not rocket science: the thing that I am first, is a man....,

reuters |  Missouri's governor Jay Nixon hours earlier put Highway Patrol Captain Ron Johnson in charge of security in the town of Ferguson after almost a week of clashes between protesters and police firing tear gas and stun grenades. Dozens of people have been arrested amid looting, shooting and vandalism.

In a tactical U-turn, Johnson and a handful of black officers without body armor walked among thousands of protesters filling the streets of the mostly black St. Louis suburb, demanding justice for the killing of 18-year-old Michael Brown.

"We just want to be able to come and demonstrate together without the fear of being shot. It's that simple," said 53-year-old protester Cat Daniels, an Iraq veteran. "What you see tonight is people coming together. When that kid was killed the hurt and the pain was real."

Mark Hall, a 21-year-old student, said: "I'm so happy they left us alone so we could prove that all we wanted was the opportunity to exercise our rights peacefully ... a chance to be heard."