© Eric Thayer/The New York Times Power to the People!
Mr. Nixon said in a statement that he chose to activate the National Guard because of "deliberate, coordinated and intensifying violent acts."
"Tonight, a day of hope, prayers and peaceful protests was marred by the violent criminal acts of an organized and growing number of individuals, many from outside the community and state, whose actions are putting the residents and businesses of Ferguson at risk," Mr. Nixon said.
The governor's decision came after the worst night of violence since the unrest began.
On Sunday night, hours before the start of a second day of a mandatory curfew that the governor had ordered, police officers came under assault from gunfire and firebombs and responded with their largest show of force so far.
Comment: "Gunfire and firebombs?" Really? A couple of Molotov cocktails, maybe, but what evidence is there for protesters firing at cops?
Using a barrage of tear gas and smoke canisters, and firing rubber bullets and deploying hundreds of officers in riot gear to sweep the streets of protesters, the law enforcement officials had the situation largely under control by the time the curfew began at midnight.
Protesters said that the police acted without provocation. But at a news conference about an hour into the curfew, Ronald S. Johnson, the Missouri Highway Patrol captain brought in by the governor to take over security here, blamed "premeditated criminal acts" that were intended to provoke the police for the flare-up of violence.
"We had to act to protect lives and property," he said.
Captain Johnson said that some demonstrators throughout Ferguson had opened fire on the police, hurled Molotov cocktails and looted and vandalized local businesses.
But it appeared that an attempted attack by some protesters on the shopping center the police have used as a command center prompted the most severe response from the authorities.
Captain Johnson said that at 8:56 p.m., hundreds of protesters had descended upon the area of the command post. Soon, he said, "multiple Molotov cocktails were thrown at police." The police responded with tear gas.
The captain said that after that episode, the police had received reports that a McDonald's restaurant had been seized by the demonstrators. Meanwhile, police officers were being targeted with bottles, Captain Johnson told reporters.
© Eric Thayer/The New York Times A woman has her eyes washed after being tear-gassed by the cops
Right.
Refuse.
Resist.