I personally see how this could go wrong for both protestors and police officers, but I have no problem with the officers being there to protect a city ​​from potential damage. The part I have some trouble wrapping my head around is the use of the National Guard to defend the towns surrounding Ferguson if there were/are riots. On the one hand, I see that this is just an additional precaution. On the other hand, I see it as the Governor's overstepping of boundaries. If I protested in these cities, I would be afraid for my life. Having an assault rifle pointed at you by someone who may not understand that you are peacefully protesting is a scary idea, let alone having it done to you. In theory, the police should be able to control any kind of civil unrest that might occur due to the heavy arming of all police forces today. Since Governor Nixon allowed the National Guard to be present, he was targeted by various rights groups and media stations. Whether it was actually a bad decision or not will be decided in weeks/months