The August 9 killing of Michael Brown — and the days of protests and police presence that followed it — transformed Ferguson, Missouri from a quiet, peaceful suburb into a flashpoint for the country’s racial tensions. It also turned the lives of local children upside down. Kids and families were a regular presence at Ferguson’s daily rallies — with some also getting caught in the middle of clashes with police. As protesters were met by SWAT teams in riot gear — with tear gas, stun grenades, and road blockades — Ferguson’s youngest were exposed to chaos and violence that, parents and community leaders say, will have a lasting impact on them. With local schools closed because of the protests, many children in Ferguson got an extra week off this summer — but it was a week filled with confusion and fear. VICE News spent an afternoon with a group of them, eating ice cream and talking about being a kid in the neighborhood during the events of the past two weeks.