Francois Afzal is a researcher and the author of “Citizens in State Power: Democracy and Corporate Control in the Global South.” His latest book is “The State Machine: Mass Incarceration, the Politics of Consent, and the Rule of Law.” The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

(CNN) The recent riots in Ferguson, Mo., could be used as a springboard for the “civil rights” movement to push forward — even though the people rioting were overwhelmingly white. In fact, their “protest” was a prelude to a strategy to divide and conquer the black community into little enclaves, where they are safe from the violence that follows for anyone who can’t afford police protection.

The Black Lives Matter movement may be in its early years, but a long history of its tactics suggests it is not only capable of organizing riots, but actively preparing for them. Here is a look at the history of the Black Lives Matter movement, and some important insights into how it might be more successful.

(Note: The above article was written in March 2015 to mark the six-year anniversary of the killing of Michael Brown by police in Ferguson, and, coincidentally, the anniversary of the killing of Trayvon Martin by neighborhood watch volunteer George Zimmerman in Florida.)

The origins of the Black Lives Matter Movement

The roots of the Black Lives Matter Movement go back to two events: the shooting deaths in August 2014 of Eric Garner and Michael Brown by NYPD officers in Staten Island. A videotape of that confrontation led to demonstrations in Ferguson and a call for nationwide protests.

On August 5, 2014, an hour in the afternoon of a day when protests often take place, crowds of Ferguson residents gathered at St. Louis City Hall and marched to the police department. A couple of days later, the police responded with violence. Some of the demonstrators were armed with baseball bats, and an officer fired several shots at demonstrators, though he is only being held on $1 million bail.

The killing of the two officers and the subsequent protest fueled tensions with residents of Ferguson and ignited protests all over the county. Protests were frequent, sometimes violent, and led to several arrests on various charges. And a massive march organized by some activists, calling for “no justice, no peace,” went on throughout August for two days.

In response to the violence, Governor Jay Nixon activated the National Guard to