Ferguson town hall meetings not open to everyone

FERGUSON, Mo. -- The city of Ferguson is hosting a five-week series of town hall meetings, but not everyone is welcome, including the media.

The meetings will address concerns raised after the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown by a Ferguson police officer. The city says the meetings will update residents on changes the city council is considering.

A city spokesman said the meetings will be closed to the media and non-Ferguson residents at the request of the U.S. Justice Department.

Ferguson spokesman Devin James told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch the Justice Department's Community Relations Service feels that having media present could alter the conversations.

On Monday, the city canceled one of three meetings scheduled for later in the evening, citing safety concerns.

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Information from: St. Louis Post-Dispatch, http://www.stltoday.com