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The unlikely connection between Ferguson and Gaza: Tear gas

The unlikely connection between Ferguson and Gaza: Tear gas

They may be 6,500 miles apart but a midwest suburb in the US and the Palestinian territories were brought together last night by the most unlikely of events - the use of tear gas against protesters.

Police in the St Louis suburb used tear gas and smoke bombs to disperse people who took to the streets to demonstrate over the fatal shooting of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown by an officer at the weekend.

Days of protests, looting and unrest has followed the 18-year-old's death, the circumstances of which are still unclear.

Last night activists in Israel/Gaza expressed solidarity with demonstrators in Ferguson, even offering advice on how to deal with police and security forces firing tear gas, including Mariam Barghouti, a student at Birzeit University in the West Bank.

Ms Barghouti shared a picture of a tear gas canister which she said had been fired upon the West Bank in recent days.

The tear gas was produced in the US but differs from the canisters deployed against protesters in Ferguson.

The truth is that as shocking as the images of Ferguson are, it could be any town, in any country, in any part of the world.

More: This is why a midwest town in the US looks like a warzone

(Pictures: AP/Getty)

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