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Thousands came out yesterday from all over to participate and support the family of Freddie Gray and all those killed by cops all over the country. Freddie Gray, who died on April 19th, one week after being beaten by cops on the street near where he lived.

When I went, with 3 other women, to Baltimore yesterday to bring awareness to these blatant crimes, Ernest, who knew Freddie, showed me the exact spot where Freddie was initially grabbed before being taken to the 2nd spot where 5 bike cops beat him. One cop came down hard with his knee to Freddie’s neck while he was face down with other cops holding him, severing his spinal cord 80% crippling him!

That wasn’t the end. The cops dragged Freddie to the van with his legs dangling and Freddie screaming out for his life, the cops shackled his legs in the van and beat him a couple of more times before finally calling for medical aid some 40 mins later. Freddie lived for a week in the hospital before dying.

I learned of a Tyrone West and a list of other black, male youth Beaten to death by cops in Baltimore. Tyrone West- an unarmed black male beaten to death by 11-15 cops in July 2013. To this day there has been no justice for his family. The cops still work the streets. Two of the same cops severely beat Abdul Salaam in his driveway in front of his child a week and a half before killing Tyrone West.

A friend of Freddie Gray, Kevin Moore, said Freddie, an asthmatic, was screaming for his life, saying he couldn’t breathe and yelling for his inhaler and was ignored by cops. The cops yelled at Freddie, “stop resisting” while Freddie lay face down with his heels bent to his back, unable to move.

Leg irons were put on Freddie at one stop to the Western District Precinct where witnesses say cops beat up on Freddie again.

Freddie was already crippled before being dragged to the van. BPD union president said Freddie was resisting arrest and refusing to walk when in fact, the cops already severed Freddie’s spine by that point.

There were plenty of stories of people being beaten to death by Baltimore PD.

There were cameras right above the spot where Freddie was apprehended. That camera has been used for many a drug arrests of the young, local residents but, suddenly didn’t work the day Cops beat Freddie and crippled him.

“Earnest” showed me the original spot where cops apprehended Freddie before dragging him to the second spot where he was made incapacitated.

The marchers made their way to the Western District Precinct where cops had the precinct barricaded. Some locals directly pointed out and confronted cops that had assaulted and beaten them.

One Capt was out addressing a few in the crowd. It was hard to hear him with all the yelling but, I did hear him tell a demonstrator the matter is being “investigated”.

There was a clear lack of concern and urgency coming from this Capt. He had the demeanor that there wasn’t anything to be alarmed about. It felt like theater. I didn’t get a chance to address him about the chronic abuse and killing as common practice.

“Bill” from Baltimore Revolutionary Communist Progressive Labor Party handed me a flier then addressed the crowd with amplification stating, “This system is responsible for Police Brutality. They use police brutality to try and keep us oppressed and control the working class”. Bill went on,”In addition to putting killer cops in cell blocks we have to put an end to capitalism”. “We need a revolution, we need an end to racism overall”.

Bills flier is about marching on May Day Sat. May 2nd in NYC then Bill got the crowd chanting “For Freddie Gray, Shut it down”. Bill held up a small confederate flag from a pick-up truck who tried running some protesters over in last nights protest. He held up the flag while others set it on fire with lighters and the crowd cheered.

A pick up truck rigged with amplification led the marchers taking the long route to City Hall along the harbor front. A group of Muslims joined the march walking arm in arm through the tourist area of Baltimore. Cars along the route beeped their horns in Solidarity and stuck fists out their windows.

Upon arriving at City Hall overflowing with supporters, residents, family of slain victims, speakers like Carl Dix addressed the crowd on a poor amp system not transmitting very well. People were selling t shirts of Black Lives Matters and Stop Killing Us.

A crowd then made its way to shut down the baseball field where a game was starting at 8pm. That’s when the scene became tense. Protesters are justifiably outraged from the history of abuse and killings culminated by the most recent of Freddie Gray.

Initially there was a stand off. Protesters yelled at cops to go home as police backed their cars out. Some confrontations took place as protesters directly confronted their abusers. One guy was asking a cop, “Do you know Right from Wrong?” Standing before the cop in a Hands up, Don’t Shoot position.

A few protesters vented their rage by vandalizing police cars. I also learned some protesters vandalized cars of the public on the street in anger over the public’s lack of help for their plight.
More protests scheduled this week.

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Photos by Cat Watters: