The August 9 killing of Michael Brown transformed Ferguson into a flashpoint for America’s racial tensions. It also turned the lives of local children upside down. Kids and families were a regular presence at Ferguson’s daily rallies. As protesters were met by SWAT teams in riot gear—with tear gas, stun grenades, and road blockades—Ferguson’s youngest were exposed to chaos and violence that, parents and community leaders say, will have a lasting impact on them. Since local schools closed because of the protests, many children in Ferguson got an extra week off this summer, but it was a week filled with confusion and fear. VICE News spent an afternoon with a group of them, eating ice cream and talking about being a kid in the neighborhood during the events of the past two weeks.
