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36,000 baseball fans penned in the stadium in Baltimore as Freddie Gray protests turned violent

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posted on Apr, 26 2015 @ 05:37 AM
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Protests to demand answers in the case of Freddie Gray, the 25-year-old black man died in Baltimore Police custody last week, descended into chaos on Saturday night.

Spectators at the game, with a reported attendance of 36,757, were told that they could not leave the baseball stadium until cleared to do so by police, who allowed them to exit shortly after 10pm when the game ended.

Outside, protesters threw objects at cars, kicked windshields, smashed windows and threw a flaming trash can at police in riot gear.

Violence continued into the evening, with reports of looting and smashing of shop windows despite Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony Batts's order for protesters to disperse.




36,000 baseball fans penned in the stadium in Baltimore as Freddie Gray protests turned violent





Not all of the protests were violent, as seen here



But sadly it definitely escalated last night. The protesters wanted answers into Freddie's death, and as per usual, they thought destruction of property would bring that. How? I'm still trying to figure that one out.









It's sad to see how it always comes to this. Some dies in police custody, there's a riot, riot gets out of hand, someone gets hurt, bing bang boom, let's start the whole process anew because nothing was learned and no changes were made. That is pretty much how it goes, right?





Haven't we seen enough? Haven't we destroyed enough lives? Hasn't enough property been destroyed? When is enough enough?


+14 more 
posted on Apr, 26 2015 @ 05:52 AM
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Here is an abstract thought....

Maybe we need to riot...maybe we need to purge ourselves that way...

Not in any political, racial, religious sense.....i think those are just excuses...

Maybe what we really need to do is just accept we are a Warrior culture and use that instead of shying away from it......



posted on Apr, 26 2015 @ 06:02 AM
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originally posted by: Thorneblood
Here is an abstract thought....

Maybe we need to riot...maybe we need to purge ourselves that way...

Not in any political, racial, religious sense.....i think those are just excuses...

Maybe what we really need to do is just accept we are a Warrior culture and use that instead of shying away from it......



We are, the pictures are right up there ^


+16 more 
posted on Apr, 26 2015 @ 06:05 AM
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One thing about it; violent protest make the news where peaceful protest get a short blurb if lucky. Right or wrong that just seems to be the way it is.



posted on Apr, 26 2015 @ 06:08 AM
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Forgive me I am not familiar with this case. On suspicion of, or on a charge of what crime was Gray arrested?

edit on 26-4-2015 by hotel1 because: (no reason given)


+30 more 
posted on Apr, 26 2015 @ 06:25 AM
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originally posted by: Thorneblood
Here is an abstract thought....

Maybe we need to riot...maybe we need to purge ourselves that way...

Not in any political, racial, religious sense.....i think those are just excuses...

Maybe what we really need to do is just accept we are a Warrior culture and use that instead of shying away from it......



I was taught that is a "tantrum", infantile behavior appropriate for 4 year olds.
Psychologists will tell you it is an attention getting behavior without the condescending age implication.
IMO it's the result of not having the skills to express yourself in a constructive fashion.
Not surprising given how many people still graduate school and cannot read, write or express themselves creatively.
Any animal trapped in a cage too small will lash out in any way they can, even going so far as to chew their own limbs off.
In the case of people it matters not the actual size of the cage only their perception of it.

The economy is a shambles and our country is at eternal war.
People have lost hope in everything - their economic futures, chance for advancement, their basic institutions.

People that have the least to lose are the most likely to engage in rioting.

Our country has a long way to go yet it seems.
edit on 26-4-2015 by Asktheanimals because: (no reason given)


+21 more 
posted on Apr, 26 2015 @ 06:44 AM
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a reply to: Anyafaj

Baltimore is the epitome of urban decay. It is full of inner city/urban areas populated by the cities majority black population, with the more affluent living in the suburbs, or the east side.

It is a world where it isn't uncommon for a kid living in the inner city areas to not attend school. Uneducated people tend to react physically. Matter of fact, my son mentioned this regarding Lubbock, TX: its great as long as he is on the Tech Campus where there are educated and polite people. Off the Tech campus...not quite so much.

That is how the rioting becomes what it is. There is no shortage of class warfare being waged in this country, and it is folks like the poor in Baltimore who feel the result. Even more, there is an "us vs them" mentality among even the regular folks int he midwest. The mentality in inner cities is even more so.

I am not surprised that there are riots. And, frankly, im not bothered by them. If the people who know and love that man aren't willing to kick some ass to get some answers, no one else will be. And we all will suffer the erosion of liberty because of it.



posted on Apr, 26 2015 @ 06:45 AM
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a reply to: Asktheanimals

THis is a spectacular post.

Absolutely spectacular.


+4 more 
posted on Apr, 26 2015 @ 06:52 AM
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I don't understand one thing thou .. Fine lets protest and lets crack down on police violence, BUT how the hell does smashing car windows or shop windows help protesting ? I mean what the heck did those people owning that car or shop, do to those morons that feel they are justified in destroying that property ? This behavior only strengthens the idea that we need more police control on the streets and I think that this is exactly the opposite of what those "protesters" would like to achieve, isn't it ?

