The situation on the ground in Ferguson, Mo. remained unstable Thursday in the wake of the Michael Brown shooting, reports state.

Missouri State Police took over peacekeeping duties from St. Louis County Police as turmoil continued to swirl around an incident last Saturday that found the unarmed black youth shot and killed by a local police officer during a confrontation.

Like Us on Facebook

New protests were taking place throughout the day on Ferguson city streets.

Authorities accused of using excessive force to put down protests this week watched the marches without intervening.

Live shots on KMOV-TV in nearby St. Louis showed about 250 protestors marching in the late afternoon to the spot where the unarmed Brown was killed by police on Aug. 9.

The crowd continued to grow throughout the day with people coming in from outside the area to support the protestors.

Many feared continued violence during the evening, despite calls for calm from the likes of Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon and President Obama. Protestors carried signs and chanted, "No justice, no peace."

Many demonstrators said they received text messages from churches and leaders to go to the spot where Brown was shot and protest non-violently. An unidentified man interviewed at the scene by CNN's Don Lemon said harassment of African-Americans by local authorities "has been happening for years."

Protests this week turned violent as many local people said the police showed no respect for city residents.

The town is majority African-American while two-thirds of the police force is made up of white officers. Previously, police contained protestors, peaceful or otherwise, with tear gas, rubber bullets, and even armored vehicles of the type used in war zones like Iraq,

The situation started on Saturday night when the 18-year-old, college-bound Brown was walking to a convenience store with a friend. Officers said he reached for a policeman's gun when he was stopped on the street and the still-unidentified officer, fearing for his life, shot the youth dead.

Witnesses, including Brown's friend, said Brown didn't struggle and was holding his hands in the air in a surrendering position when shot to death.

Speaking from his vacation home at Martha's Vineyard, the president said law enforcement officers at the scene should take a step back and consider their actions.

Attorney General Eric Holder said local police deploying military-grade equipment and armored vehicles sent the wrong message to people. He further stated that federal authorities would provide crowd control and public safety assistance to local authorities.

TagsFerguson, michael brown, michael brown shooting, ferguson protests