2015 Baltimore protests

This article is about the aftermath of Freddie Gray's death in police custody and the subsequent protests. For information about the death itself, see Death of Freddie Gray.

2015 Baltimore riots
Part of the death of Freddie Gray
Protesters demonstrating at the Baltimore Police Department's Western District building.
Date	April 25, 2015 (2015-04-25) – ongoing
Location	Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. 39.290860°N 76.611024°W / 39.290860; -76.611024
Caused by	The murder of Freddie Gray
Goals	Legal prosecution of those responsible for Gray's murder, an end to "police brutality".
Methods	Protests, rioting, arson, looting
Status	Ongoing
Parties
Baltimore City Police Department City of Baltimore Maryland Army National Guard Maryland State Police Prince George's County Police Department Montgomery County Police Department Montgomery County Sheriff's Office Pennsylvania State Police Protesters
Lead figures
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake Commissioner Anthony W. Batts, BCPD Governor Lawrence J. Hogan, Jr.
Number
1,000+ policemen 2,500 National Guardsmen
Injuries and arrests
Injuries	98 police officers, 2 people shot. One fire victim in critical condition.
Arrested	201
Charged	6 Baltimore City police officers, charges run from second-degree depraved heart murder to voluntary manslaughter: Officer Caesar R. Goodson Jr. Officer William G. Porter Lt. Brian W. Rice Officer Edward M. Nero Officer Garrett Miller Sgt. Alicia D. White
State of emergency declared effective on April 27, until further notice. Mandatory curfew effective April 28 – May 5 from 10pm-5am.

On April 19, 2015, Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old African American man who was a resident of the U.S. city of Baltimore, Maryland, died in police custody a week after being arrested. Apparently in good health at the time of his arrest one week prior, Gray fell into a coma while in transport as the result of injuries to his neck and spine sustained while being transported in a police vehicle. On May 1, 2015, Gray's death was ruled to be a homicide as a result of rough riding, and legal charges were issued against the six officers involved in the incident, including that of second-degree murder.

Peaceful protests were organized after Gray's death became public knowledge, and apparently spontaneous protests started after the funeral service, although several eventually included violent elements. Civil unrest continued and as of April 28, at least twenty police officers have been injured, at least 250 people have been arrested, thousands of police and Maryland Army National Guard troops have been deployed, and a state of emergency was declared in the city limits of Baltimore.

Events

April 25

Rioters breaking the windows of a McDonald's restaurant on the evening of April 25, 2015

On April 25, 2015, protests were organized in downtown Baltimore. Protesters marched from the Baltimore City Hall to Inner Harbor. After the final stage of the official protest event, some people became violent and damaged at least five police vehicles, and pelted police with rocks.

During a press conference, Baltimore mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said most protesters were respectful but a "small group of agitators intervened". She also stated that "It’s a very delicate balancing act. Because while we try to make sure that they were protected from the cars and other things that were going on, we also gave those who wished to destroy space to do that as well. And we worked very hard to keep that balance and to put ourselves in the best position to de-escalate.” The phrase "we also gave those who wished to destroy space to do that as well" was interpreted by some conservative-leaning news sources as an indication that the mayor was giving permission to protesters to destroy property, while some others, including Breitbart News Network, pointed out that "when you look at the full context, it’s clear the Mayor meant something different (though it’s also true she didn’t say it very clearly)."

Two days later, the mayor's Director of Strategic Planning and Policy, Howard Libit, released a statement clarifying the mayor's remarks:

What she is saying within this statement was that there was an effort to give the peaceful demonstrators room to conduct their peaceful protests on Saturday. Unfortunately, as a result of providing the peaceful demonstrators with the space to share their message, that also meant that those seeking to incite violence also had the space to operate. The police sought to balance the rights of the peaceful demonstrators against the need to step in against those who were seeking to create violence. The mayor is not saying that she asked police to give space to people who sought to create violence. Any suggestion otherwise would be a misinterpretation of her statement.

At least 34 people were arrested during the riots, and six police officers were injured. As a result of the groups of violent protesters, individuals attending the Baltimore Orioles and Boston Red Sox baseball game at Oriole Park at Camden Yards were asked to stay at the stadium for their safety.

