Baltimore, pt. 1

I don’t know how to tell you this. I don’t know how to convey what I witnessed without breaking your heart. There is so much power here. And so much devastation.

My partner and I prepped ourselves, reorganized our supplies, and spent the morning and afternoon scoping locations and surveillance of police and military presence. The parts of Baltimore we are in are locations left behind. Whole city blocks abandoned. Families playing outside amongst broken glass and boarded up windows. It becomes hard to tell the difference between an area that was looted and an area the city left behind. This place didn’t just become a war zone. It already was one.

There was a march yesterday. We attended but felt no real need to deploy. It was predominately white college students calling for peace and Black leadership giving rousing speeches. The last speaker quoted Asatta and then told everyone to obey the curfew. I couldn’t help but grind my teeth at the contradiction.

We left and met up at the location on the west side. There was two support folks on site and tensions were escalating. Curfew was soon and the justified rage of the community kept rising. Someone set off a flash grenade, but we couldn’t tell if it was a protester or 5–0 issued. Police presence increased and the call to go home was ordered. Our exits were blocked by lines of riot police and national guard. Helicopters circled with spotlights looking for people still in the streets. Drones continuously watched the area. Media vultures hopped into action looking for the least bit of riot porn. Police pushed forward, more helicopters giving orders to disperse. Eventually, the crowd thinned, people dispersed, and it became media standing alone with riot police. A quiet night in Baltimore since this began.

This feels like a war zone. Where Ferguson was a community in anguish coming together for justice, Baltimore is a city entrenched in decades and decades of oppression and systemic violence galvanized into battle. This situation, this rebellion started far before broken spines and burned pharmacies.

I don’t know what today brings. I’ve pushed the thoughts of heartbreak into the spaces I don’t access when boots are on the ground. I don’t understand how anyone could look at Baltimore and fail to understand what systemic racism creates, what class warfare looks like, and how justified the POC community is in fighting back.

As usual, we’ll convene later in the day for updates and deployment. My partner and I mutually made the decision to continue to support those on the ground despite the repercussions. We’ll keep you all updated as time goes on.

Sending my love and solidarity to all of you.

#Baltimore