Baltimore Riots: Lone Protester Protects Swarming Crowd From Police Assault, ‘Don’t Give Them A Reason!’
So far, much of the coverage of the Baltimore Riots have shown the chaos caused, a lot in part, by community outsiders — much like Ferguson. However, the peaceful side may fly under the radar. As can be seen below, one of the Baltimore protesters attempts to stop the crowd from initiating police backlash.
Let’s see ABC News show this #BaltimoreRiots https://t.co/ZiHFFkVFXN
— Ghetto Humor (@GhettoHumor_) April 28, 2015
In the video, a Baltimore man steps up to the plate to help both sides resolve the matter. You can clearly hear the peaceful protester state repeatedly, “Don’t give them a reason!” This could very-well be interpreted as “don’t give them a reason to resort to violence.”
The media has been overflowing with recent videos of police brutality and use of unnecessary force, various videos resulting in deaths that were seemingly uncalled for. The most recent was the April 19 death of a Baltimore man by the name of Freddie Gray. He died while in Baltimore police custody, due to injuries from officers.
I’m not saying rioting is the way to go…but maybe it’s time the govt starts making some serious changes to the way police depts operate.
— GhostRobo – Zach (@GhostRobo) April 28, 2015
This is what began the Baltimore riots. On the day of Freddie Gray’s funeral, protesters and rioters started their public outcry against the increasing volume of police brutality — which, by popular consensus, goes on without proper justice. This causes a question to come up all around social media. “Who’s policing the police?”
Destroying property is illegal and impacts the community adversely. But if the police were killing my neighbors w/ impunity, then???
— Andy Richter (@AndyRichter) April 28, 2015
If your zeal to condemn an epidemic of unaccountable police murder doesn’t match your zeal to condemn rioting, you’re part of the problem.
— Ted Alexandro (@tedalexandro) April 28, 2015
However, according to CNN, Gray’s sister says that she doesn’t believe that the violence is for Freddie. As aforementioned, the Baltimore looting and violence is happening, a lot in part, from people who are not from the area.
“I don’t think that’s for Freddie,” Freddie Gray’s twin sister Fredericka Gray says of the rioting. “I think the violence is wrong.” — CNN Breaking News (@cnnbrk) April 28, 2015
This has been an extraordinarily incompetent response by the police & city of #Baltimore – @JeffreyToobin pic.twitter.com/fF96fOBTbV
— Anderson Cooper 360° (@AC360) April 28, 2015
Nevertheless, as the Baltimore family has requested, the peaceful protester was already in the works of trying to make it happen. There are several other people throughout the city of Baltimore who feel similar and are conducting themselves accordingly.
What are your thoughts about these riots?
Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.
[Photo Credits: Darren Kelly / Flickr]
