Over six weeks after the shooting of Michael Brown, Ferguson remains besieged by tension and civil unrest. Yesterday, the memorial to the 18-year-old on Canfield Drive went up in flames, sparking accusations of arson and leading to a fresh wave of protests and civil unrest across the city.

Authorities are still working to confirm the cause of the fire. Early suggestions are that it was caused by one of the candles at the memorial site near to where Brown was shot, but Twitter users were quick to dismiss the idea that this was in any way accidental. New York magazine reports that one Ferguson resident said it would be "naive" to believe that this was anything other than deliberate vandalism.

The destruction of Michael Brown's memorial appears to have instigated civil disobedience across the city. There had been small protests and meetings throughout the day, but at around 9pm a cosmetics shop called Beauty Town was vandalised and looted – the third time the shop has been hit since protests first began.

Protests spread around the city once word went round about Michael Brown's memorial. Though never reaching the intensity of last month's demonstrations, they were deemed unruly enough for a large police presence to appear on the streets. There were reports of gunshots, as well as bottles and rocks thrown at police, but no serious injuries. Protesters gathered to confront police, chanting "Please don't shoot me dead, I got my hands on my head!"

While the city has calmed down over the past fortnight, last night's demonstrations prove that Ferguson is still some distance from real peace. Mistrust between citizens and the police force is still very much a part of Ferguson life, with many residents dismayed that Officer Darren Wilson has still not been brought to justice for the shooting of Michael Brown.