Powerful Photos of the Ferguson Protests Emerge on Social Media as Battle for Justice Rages On

Violence erupted in the streets of Ferguson, Missouri, for a fourth straight night Wednesday, as protesters and police clashed in the streets of the St. Louis suburb, following the police shooting of an unarmed black teenager.

The St. Louis County Police Department has refused to release the name of the officer responsible for Michael Brown's shooting, which occured over the weekend. A massive protest has followed, with demonstrators demanding justice in the streets.

Parents, children, and local residents can be heard chanting "Hands up, don't shoot" as police lobb smoke bombs and tear gas at demonstrators. A number of protesters have been reported to return the action with Molotov cocktails. Racial unrest is at the heart of the demonstration, with the predominantly black area demanding answers from police in the shooting.

A number of journalists and reporters have been arrested during their attempts to report on the unrest. According to reports, the St. Louis County Police Department will no longer be involved in the policing Ferguson, Missouri, in light of recent reports of police brutality.

Rep. Lacy Clay (D-Mo.), who represents Ferguson, told Bloomberg on Thursday that Missouri Gov. Jay Nixon (D) is expected to announce the decision later today.

"The gov. just called me and he's on his way to St. Louis now to announce he's taking St. Louis County police out of the situation," he said.

According to the Huffington Post, the situation is "already tenuous after extensive police presence that included rubber bullets, pepper spray and tear gas since Michael Brown's death last week, exploded Wednesday evening after SWAT officers roughed up and arrested two reporters inside a local McDonald's."

According to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the county police was "not aware of reports that they are being relieved of duty."

In light of the recent developments, a number of powerful photos have emerged on social media, in which demonstrators of all ages can be seen standing next to police in riot gear, with tensions extremely heightened. These are the most shocking to emerge as the nation watches.