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President Barack Obama on Thursday appealed for “peace and calm” on the streets of a St. Louis suburb besieged by violent clashes between police and crowds protesting the shooting death of an unarmed teenager.
“I know emotions are raw right now in Ferguson and there are certainly passionate differences about what has happened,” Obama said in his first in-person remarks about the tense standoff in the Missouri suburb.
“But let's remember that we're all part of one American family, we are united in common values and that includes the belief in equality under the law, respect for public order and the right to peaceful public protests.”
In pictures: Michael Brown shootingShow all 32 1 /32In pictures: Michael Brown shooting In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting Riot police stand guard as demonstrators protest the shooting death of teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson
In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting Police stand watch as demonstrators protest the shooting death of teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson
In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting A police officer patrols a business district in Ferguson
In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting Police surround and detain two people in a car in Ferguson
In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting A protester throws back a smoke bomb while clashing with police in Ferguson
In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting A protester is engulfed in smoke as he throws back a smoke bomb while clashing with police in Ferguson
In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting A demonstrator, protesting the shooting death of teenager Michael Brown, stands his ground as police fire tear gas in Ferguson
In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting A demonstrator throws back a tear gas container after tactical officers worked to break up a group of bystanders on Chambers Road and West Florissant in St. Louis
In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting A member of the St. Louis County Police Department points his weapon in the direction of a group of protesters in Ferguson
In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown’s parents, Michael Brown Sr, left, and Lesley McSpadden, right, stand next to the Rev Al Sharpton in St Louis
AP
In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting Demonstrators protest the killing of teenager Michael Brown outside Greater St. Marks Family Church while Browns family along with civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton and a capacity crowd of guests met inside to discuss the killing in St Louis, Missouri
In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting Demonstrators protest the killing of teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson
In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting Police take up position to control demonstrators who were protesting the killing of teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri
In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting Police detain a man in Ferguson, Missouri
In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting Demonstrators march in the street while protesting the shooting death of black teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri
In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting Police officers keep watch while demonstrators protest the death of black teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri
In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting Demonstrators protest the killing of teenager Michael Brown in Clayton, Missouri
In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting Anthony Shahid leads a peaceful protest over the killing of teenager Michael Brown in Clayton, Missouri
In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting Lesley McSpadden (L), the mother of slain teenager Michael Brown joins a capacity crowd of guests at Greater St. Marks Family Church to discuss the killing of her son and the civil unrest resulting from his death in St Louis, Missouri
In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting Lesley McSpadden, the mother of 18-year-old Michael Brown, wipes away tears as Brown's father, Michael Brown Sr., holds up a family picture of himself, his son, top left, and a young child during a news conference in Jennings
In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting Police with dogs in St Louis after vandalism started
St Louis Post-Dispatch/AP
In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting A man leaving a looted shop in St Louis following a vigil for Michael Brown on Sunday
St Louis Post-Dispatch/AP
In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting Protesters bang on the side of a police car Sunday evening,
St Louis Post-Dispatch/AP
In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting Meghan O'Donnell, 29, from St Louis, prays at the spot where Michael Brown was killed on Sunday evening
St Louis Post-Dispatch/AP
In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting A large crowd gathers at the candlelight vigil on Sunday evening
St Louis Post-Dispatch/AP
In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting Protesters raise their hands in the 'don't shoot me' stance after being approached by police officers on Sunday
St Louis Post-Dispatch/AP
In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting Lesley McSpadden, center, drops rose petals on the blood stains from her son
AP Photo/St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Huy Mach
In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting Lesley McSpadden, left, is comforted by her husband, Louis Head, after her son, was shot
AP Photo/St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Huy Mach
In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting Louis Head, stepfather to Michael Brown, holds a sign
AP Photo/St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Huy Mach
In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting Ferguson police officers try to calm down a crowd near the scene of Michael Brown's death
AP Photo/St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Huy Mach
In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting A crowd stages a protest
AP Photo/St. Louis Post-Dispatch, David Carson
In pictures: Michael Brown shooting Michael Brown shooting Police officers stand near a crowd that is gathering
AP Photo/St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Huy Mach
Obama, speaking from the Massachusetts island where he's on a two-week vacation, said there was no excuse for excessive force by police in the aftermath of Saturday's shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown.
He said he had asked the Justice Department and FBI to investigate the incident.
The president said he had also spoken Thursday morning with Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon, who has faced criticism for not doing more to control the violence. Obama defended the Democratic governor calling him “a good man, a fine governor.”
Police have defended their use of tear gas and smoke bombs to repel protesters, saying they took those actions to disperse a large crowd after some people threw Molotov cocktails and rocks at officers.
AP
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