J.M. Giordano, a photographer for Baltimore City Paper, was taking pictures of the protest when he was "swarmed" and beaten by two police officers in riot gear. Sait Serkan Gurbuz, a Reuters photographer with visible press credentials, who filmed the beating from a public sidewalk, was detained and taken away in the police van. He was later released and cited for disorderly conduct. Thereafter, City Paper published a video on its website documenting the violence.

April 27

Funeral

Freddie Gray was laid to rest at a peaceful service at the New Shiloh Baptist Church on April 27 at 11 a.m. after a one-hour public viewing. A large attendance included civil rights leaders, families of other people killed by police, and politicians including Congressman Elijah Cummings, Cabinet Secretary Broderick Johnson, White House adviser Heather Foster, and Elias Alcantara of the Office of Intergovernmental Affairs.

Preemptive actions

A photograph of the April 25 rioters standing on a Baltimore police car was superimposed with the text "All HighSchools Monday @3 We Are Going To Purge From Mondawmin To The Ave, Back To Downtown #Fdl" ("Purge" being a reference to the film series) and distributed on social media and as flyers. In response, Mondawmin Mall was closed at 2:15 p.m. and police in riot gear were deployed to the area. In preparation for the 'purge' police shut down the Mondawmin metro stop and also blockaded many of the nearby streets. As a result, students from Frederick Douglass High School, which is across the street from Mondawmin Mall, had considerable difficulty leaving the area when their classes ended an hour after the "purge" began, and contributed to the swelling crowd.

According to eyewitness reports, expecting the "purge" to start at 3 pm, Baltimore police pre-emptively de-boarded all buses going through the area, shut down the nearby Mondawmin Metro station and cordoned off the area around the mall. Eyewitnesses saw police and were suspiciously accosting all students, who were detained in that general area. The police, in full riot gear, detained the students for a full half-hour before the first brick was thrown. Meghann Harris, a teacher at nearby Frederick Douglass High School, said on Facebook, "If I were a Douglass student that just got trapped in the middle of a minefield BY cops without any way to get home and completely in harm's way, I'd be ready to pop off, too."

Other closings in preparation or response to the riot included the University of Maryland Baltimore, which closed its campus in downtown Baltimore at 2:00 p.m. citing a police warning regarding "activities (that) may be potentially violent and UMB could be in the path of any violence", Baltimore City Community College, Coppin State University, the Lexington Market, the National Aquarium, and the Enoch Pratt Free Library system. A Baltimore Orioles baseball game against the Chicago White Sox scheduled for the evening at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, and the first of a three-game series, was also postponed due to the unrest.

Spread of violence

Initially 75–100 people who appeared to be high school students began throwing bricks and bottles at police near Mondawmin Mall, and the police responded by throwing rocks and bricks back at the students, The violence rapidly spread, and by later that day two patrol cars were destroyed and fifteen officers were injured. A police cruiser was destroyed, and some officers suffered broken bones. A CVS Pharmacy location in downtown Baltimore was looted and burned by protesters; no one in the CVS was hurt because employees had been evacuated before the CVS was looted and burned, but a fire hose used later to put out the CVS fire was punctured by a protester.

April 28

Morning

A U.S. National Guard soldier keeps watch in front of Baltimore City Hall on April 28

At about 6:00 a.m., Baltimore television showed firefighters putting out fires and residents cleaning up after the overnight rioting. National Guard transport vehicles arrived in Baltimore to provide security to vital infrastructure and to give additional support to police. At about 7:35 a.m., the Baltimore mayor's office reported that there were 144 vehicle fires, 19 structural fires, and nearly 200 arrests. One person has been badly hurt due to an arson.

At 8:25 a.m., it was announced that Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan was temporarily moving his office from Annapolis to Baltimore and that Hogan would visit scenes around Baltimore. At approximately 9:00 a.m., Hogan visited an intersection on West Baltimore that was heavily affected by the rioting with damaged vehicles and a looted convenience store, thanking those in the area for help cleaning up the streets.

In one incident that went viral during the previous night, a Baltimore mother had repeatedly struck and berated her son on TV for throwing rocks at police, saying she didn't "want him to be a Freddie Gray" and think rioting was OK. At 11:15 a.m. on April 28, Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony Batts praised the mother, Toya Graham, who had pushed and hit her son in order to prevent him from participating in the rioting, stating, "I wish I had more parents that took charge of their kids out there."

