Protesters laud police charges
Baltimore – Protesters in Baltimore erupted in celebration on Saturday and hundreds of people broke the city’s curfew – a day after six police officers were charged over the death of an African-American man in their custody. The death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray had sparked rioting and days of protests in the US East Coast port city over alleged police racism and brutality.
But the mood on the streets was drastically different on Saturday, with people singing and dancing as they cheered the charges, including second-degree murder and manslaughter laid against the six police officers – three of them black.
As calm gradually returned to the city, the governor of Maryland urged residents to make yesterday a day of “prayer and peace”.
“I pray that tomorrow will be a day of reflection and will serve as a foundation for how we all conduct ourselves in the days and months to come,” Governor Larry Hogan said in a statement.
City police commissioner Anthony Batts said: “My hope is that we work towards a new level of partnership in all parts of our community.”
A string of killings of unarmed African-American men by the police in recent months have ignited protests across the country. Charges are rarely brought against officers.
A spontaneous street party of thousands of people erupted in Baltimore on Saturday. Demonstrators – white and black – also gathered at City Hall, the focal point of recent rallies. – AFP