Rallying against the Baltimore Police Department's brutality, thousand of protesters flooded the streets of Baltimore for a massive march beginning at the Gilmore Homes and ending downtown at City Hall. This past week saw daily protests at the Western District police station in response to the death of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old man who suffered a severe spinal cord injury while in police custody. Friends, family, and supporters of Gray joined together and marched without incident past the station and down Pennsylvania Avenue, making their way to City Hall where hundreds of other protesters where there to meet them.
As many people around the world already know, the scene turned tense downtown when a few individuals with ulterior motives damaged police cars and other property. The response of Baltimore police didn't help the situation, as officers donning riot gear stormed the area, pushing, shoving, and even macing some the peaceful protesters who were still there.
On the other side of town, back at the Western District, a formation of a few dozen officers holding batons and shields faced off with a small group a block away from the station. A few individuals threw rocks at the officers in line, who made an effort to move forward. During the commotion, Reuters photographer Sait Serkan Gurbuz was arrested and City Paper Photo Editor Joe Giordano was tackled to the ground by officers.
Monday marks a new and hopefully peaceful week in Baltimore as well as Freddie Gray's funeral. The service will take place at New Shiloh Baptist Church at 11AM, with a public hour at 10. Gray's body will be laid to rest at Woodlawn Cemetery following the service.
