Violent rioting in the streets of west Baltimore began after the funeral of Freddie Gray on Monday night, April 27; 235 arrests were made, 20 police officers were injured, stores were looted, the senior center burned to the ground and 14 other buildings and 144 cars were set ablaze. Baltimore’s Mayor, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake since then called in the national guard to keep peace and enacted a citywide curfew that began Tuesday night, April 28.
Gray’s death enraged citizens of Baltimore after he perished from a spinal cord injury while in police custody on a weapons charge. Two days before his funeral, protests were put down peacefully with the help of Gray’s family. After the funeral however emotions ran to high, citizens of Baltimore felt it time to act after a history of unlawful police treatment and no progress with peaceful protests. Citizens in Ferguson, Missouri rioted Tuesday night in protest to Gray’s death, only 20 were arrested. Protests in New York began on Wednesday, where 100 arrests were made. However, not everyone has shown enthusiasm about these riots. President Obama released a statement from the White House on Tuesday conveying his feelings.
“There’s no excuse for the kind of violence that we saw yesterday. It is counterproductive,” Obama said. “When individuals get crowbars and start prying open doors to loot, they’re not protesting. They’re stealing. When they burn down a building, they’re committing arson. They’re destroying and undermining businesses and opportunities in their own communities.”
2,000 National Guardsmen and 1,000 police officers were moved to Baltimore to keep peace and enforce curfew. Riots ended Monday and have not reoccurred. Only 10 arrests were made. Now citizens work together to clean up streets and rubble left behind, and city schools reopened April 29, Wednesday morning after cancellation Monday night. Citizens also have taken action to end further violent protests by creating walls (“unity lines”) of people between demonstrators and police, to discourage civilian violence toward police. Junior Parker Bonneau shows support for the peaceful protests happening in Baltimore.
“The media isn’t showing the peaceful reactions, only the violent ones,” Bonneau said. “People want to see what’s interesting. They want to see car being destroyed and buildings burning. It’s sick but it’s what they want to see.”
The curfew will be in place for seven days and the Mayor may choose to extend or end the curfew. Baltimore has begun piecing itself back together, and hoping for change through peaceful protests.
“Riots can happen anywhere,” Bonneau said. “If you have a large population that believes in something and you get them mad, there can be violence.”