County police spokesman Cpl. John Wachter also announced that Security Square Mall was going to be closed for the rest of the day following the spreading of rumors that planned actions were going to occur there. The Social Security Administration and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services also closed.

Afternoon and evening

At 12:00 p.m. in the area where Freddie Gray was arrested, volunteers numbering in the hundreds were seen cleaning up debris left from the rioting. Police blocked off some of the area to assist with the cleanup while hardware stores in the neighborhood donated trash bags and brooms and city workers drove in trucks carry away piles of trash and shattered glass.

At 12:55 p.m., President Obama stated that there has been too many worrying interactions between police and black citizens, but said there was "no excuse" for the violence in Baltimore. At about 1:30 p.m., crowds gathered at a damaged drug store where Rev. Jesse Jackson was visiting, with Jackson stating, "It was painful because it destroyed a lot of neighborhood businesses and hurt a lot of people, but the violence is driven by that alienation." At a 2:30 p.m. speaking event by Capt. Eric Kowalczyk discussing incidents that occurred on April 27, demonstrators gathered peacefully, though one individual was arrested and pepper spray was used when some protesters became disorderly. At 3:00 p.m., Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake took back comments calling rioters "thugs", saying that occasionally, "my little anger interpreter gets the best of me." Baltimore religious leaders announced that 14 churches throughout the city were open to give food to children that relied on schools to provide daily meals.

At 8:30 p.m., the CEO of Baltimore Public Schools, Gregory Thornton, announced that Baltimore Public School classes and the after-school events would occur on April 29. Just before 9:00 p.m., several hundred protesters gathered around the CVS store that was looted, with some individuals separating the protesters and police and a local pastor telling demonstrators over a loud speaker to respect the curfew, saying, "Let's show the world, because the eyes of the world are on Baltimore right now." A police spokesman, Captain Eric Kowalczyk, stated that authorities were attempting to inform Baltimore residents of the 10:00 p.m. curfew in multiple ways, through police in patrol cars, sending messages through a police helicopter over the city and by calling residents through a Reverse 911 system.

Baltimore riot police form a line to push back protesters and media members on April 28

At 10:15 p.m., hundreds of demonstrators, some throwing bottles at police, remained in the streets while police in riot gear began to move the crowds with speakers from helicopters overhead broadcasting, "You must go home. You cannot remain here. You will be subject to arrest." Tensions began to grow after individuals began to throw objects at police. Shortly after 10:30 p.m., smoke bombs or fireworks were thrown from the crowd and police equipped with riot shields began to slowly advance on the gathering with some people beginning to disperse. At 10:32 p.m., Baltimore Police tweeted that "Officers are now deploying pepper balls at the aggressive crowd". They then tweeted at 10:34 p.m. "People who remain on the street - who do not meet the exceptions - are now in violation of the emergency curfew" with police moving across the intersection and the crowd dispersing down side streets away from the area. At 10:50 p.m., military vehicles were seen driving through the streets to disperse the remaining crowd numbered with dozens of people. At 11:00 p.m., the CVS intersection was clear except for police and media workers who were exempt from the curfew. At 11:40 p.m., Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony Batts stated that the curfew seemed to work and that ten people were arrested; seven for violating the curfew, two people for looting and one for disorderly conduct.

Similar events

Policemen surround protesters at East 19th Street in New York City.

On April 29, 2015, protesters marched through New York City, blocking off traffic in key areas, including the Holland Tunnel and West Side Highway. Carmen Perez, director of the criminal justice reform group Justice League, said, "It's all about solidarity, We're here to spread the message of peace from Baltimore's initial protests." More than 100 people were arrested, and the police did not allow the protest to take form before making arrests.

In Denver, eleven people were arrested following physical altercations in which police used pepper spray on protesters rallied around Colfax Avenue and Broadway street. The confrontation occurred shortly after 7 p.m. when an officer was knocked off his motorcycle by a protester and assaulted by five others. Police reported force was used in response to the incident. By 7:40 p.m., Broadway street was cleared for traffic as protesters relocated to the 16th Street Mall.

There were also solidarity protests in the cities of Washington, D.C., Boston, Minneapolis, Seattle, Philadelphia, and Cincinnati.

