Junior government and politics and history major
Last friday, I had the privilege of joining protesters in Baltimore on their mission to win accountability for police brutality and institutional racism. Residents welcomed “outside agitators,” in the parlance of state Gov. Larry Hogan, and graciously allowed them to share in the city’s celebration and anger.
Celebration at the decision, announced Friday morning, to charge the six officers involved in the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray, who suffered fatal injuries while in police custody April 12. Anger at the long list of police victims, many of them young African-American men, which makes Freddie Gray a symbol of a pattern rather than an anomaly. Although it’s impossible to draw sweeping conclusions, just a few hours in Baltimore can dispel some of the worst rumors circulating about the demonstrations.
Protesters engaged by network TV anchors are often barraged with loaded questions that link the ongoing protests to the riots that briefly flared up in Baltimore on April 27. This coverage mischaracterizes the great mass of peaceful protesters, erases demonstrators’ legitimate grievances and places the protests outside of respectable politics. Even sympathetic renderings of Monday’s riots as an outlet for understandable anger overshadow the political savvy of many demonstrators.
Regardless of what is being said in the press and on social media, protesters were well-versed in the ins and outs of the judicial process. Many signs read “Thank You Mosby,” a nod to Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby, who was elected on a platform of police accountability and shocked some residents with her decision to charge all six officers involved in Gray’s death. Rallies on Friday praised Mosby, yet emphasized the difficulty of securing convictions against officers and the need to scrutinize officials at every stage of the process.
Moreover, the demonstrations were directly tied to tangible political gains. As The Baltimore Sun reported, community organizers seized on the mobilizations to register citizens to vote and encourage greater political participation. By working to elect officials who are tough on police misconduct, closely monitoring developments and applying constant pressure on city authorities, protesters in Baltimore are building a culture of accountability.
Perhaps the most pernicious lie surrounding the “unrest” in Baltimore is that it has nothing to do with us. This narrative is reinforced by media coverage that highlights the April 27 mayhem and dehumanizes protesters in Baltimore. Nevertheless, on Friday, one unforgettable sign reminded onlookers that “Apathy Is Violence.”
Since 2011, Baltimore has shelled out $5.7 million to victims of police brutality and civil rights violations. Freddie Gray joined Walter Scott, Jonathan Ferrell, John Crawford and Tamir Rice in the shamefully long catalog of black men and boys killed by the police. These injustices are compounded by racial disproportionalities present in nearly every facet of the criminal justice system.
In a country and state with well-documented patterns of police brutality and empirically verifiable institutional racism, dismissing demonstrators’ demands for reform is tantamount to complicity. After officers in Rialto, California, began using body cameras in February 2012, complaints against officers and use-of-force reports fell 88 and 60 percent, respectively, during the next 12 months, according to The New York Times. Although Hogan has signed bills exempting officers from restrictions on recording the public, this state must rapidly accelerate the introduction of cameras into police forces. Beyond that, other measures must be taken to ensure transparency in policing and bring more economic opportunity to Baltimore residents.
Over the weekend, protesters repeatedly declared that “This Is What Democracy Looks Like.” They’re right. The mobilizations underway are an important step in bringing justice to Baltimore.
Charlie Bulman is a junior government and politics and history major. He can be reached at cbulmandbk@gmail.com.
