( CNN ) -- `` Agitators '' triggering chaos and violence amid the protests in Ferguson , Missouri , are n't all locals . Of at least 78 people arrested overnight , about one in four came from outside the St. Louis area , according to the St. Louis County jail . Nearly all the arrests were for refusal to disperse . Two people , both locals , were charged with unlawful use of a weapon . And one man , from Rockton , Illinois , was charged with interfering with an officer . Among those arrested are residents of Chicago , Brooklyn , Washington , San Francisco , Austin , Des Moines , and Huntsville , Alabama , according to jail records . Missouri State Highway Patrol Capt . Ron Johnson -- who is in charge of security in Ferguson -- had a lower number of arrests , telling CNN there were 50 and 60 late Monday and into Tuesday . `` There are some outsiders , but there are ( also ) a lot of people who live here , '' Johnson told CNN on Tuesday . `` ... So we ca n't blame ( everything ) on outside agitators . '' Some say the arrests do not necessarily indicate wrongdoing . In recent days , numerous people including journalists have faced arrests after what they described as taking part in a peaceful protest or simply observing it . People from around the country and even other parts of the world have come to Ferguson to express outrage over the police shooting of unarmed teen Michael Brown . But all sides agree there are a select number of people -- distinct from the majority of protesters -- who are fomenting violence . `` There is a dangerous dynamic in the night . It allows a small number of agitators to hide in the crowd and then attempt to create chaos , '' Johnson said late Monday . `` Protesters are peaceful and respectful , '' he said . `` Protesters do n't clash with police . ... It is criminals who throw Molotov cocktails and fire shots that endangers life and property . '' Those stirring up trouble are `` fools , '' said State Sen. Maria Chappelle-Nadal . `` They are a disgrace to this entire movement . '' `` What we are trying to address is the intimidation and harassment of police officers onto young people , '' she told CNN . But by shooting guns , throwing Molotov cocktails , and looting stores , these so-called agitators are making conditions unsafe and spurring a crackdown by authorities . `` It completely changes the narrative , '' she said Monday . `` We do n't need these antagonizers out here , '' said protester Jerrell Bourrage , who said he grabbed a bottle-hurling demonstrator and told him to stop . `` We need people who can stand out here to the side and still let your word be known . '' Michael Brown 's parents spoke out against the violence Tuesday . `` It is a distraction , but we wo n't let it distract us to the point where we lose focus , '' Lesley McSpadden told NBC 's `` Today . '' `` We have to remain focused and we have to remain strong and the violence needs to stop . When justice has prevailed , it may regain the trust in the locals , but right now it 's really out of control . '' Complete coverage of the Ferguson shooting and protests . Participants in the protests also blame the authorities for violence . Police have fired tear gas and used stun grenades , angering some who believe the tactics are too heavy-handed and a sign of the dangers of police militarization . The situation presents a difficult challenge for police , said Tom Fuentes , a former FBI assistant director who is now a CNN law enforcement analyst . The `` normal , after-midnight clientele of the police -- these hooligans '' mix in with the crowd , he said . `` So , that is what the police have to contend with . '' The police tried putting away the heavy weaponry at one point last week , Fuentes noted . But then , as late night violence broke out in recent days , `` they had no alternative , and they brought them back out . '' Retired Lt. Gen. Russel Honore , who famously defused tensions in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina , said there 's one tactic authorities should be sure to use . `` They have to continue to walk with the people as opposed to walk against them , '' he said . But quelling these protests will require a political and judicial solution , he said . `` The political and justice in this country need to find a way out of this that convinces people the right things will be done , '' he said . Some protesters , meanwhile , are trying a tactic of their own . On Monday night , a group of community leaders formed a human chain and walked hand-in-hand -- hoping not only to provide a buffer between police and peaceful protesters , but also to block the agitators . Magazine : The Aftermath in Ferguson . Read more about the flash point in the Heartland at CNN.com/US . CNN 's George Howell , Don Lemon , Victor Blackwell and Greg Botelho contributed to this report .
NEW : Highway patrol chief : 50 to 60 arrests , including `` some outsiders '' Those arrested include residents of Chicago , New York , and elsewhere . `` They 're fools . They are a disgrace , '' a state senator says . `` We do n't need these antagonizers out here , '' a protester says .