'Pants Up, Don't Loot' Billboard Planned By Darren Wilson Supporters As Ferguson Grand Jury Decision Nears

Update 7:50 p.m. EST: Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon Monday activated the National Guard to deal with any unrest resulting from a grand jury decision in the Mike Brown case. Nixon also ordered the Missouri Highway Patrol, and the St. Louis Metropolitan and County police departments to work as a single unit should violence occur. “Public safety demands that we are fully prepared for any contingency, regardless of what the St. Louis County grand jury or the U.S. Department of Justice decides,” Nixon said in a press release.

See Nixon's executive order here.

Original post:

Supporters of Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson raised more than $3,000 to erect a “Pants Up, Don’t Loot” billboard in or around the predominantly black St. Louis suburb as the grand jury decision on an indictment for the white police officer looms. The billboard’s message comes from a National Review article quoting a derogatory response to the “Hands Up, Don’t Shoot” chant by supporters of unarmed black teen Mike Brown, whom Wilson shot and killed Aug. 9.

The “Pants Up, Don’t Loot” campaign was created on the crowdfunding website Indiegogo and quickly reached its $3,000 goal on Monday. “This crowdfunding campaign is for the purchase of a billboard in the Ferguson, MO area. The billboard will display black text on a white background with the text "#PantsUPDontLoot," reads the campaign’s message.

The shooting of Brown, an 18-year-old unarmed black teen, at the hands of Wilson sparked protests in Ferguson and outrage across the country. Demonstrations have been held in the St. Louis area nearly every day since the killing. A grand jury is meeting in Clayton, the St. Louis County seat, to consider charges against Wilson, but the general expectation is that no indictment will come. Reports indicated that a decision could come as early as Monday, although the St. Louis County prosecutor said only that there could be an announcement in mid- or late November at the earliest.

Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon issued an executive order on Monday to activate the state's National Guard should large demonstrations sweep Ferguson and the St. Louis area if there isn't an indictment.

The protests in Ferguson and St. Louis extended to Clayton on Monday. As many as 100 demonstrators chanted “101 days and still no justice,” referring to the days since Brown was killed, St. Louis Post-Dispatch reporter Steve Giegerich tweeted. The protest lasted for about an hour.

Some protesters also blocked traffic, according to Guardian reporter Jon Swaine: