Baltimore has been experiencing heavy unrest over the past week in response to the death of Freddie Gray. Gray, a 25 year old black man, was arrested with an illegal switchblade knife after running from Baltimore Police at the intersection of W. North Avenue and N. Mount Street on April 12th. He sustained injuries to his voice box and spinal cord while in being transported to the Western District Police Station and died one week later on April 19th. The Baltimore Police Department completed an investigation into Gray’s death and presented their findings to prosecutors on Thursday, April 30th.
Numerous protests over Gray’s injury and subsequent death have occurred in Baltimore in the days following his death. Though initial protests were peaceful, they escalated into violence on Saturday, April 24th. Monday, the day of Gray’s funeral, Baltimore saw widespread rioting, violence, looting, and destruction of property. Though violence has dissipated since Monday, protests and demonstrations continue, and solidarity protests have occurred in a number of major cities across the country.
Saturday, April 18
- Protestors congregate outside Baltimore’s Western District Police Station
Sunday, April 19
- Freddie Gray passes away due to spinal cord injuries
- Protests continue outside Baltimore’s Western District Police Station
Thursday, April 23
- Protestors march through Martin Luther King Boulevard in Baltimore; traffic brought to a halt; no reports of violence
- Governor of Maryland, Larry Hogan, sends Maryland State Troopers to keep the peace
- City officials urge employees to go home early
Saturday, April 25
- Protests begin to grow violent; accounts surface of protestors breaking windows, throwing rocks and other items at police, and looting convenience stores
- Police clear demonstrators at an intersection near the Camden Yards
- 12 arrests made
Sunday, April 26
- Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Police Commissioner Anthony Batts, and Gray’s twin sister Fredericka all call for an end to violence
- A total of 34 arrests made during protests over the course of the week
Monday, April 27
- A press release from the Baltimore Police Department indicated a credible threat from members of gangs including the Black Guerilla Family, Nation of Islam, Bloods, and Crips who planned to join together to harm law enforcement officials
- 82 State Police officers deployed to deter rioters
- Juveniles and gang members vandalize and loot businesses; a local CVS pharmacy looted and set aflame; multiple police vehicles also lit on fire and destroyed
- Camden Yards closed and the Baltimore Orioles game postponed
- Law Enforcement officials attempt to deter rioters with tear gas and pepper spray
- While firefighters attempting to extinguish the flames ablaze at a local CVS, rioters pieced several holes in the hose
- Maryland Governor Larry Hogan calls a State of Emergency at 7:00pm
- The National Guard is deployed to patrol the street; Maryland state police request up to 5,000 additional law enforcement officers
- Baltimore officials announce that public schools will be closed on Tuesday
- Baltimore officials announce that a week-long curfew will be enforced between the hours of 10:00pm – 5:00am, beginning Tuesday
- A newly constructed, multi-story senior center in eastern Baltimore engulfed in flames; no fatalities reported
- Throughout the night multiple businesses vandalized and looted
- 15 police officers injured; 202 people arrested; 144 vehicles burned; 15 structures set on fire
Tuesday, April 28
- Baltimore residents and volunteers gather to clean up after the previous day’s riots
- Protestors demonstrate area of previous rioting; participants remain peaceful
- 2,000 National Guard troops on the scene to assist 1,000 police officers with potential riots
- Protest leaders urge participants to go home for 10:00 curfew; many remain past curfew; Law Enforcement Officers deploy smoke canisters and march toward demonstrators; glass bottles reportedly thrown at police; protestors begin to depart the area
- Chicago, IL: several hundred protestors gather in front of the Chicago Police Department; later, protestors march on east 35th street; A “sit-in” staged at Cottage Grove Avenue and 55th street; several arrests were made
- New York, NY: Protest on the north side of Union Square with minimal turnout; protestors remained peaceful
Wednesday, April 29
- Baltimore, MD: Protestors march outside City Hall; participation decreases after curfew; 18 arrests including 2 juveniles
- New York, NY: “Justice for Freddie Gray” protest began Union Square at 6:00pm and later splintered as protestors marched through the city, stopping traffic in Times Square, the West Side Highway, and in the Holland Tunnel
- Boston, MA: hundreds of demonstrators gather in front of the Boston Police Department to protest in solidarity with Baltimore
- Minneapolis, MN: Hundreds of protesters are now marching north on Hennepin Avenue Bridge and have stopped traffic
Thursday, April 30
- Cincinnati, OH: Hamilton County Courthouse (1000 Main Street), 6:00pm
- Hartford, CT: Corner of Main Street and Albany Avenue, 5:00pm
- Los Angeles, CA: University Bookstore at Cal State, 3:10pm
- Oakland, CA: Latham Square, 7:00pm
- Philadelphia, PA: City Hall (1 Penn Square), 4:00pm
Implications: Solidarity protests are expected to continue nationwide and will likely merge with many of the May Day demonstrations planned for Friday, May 1st. May Day related activity is expected to morph with Freddie Gray solidarity actions. Furthermore, this could result in larger crowds at events and more aggressive tactics. Impromptu activity and splintering of participants is also likely to occur.