国际英语新闻:Police arrest 15 protesters as tensions heighten in Ferguson

FERGUSON, the United States, Nov. 29 (Xinhua) -- Police arrested 15 people Friday night as about 100 protesters blocked traffic in front of the local police department in Ferguson.

The protest was the latest one in reaction to the non-indictment of police officer Darren Wilson, who shot and killed unarmed 18-year-old black youth Michael Brown in August.

Unlike in many incidents over the past week, police did not use pepper spray or tear gas to corral protesters. Instead they used swung batons and riot shields to bash protesters to the ground, then arrested several as the rest of the crowd retreated.

The Missouri Army National Guard was on hand to provide support to police officers, but was not on the front line.

The low turnout may be related to a police tactic that closed several streets in the troubled neighborhood surrounding Canfield Drive, the site of Brown's death.

A Xinhua reporter accompanied a group of lawyers and legal aid workers to investigate rumors that a resident was prevented from returning to his home around the site after dark.

One state trooper told Xinhua that even if a resident had an I.D. card that showed they lived here, they wouldn't be able to get through.

The weather is expected to improve on Saturday, which, coupled with a high number of arrests Friday night, may result in further tensions between protesters and police.