they have the largest population of cattle in Africa,” she says. “Other countries like Kenya and Uganda also have potential but on a smaller scale.”
The social entrepreneur says demand for African-made apparel is rising in the US and Europe, particularly when companies can show that people involved in the value chain have benefited, and no damage has been done to the environment.
“Consumers in Europe and the US are tired of the ‘Made in China’ label. It is not that attractive anymore. Lately people have opened up to African-made products because it is exotic,” says Rosberg.
“Africa is hip right now. We get a lot of requests from companies all over the world, but the problem lies on the delivery side. We need more factories here in Africa. This industry is still new in many countries and hasn’t matured yet. But we can see in Ethiopia, for instance, the amount of investments is increasing yearly.”
High potential, but challenging
Despite the opportunities in Ethiopia, Rosberg says it has been challenging working in a developing country. “Ethiopia is a complicated market to do business in. There are plenty of challenges that the government is still working on.
“Ethiopia was never colonised and so it’s quite different from other African countries that have been exposed to the rest of the world,” says Rosberg. “It is also challenging being young and a woman here. You have to be quite harsh. In Sweden you can rely on the system to work. Here there is a lot of bureaucracy. You have to be patient with everything.”
However, Rosberg notes that some of the challenges associated with doing business in Ethiopia and other parts of Africa is what makes western brands and retailers seek the services of Responsify.
“I think one of the reasons why our clients need us is the cultural gap. They want someone who understands the US and European culture, and can adapt it into the African context.”
Don’t email, visit in person
While the “relatively unexplored” nature of Ethiopia makes it harder for foreign investors and companies to do business there, Rosberg says, learning the culture can help one navigate the waters.
“You need to be entrepreneurial, be good at communication and let the process take the time it needs. I think communication is the absolute important thing. For instance, Ethiopia doesn’t have the same emailing culture that we are used to in Europe.
“Instead of sending emails you are better off texting or actually visiting an office,” she says.
“Ethiopia is also much more social. You need to take time to get to know your suppliers. You even have to get to know about their families. It took a while to learn the ropes but Ethiopia has done so much for me. It is worth the struggle.”
Back to the basics
One of the lessons she has learned doing business in Africa is that “relationships matter a lot”.
“When you do business in Africa you really go back to the basics. Things are more about personal relationships and human values. New things are constantly happening here. Every day is an adventure.”
She and her business partner Persson are also using their expertise in sustainable business models and operating in Africa to help other international companies and governments build businesses and trade relations in the continent.
“We particularly focus on sustainability issues because that is where our expertise lies. There is a lot of focus now in ensuring that companies operate ethically, people that relate with them benefit and that the environment is protected even as we exploit resources.
“We give our clients information on countries, sectors, opportunities and challenges, which help them make internal strategic moves.”
Rosberg advises foreign companies expanding to Africa to have long-term strategies and not to focus on just single countries. “Look more at regions because there are more regional synergies that can be interesting from a business perspective.
“Be strategic in your choices, have good people on the ground and be patient.”
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