Troops pull out of Ferguson

Protests unfolded peacefully Thursday in a Missouri town, and National Guard troops withdrew, 12 days after the fatal police shooting of a black teenager that led to racially-charged unrest.

No serious incidents were reported as several hundred demonstrators defied stifling heat and humidity in the St Louis suburb of Ferguson to demand justice for 18-year-old, college-bound student Michael Brown.

It was the second straight night of generally orderly protest, after previous marches descended into riots, looting and tense stand-offs with police who fired tear gas to disperse the crowds.

"Until we get justice, people are going to continue to march for Mike Brown, and that's just how it should be," said Stephanie Taylor, 28, a nursing assistant who has been coming out almost nightly.