By Gerald V. Paul

“No justice, no peace, no racist police,” thousands of protesters chanted between the Superior Court building and the U.S. Consulate in downtown Toronto Tuesday night, as they held signs saying “Black Lives Matter.”

At one point, organizers suggested all white or non-white people stand at the back, not speak to the media and “refrain from taking up space in all ways possible.” The protest and one in Ottawa spilled over from the U.S. unrest surrounding the grand jury recommendation not to lay charges against white policeman Darren Wilson who shot Black teen Michael Brown dead in August in Ferguson, Missouri.

In the States, thousands have protested in cities across the U.S. while Ferguson remains on full alert with 2,200 National Guardsmen bolstering hundreds of police following violence there Monday night after the jury ruling was made public.

The toll from Monday’s protest included 12 commercial buildings burned, police cars torched, looting, gun shots and dozens arrested, most for failure to disperse.

On Tuesday, Wilson shocked many when he broke his silence, telling ABC he has a “clean conscience” and would shoot Brown, 18, again.

Reaction has been swift and polarizing to the grand jury decision and Wilson’s comments.

“It’s a slap in the face to Americans nationwide who continue to hope and believe that justice will prevail,” members of the Congressional Black Caucus said.

Brown’s family issued a statement expressing sadness over the grand jury ruling and called for peaceful protest and a campaign to require body cameras on police officers nationwide.

“We are profoundly disappointed that the killer of our child will not face the consequences of his actions,” the statement said.

Wilson fired at least 12 times according to evidence presented to the grand jury, with witness reports differing as to whether and when Brown had his hands raised and how the confrontation unfolded.

Wilson, who had been in hiding, faced charges ranging from first-degree murder to involuntary manslaughter.

The grand jury ruling and violence prompted President Barack Obama to address the U.S. twice on live TV.

“We have made enormous progress in race relations over the course of the past several decades. But what is also true is that there are still problems, and communities of colour aren’t just making these problems up,” said Monday night, just after the decision.

He appealed for calm “care and restraint” and to ask police departments to work with communities to ensure such incidents are not repeated, noting the situation speaks to broader racial challenges in the U.S.

  Ferguson, Michael Brown, no charges, no justice, shooting