Tensions ran high in Baltimore Saturday as protests continued after the unexplained death of Freddie Gray, who died April 19 from spinal injuries while in police custody.
Over 2,000 reported protesters began the march Saturday from the scene of Gray’s arrest to the City Hall, where locals and protesters from other states joined the protest’s largest rally.
Police lined the streets surrounding City Hall as protesters shouted “No justice, no peace!” and helicopters hovered over the crowd.
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Marlo King protests police brutality against young black men. Makayla Johnson/PublicAsian[/caption]
“I’m basically trying to put a message out there for our young black men,” said Baltimore native Marlo King, 38. “You know they are Generation X, and we gotta stand for something. These young brothers out here don’t have a voice.”
For reasons still unknown, city police arrested Gray, a 25-year-old black man, days earlier in West Baltimore. A bystander told The Baltimore Sun the police folded Gray’s screaming body “like he was a crab or a piece of origami” before dragging him to their van, but officials say it is unclear when and how Gray’s spine was severed.
Both city police and the U.S. Justice Department have opened investigations into possible civil rights violations. Police Commissioner Anthony W. Batts told press police officials plan to complete their report on Gray’s death by Friday.
The amount of tax money spent on city inmates also reflects King’s message to city youth. According to The Baltimore Sun, state taxpayers spend more than $250 million yearly to incarcerate Baltimore residents. Nearly $47 million of that is spent on inmates from West Baltimore, the Sun reports.
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Protesters congregate outside City Hall. Makayla Johnson/PublicAsian[/caption]
A 2014 Baltimore Sun investigation also found the city paid about $5.7 million since 2011 over lawsuits alleging police brutality.
Gray was the latest victim in a string of high-profile deaths of black men killed by police officers around the country, including Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown and Eric Garner.
“I have a 17-year-old daughter — she was actually detained earlier in the week at a protest,” explained 46-year-old Zelda Gilliam, a Baltimore resident who said she spoke with Gray’s family during the rally. “Just seeing so many youth out here warms my heart, and it’s also very sad because the youth that you see out here can be the youth we’re out here marching for.”
Gilliam also pointed out that the march remained orderly during the day, as people spent time conversing with each other and holding signs.
Despite protesters’ frustration and anger, peace was maintained until late that night.
According to WBAL, more than 30 protesters were arrested and six officers were injured in the West Baltimore protests. Rioters broke out smashing store windows, cars and destroying other property.
As this violence continued, so did a nearby Orioles game. Many protestors tried to make their way from the scene of destruction toward Camden Yards, but struggled as police blocked off the area for the baseball game.
Soon, about 40,000 fans were urged to stay in Camden Yards because of an “ongoing public-safety issue,” according to The Baltimore Sun. The lockdown let up as the game ended.
There were no reported demonstrations the following day.
Gray’s funeral was held Monday in West Baltimore, where peaceful protesters continued to push for answers.
