– Even as local officials are preparing for potential violence as they ready to unveil the grand jury’s decision on whether to charge Ferguson Police Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting of Michael Brown, local black leaders are praying for peace.

On Tuesday, Rep. Brandon Ellington, a Kansas City Democrat who chairs the Missouri Legislative Black Caucus, released a statement:

“The Missouri Legislative Black Caucus stands in solidarity with those who choose to protest peacefully. We urge all governmental bodies and law enforcement agencies to respect the constitutional, civil and human rights of those who protest peacefully. As a caucus we denounce the militarization of the police and have voiced our concerns to the governor about the National Guards presence preemptively in the city of Ferguson.

“To the protesters, we are requesting that you remain peaceful and in doing so we support your actions 100 percent,” he said.