President Obama condemned violent protests in Ferguson, Mo., Tuesday, saying he had “no sympathy” for those who torched buildings and police cruisers in their own community.
“Burning buildings, torching cars, destroying property, putting people at risk — that’s destructive, and there’s no excuse for it,” Obama said ahead of remarks on immigration reform in Chicago. “Those are criminal acts. People should be prosecuted if they commit criminal acts.”
Obama was forced to address the violence in Ferguson for the second time in less than 24 hours, as the St. Louis suburb has struggled to contain clashes between protesters and police after a grand jury decided to not indict police officer Darren Wilson in the shooting of Michael Brown.
Gov. Jay Nixon, D-Mo., boosted the National Guard presence in Ferguson on Tuesday, anticipating another long night in the besieged community.
Obama has not yet announced any plans to travel to Ferguson but instructed Attorney General Eric Holder to conduct a review of why the protests in Missouri escalated so quickly.
In Chicago, Obama implored Ferguson residents to express their concerns peacefully.
“I’ve never seen a civil rights law or a healthcare bill or an immigration bill result because a car got burned,” he said. “Don’t take the short-term, easy route and engage in destructive behavior.”
