Video of the riot in Baltimore has sparked outrage after Freddie Gray protesters were seen attacking innocent people caught up in the fray, including a paraplegic woman.
For days, protests have been building after the death of Freddie Gray, who died earlier this month in police custody. Gray was seen wailing in pain as officers carried his limp body into a paddy wagon, and neighbors cried out that the man appeared to be seriously injured.
But Gray was not given medical attention, and later died. Family members said his neck was snapped and his voice box crushed.
Since then, thousands of protesters have taken to the streets, with some of them turning violent . New video of the Baltimore riots shows some aggressive demonstrators turning on what appears to be innocent bystanders near Camden Yards.
In one video, Freddie Gray protesters are seen throwing garbage cans toward a group of people who appear to be outside of a restaurant. After one of the rioters throws it toward a woman, another man jumps in to fight back but is mobbed by a group of at least 10 people and beaten.
The end of the video shows a woman in a wheelchair who appears to be hit with a garbage can thrown in the direction of the restaurant.
Another video of the riots in Baltimore shows a group of men destroying cars, including a police cruiser. The men threw garbage cans and rocks into the car windows and jumped onto the hoods.
More video of the Baltimore riot can be found below, but be warned that it contains graphic language and violence.
Police said they arrested more than 34 people during the Freddie Gray protests, noting that it was just a small group that caused most of the problems.
“A small contingent of yesterday’s protesters caused violent disruptions downtown and in West Baltimore last night and early this morning after what had been mostly peaceful protests throughout the day,” the police department said.
Now, in the wake of the rioting that broke out near Camden Yards, community leaders are calling for protesters to remain peaceful.
“From the days of our nation’s earliest civil rights sit-ins, Baltimore has a long tradition of peaceful and respectful demonstrations,” a coalition of about 25 local religious leaders said in a statement. “Together, as leaders of different faiths in our city, we join Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and call for our citizens to honor and continue that history as we pray for the family of Freddie Gray.”
Freddie Gray’s twin sister, Fredricka Gray, has also asked that protesters remain nonviolent.
“My family wants to say, can you all please, please stop the violence?” she said. “Freddie Gray would not want this. Freddie’s father and mother did not want nobody… Violence does not get justice.”
But as video of the Baltimore riot continues to spread, the Freddie Gray protesters have vowed to continue their pressure on the Baltimore Police Department — and the Gray family plans to continue their own investigation. The family has commissioned an independent autopsy on Freddie.
[Image via YouTube]