Protesters across the US walked off their jobs or out of classes in support of the Ferguson protesters. The "Hands Up Walk Out" campaign saw protesters raise their hands and stage mass "die-ins" in cities across the country, including St Louis, New York, Los Angeles, Boston and Washington DC.

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Student activists, demanding justice for the fatal August 9 shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown, stage a 'die-in' at Washington University in St Louis, Missouri Adrees Latif/Reuters
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Students at Washington University in St Louis stage a 'die-in' as part of the nationwide "Hands up, walk out" protest, demanding justice for the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Michael Brown Adrees Latif/Reuters
ferguson hands up walk out
Protestors stage a "die-in" outside the US Justice Department in Washington,DC Larry Downing/Reuters
ferguson hands up walk out
A protester holds a sign outside the US Justice Department as she rallies against the grand jury exoneration of Darren Wilson Larry Downing/Reuters
ferguson hands up walk out
A protester with his hands up disrupts a speech by US Attorney General Eric Holder at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia Tami Chappell/Reuters

The walkouts came a week after a grand jury decided not to indict white Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson in the August shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown, who was unarmed and black.

The case spawned sometimes violent protests, often with demands that Wilson face charges. Wilson has resigned from the police force.

The raised hands gesture has come to symbolise a movement, even though witnesses offered conflicting accounts of whether Brown had his hands up in surrender when he was killed by Wilson.

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Students at the University of Colorado in Boulder chant "Hands up, don't shoot" Rick Wilking/Reuters
ferguson hands up walk out
Demonstrators participate in a nationwide "Hands Up, Walk Out" protest at Boston University in Boston, Massachusetts Brian Snyder/Reuters
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LAPD motorcycle officers detain a man in Los Angeles during a rally against the decision to not indict Darren Wilson and the LAPD's fatal shooting of Ezell Ford two days after Michael Brown was shot dead Patrick T Fallon/Reuters
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A man protesting the Ferguson grand jury decision to not indict Darren Wilson is arrested in New York City Andrew Burton/Getty Images
ferguson hands up walk out
Students stage a "die in" at St Louis University during a nationwide protest calling for workers to walk off their jobs and students to walk out of their classes Scott Olson/Getty Images

Although President Barack Obama has stayed away from Ferguson, the civil rights upheaval has drawn the White House's attention. He has asked federal agencies for concrete recommendations to ensure the US isn't building a "militarised culture" within police departments.

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