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 Against the backdrop of heightened tension, the FBI arrested two
men suspected of buying explosives they intended to detonate during
demonstrations in Ferguson, Missouri, a law enforcement official
told Reuters.
In a sign that a grand jury decision is imminent in the Brown case,
prosecutors told media organizations they were making plans for a
news conference to announce the outcome, although the date, time and
location remained undetermined.
A 12-member St. Louis County grand jury has been weighing evidence
on the disputed circumstances of the Aug. 9 slaying of Brown by
police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, a predominantly black
suburb of 21,000 people. The panel met behind closed doors again on
Friday.
Lawyers for Brown's family say the youth was trying to surrender
when he was gunned down, and a companion has said Brown, 18, had his
hands raised. Wilson's supporters insist he shot Brown in
self-defense.
The killing instantly became a flashpoint for strained U.S. race
relations, triggering weeks of sometimes violent protests in
Ferguson calling for the arrest of Wilson. He has instead been
placed on administrative leave and gone into seclusion.
 President Barack Obama added his voice to the chorus of politicians,
civic leaders and activists appealing for calm ahead of the grand
jury decision and renewed protests that are expected to follow.
"I think first and foremost, keep protests peaceful," Obama said
during an ABC News interview taped for Sunday's "This Week" program.
"This is a country that allows everybody ... to protest actions that
they think are unjust," he said. "But using any event as an excuse
for violence is contrary to rule of law, contrary to who we are."
SPECTER OF VIOLENCE
The specter of violence was raised again by news that two reputed
members of a militant group called the New Black Panther party were
arrested in the St. Louis area in an FBI sting operation.
As initially reported by CBS News, the men were suspected of
acquiring explosives for pipe bombs they planned to set off during
protests in Ferguson, said the law enforcement official, who spoke
to Reuters on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized
to publicly discuss the case.
The official said the men have been named in a newly unsealed
federal indictment returned on Nov. 19, charging Brandon Orlando
Baldwin and Olajuwon Davis with buying two pistols from a firearms
dealer under false pretenses.
Some activists decried the timing of the arrests, suggesting they
were aimed at either smearing protest organizers or justifying what
was expected to be a heavy law enforcement presence once protests
take place. Others welcomed the news.
"Well, the Feds are protecting us from these crazies," prominent
activist Bassem Masri wrote on social media website Twitter.
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At a news briefing by politicians and law enforcement on
preparations for expected demonstrations, St. Louis Mayor Francis
Slay said he did not know when a decision would be revealed, "but we
expect it will be coming very shortly."
The nearby Jennings School District said it would close on Monday
and Tuesday, for fear of unrest in Ferguson, although the
Ferguson-Florrisant school district planned to keep its schools
open.
Activists held a news conference at a church in Ferguson on Friday
to announce plans to deploy more than 50 volunteers, dubbed
"Disciples of Justice," who will mill about protesters to help
diffuse tensions on the street.
"We want the community to know we've got an extra set of eyes and
ears in the midst of the demonstrations," said Brown family attorney
Anthony Gray.
Hundreds of civil rights lawyers were descending on Ferguson to
monitor any protests and ABC News reported the FBI had sent 100
agents to the St. Louis area.
Mayor Slay said police had orders to exercise restraint, to avoid
stoking violence.
"We have instructed our police officers to protect the protesters'
constitutional rights," he said. "We have directed them to use more
active tactics only when necessary to keep people safe or to protect
property."
Missouri Governor Jay Nixon has declared a state of emergency and
called in National Guard troops to back up police. Groups across the
country have said they would take to the streets again in large
numbers if charges are not brought.
(Additional reporting by Julia Edwards and Emily Stephenson in
Washington, Steve Holland in Las Vegas and David Bailey in
Minneapolis; Writing and additional reporting by Steve Gorman in Los
Angeles; Editing by Will Dunham, Mohammad Zargham and Clarence
Fernandez)
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