Baltimore City Hall Occupied by Freddie Gray Activists During Vote
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Activists occupied Baltimore's City Hall on Wednesday night, demanding concessions from top officials, calling for police to avoid using military tactics and chanting the name of a black man who died after suffering an injured in police custody.
Members of the Baltimore Bloc began shouting from an upper gallery as a city council subcommittee prepared to vote to make interim Police Commissioner Kevin Davis a permanent appointment.
"All night, all day, we will fight for Freddie Gray!" the activists chanted amid calls to postpone the vote. "No justice, no peace!"
Three of the subcommittee's five members voted in favor of Davis. Police spokesman T.J. Smith said in an email that less than 50 protesters were inside and that police were "monitoring the situation," The Associated Press reported.
A spokesman for the group said the protesters would not leave until Davis and Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake agreed to a list of demands. Among them, that police avoid using military-type equipment and only use riot gear as a last resort.
In the interest of constitutional rights, the protesters said, they also want officers to always wear badges and name tags. And they want to be able to protest in larger areas and for longer periods of time than "would normally be tolerated."
In addition, they are asking police to be "more tolerant of minor law breaking," such as the throwing of water bottles, "when deciding whether to escalate the use of force."
Davis was appointed interim commissioner in July after his predecessor was fired amid the most severe violent crime spike the city had seen in 43 years. The spike followed unrest and rioting in April prompted by the death of Freddie Gray, a black man who died after suffering a critical injury in police custody.
Six officers prosecuted in connection with Gray's death are currently awaiting trial.
Following the subcommittee's vote, Davis called Wednesday night's protest an "act of civil disobedience" that "is just part of this moment."
"It's all part of the healing process," he said. "The fact that this occurred isn't upsetting. It's just part of where the city is right now. I understand where they are. I understand their frustration."
If approved by the full council, Davis will earn $200,000 a year. His contract will run through June of 2020.
