Baltimore Orioles fans were in for a shock when they attended the game against the Boston Red Sox Saturday night. The gates behind them were shut, and the workers were visibly flustered as they ushered in the attendees. The protesters that had gathered outside were there to protest the death of Freddie Gray, the 25-year-old who passed away April 19, after suffering injuries while in police custody. Steve Cockey a Baltimore Orioles fan had this to say of the tense experience, “Very strange, from being whisked in here. They were just ripping tickets, just getting people in as quickly as possible, which I’ve never seen. They did not do the metal detectors. Very, very strange. I’ve never been trapped in the ballpark before.”
“And then, obviously, the game on the field was a very strange ninth inning. Very bizarre.”
A pass time that is supposed to be an enjoyable and relaxing event was instead mired with tension and concern. While the protesters outside were becoming increasingly more violent , it made sense to some fans why the police were taking these precautions.
Matt Winter, who was attending the Saturday evening, game spoke about his personal experience at the Baltimore game. “It’s strange to be locked in,” Winter said. “I think it’s just an abundance of caution by the police, because there are people out there doing stuff. They’re trying to be careful. It’s very frustrating. It’s a very bad situation all around and people are trying to deal with the best way they can.”
While some people were grateful for the police and their precaution for the fans safety, others felt that it was absurd. One Baltimore named Will Souble felt that he was able to take care of himself, and would have been happier if he was able to take his chance on a skirmish.
“It’s just ridiculous, if I’m going to take the risk on my own to go outside, let me go outside on my own. I’ll take my chances, or these guys can walk me to my car. Don’t keep me locked in the building and don’t supply us with something to eat or something to drink. I’m not going to go back and spend $10 on two cups of hot chocolate. I spent $247 to come to this game. Are you kidding me?”
While may can understand the frustration some Baltimore fans may have had, in all reality considering how quickly a protest can turn ugly was why the police took such precautions. The fans may have experienced an odd Baltimore evening, but at least they were able to see the Orioles end the Boston Red Sox streak by defeating them with a 5-4 win.
[Image credit Patrick Semansky/Associated Press]