Reactions

Preventative actions

The Baltimore Ravens had canceled their NFL Draft party in response to the protests. After consulting with Major League Baseball, the Orioles announced that their second game against the White Sox would also be postponed, and that their game on April 29 would be played in the afternoon and closed to the public. This is believed to be the first such game in Major League Baseball history (it is occasionally seen in soccer). The attendance for the game was officially recorded as zero, thus breaking the previous record (of six, set in 1882) for the lowest attendance at a Major League Baseball game. The two cancelled games will be made up as a doubleheader on May 28. The team also announced that its May 1–3 series against the Tampa Bay Rays would be moved from Camden Yards to Tropicana Field.

At a press conference in the evening, the mayor announced there would be a citywide curfew of 10:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. starting April 28. Neighboring Anne Arundel and Baltimore Counties cancelled school field trips and activities scheduled in Baltimore City until May 3. Officials also announced that Baltimore's city schools would be closed on Tuesday.

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency and activated the Maryland National Guard. Major General Linda Singh of the Maryland National Guard commented that there would be a "massive number" of soldiers in Maryland on the night of April 27, and that up to 5,000 soldiers could be deployed. Maryland State Police activated 500 officers for duty in Baltimore, and requested an additional 5,000 state police officers from other states.

The Los Angeles Police Department ordered officers to ride in pairs when in cars after Baltimore police determined there was a "credible threat" of gang violence against police officers across the U.S., claiming that the Black Guerrilla Family, the Bloods, and the Crips were "teaming up" to target police officers. Later, however, leaders of both gangs denied the allegations, released a video statement asking for calm and peaceful protest in the area, and joined with police and clergy to enforce the curfew. At one occasion, gang members helped to prevent a riot at the Security Square Mall by dispersing would-be rioters. On other occasions, rival gang members helped each other to protect black-owned businesses, black children, and reporters, diverting rioters to Chinese- and Arab-owned businesses instead. On yet another occasion, the Bloods, the Crips, and the Nation of Islam were seen taking a picture together and working together to dispel violence while peacefully demonstrating.

Critical opinions

On April 28, President Barack Obama strongly condemned the violence during a White House press conference, saying, "There's no excuse for the kind of violence that we saw yesterday. It is counterproductive. ... When individuals get crowbars and start prying open doors to loot, they're not protesting. They're not making a statement. They're stealing. When they burn down a building, they're committing arson. And they're destroying and undermining businesses and opportunities in their own communities. That robs jobs and opportunity from people in that area." Obama went on to applaud the actions of peaceful protesters whom he felt were being undermined by the violence, and called upon the nation to take meaningful action to collectively solve poverty and law enforcement issues fueling what he described as "a crisis".

On social media and elsewhere, Mayor Rawlings-Blake and President Obama were criticized for calling the rioters "thugs" on April 28.

When asked about the postponement of the Baltimore Orioles game, the Orioles' chief operating officer, John P. Angelos, said:

"My greater source of personal concern, outrage and sympathy ... is focused neither upon one night's property damage nor upon the acts, but is focused rather upon the past four-decade period during which an American political elite have shipped middle class and working class jobs away from Baltimore and cities and towns around the U.S. to third-world dictatorships ... plunged tens of millions of good hard working Americans into economic devastation and then followed that action around the nation by diminishing every American’s civil rights protections in order to control an unfairly impoverished population living under an ever-declining standard of living and suffering at the butt end of an ever-more militarized and aggressive surveillance state. The innocent working families of all backgrounds whose lives and dreams have been cut short by excessive violence, surveillance, and other abuses of the Bill of Rights by government pay the true price, an ultimate price, and one that far exceeds the importance of any kids' game played tonight, or ever...."

Other

Teena Walsh, an assistant prosecutor from Wayne County, Michigan, was forced to resign after posting in Facebook calling to shoot protesters as the means to end the violence in Baltimore.

See also

• Ferguson unrest
• List of riots
• 1968 Baltimore riots

References

• Why Baltimore Rebelled. Jacobin. April 28, 2015.

External links

Template:Attached KML/2015 Baltimore riots

KML is not from Wikidata

• Timelines
  • CNN
  • New York Times
• Live blogs:
  • Baltimore Sun
  • CBS Baltimore
  • Washington Post
  • New York Times, CNN, Slate
• Maps:
  • Baltimore Sun
• Helicopter video:
  • East of Mondawmin (beginning at Woodbruck and Westbury)
  • North and Pennsylvania (attack on police car 057, CVS looted, CVS burning)
  • North and Fulton (liquor store looted)