I do not live in the states but this is a universal issue in most countries so I think I am justified in posting my concerns on this topic ..



posted on Apr, 26 2015 @ 07:05 AM
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a reply to: Thill

Rioting is universal anywhere on the planet.
Pent up rage is blindly loosed on anything within reach.
It's how the oppressed everywhere tell the world "we've reached our limit"


+3 more 
posted on Apr, 26 2015 @ 07:34 AM
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Yep, while Baltimore burned.

The elite fiddled at the Annual Ball the White House holds for the press.
Seems fitting it should happen at the same time.
The elite press and the King and Queen (at least that is how they live off our dime)
party the night away with lots of laughs, while the streets of Baltimore are awash with violence.

Quite symbolic of all that is wrong with our nation.


A true life Hunger Games analogy for those of you who don't get
the Nero analogy.



edit on 7Sun, 26 Apr 2015 07:35:58 -0500am42604amk260 by grandmakdw because: format



posted on Apr, 26 2015 @ 08:42 AM
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Thugs gone wild, smashing peoples cars for no reason other than they probably are jealous because their uneducated lives mixed with lengthy criminal records will never get one unless it comes out of a chop shop with a fresh coat of paint bought with a bag of dope.



posted on Apr, 26 2015 @ 09:08 AM
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I would have been terrified to he arrested in Baltimore after the police brutally kill a man and lied about what happened. Not exactly a place where filling up lock up to proove a point feels all warm and fuzzy.



posted on Apr, 26 2015 @ 09:10 AM
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How do you not see that decades of looney liberal policies, constructing the modern arena of bliss and tranquility where all are basking in the glory of life in 2015. As a culture we have slid back a long, long way...and I directly point the finger at the morons with a "D" after their name. Sometimes you have to see things for what they really are. 2 maybe 3 of the great human protesters knew Mr. Gray, the rest where there for the "fun". In some cities...this would have been a bloodbath, but this is a blue state/city problem....keep it there...civil war II...


+3 more 
posted on Apr, 26 2015 @ 09:14 AM
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what ever happenned to shooting violent rioters? they are a danger and can be legally killed.



posted on Apr, 26 2015 @ 09:18 AM
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Call me crazy or paranoid but I think there is a bigger picture here. Could this be a plan by TPTB to push us into Martial Law? They would know that the numerous, unwarranted police killings with the police never being charged would make people mad. Mad enough to protest and protests can turn to riots. Hence the "need" for "order" or better yet Martial Law. "They" could be seeing how far they can push us before we break.The more the violence escalates the more people are doing exactly as they want.



posted on Apr, 26 2015 @ 09:21 AM
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wow even santa got beat up?


No pressies for those guys this year



posted on Apr, 26 2015 @ 09:37 AM
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originally posted by: Asktheanimals

originally posted by: Thorneblood
Here is an abstract thought....

Maybe we need to riot...maybe we need to purge ourselves that way...

Not in any political, racial, religious sense.....i think those are just excuses...

Maybe what we really need to do is just accept we are a Warrior culture and use that instead of shying away from it......



I was taught that is a "tantrum", infantile behavior appropriate for 4 year olds.
Psychologists will tell you it is an attention getting behavior without the condescending age implication.
IMO it's the result of not having the skills to express yourself in a constructive fashion.
Not surprising given how many people still graduate school and cannot read, write or express themselves creatively.
Any animal trapped in a cage too small will lash out in any way they can, even going so far as to chew their own limbs off.
In the case of people it matters not the actual size of the cage only their perception of it.

The economy is a shambles and our country is at eternal war.
People have lost hope in everything - their economic futures, chance for advancement, their basic institutions.

People that have the least to lose are the most likely to engage in rioting.

Our country has a long way to go yet it seems.


Put your peaceful/quiet protest in one hand and crap in the other hand. Which one fills up first?

Standing there with a flower and a sign against guns and shields does absolutely nothing and won't even make the 6:00 news so what was accomplished? People need to make noise, shout from the rooftops and yes, get arrested. It's the only recipe to get noticed these days.

The time for peaceful sit-ins has passed until millions contribute by doing the same. If only a few stand up, how does that get attention? Write a letter? Make a phone call? REALLY?

The time for words against guns has passed. It's now time to Stand & Deliver. It's the only language understood because TPTB wrote that book.

Jude



posted on Apr, 26 2015 @ 09:39 AM
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Having watched this the following can be stated:

People usually support the police. They are there to do a job, protect and serve the communities that they live in. They are easily recognized and usually are supposed to be beyond reproach, untouchable. However, the reality is that they are not and ultimately they are human, with all of the flaws and problems that go along with such.

Too many times, corruption is unchecked, too many questions in the past have arisen and been dismissed all on the say of the police, where they automatically get the benefit of the doubt on all things. And that is starting to come to an end with the advent of cameras everywhere. Far too often too few officers, hyped up on the power of the badge, tend to move in areas, violating the laws to get convictions. And when they are caught, far too often they do not get any real punishment that the common man on the street gets. Many times if a person was to make a formal complaint, it is met with either a run around or threats against that person.

The advent of cameras taking pictures and video is new, mostly starting with the Rodney King incident, where the middle of what happened was caught on tape, causing a riot. And the people rioting, do they have a valid complaint or is this something else? In some cases, the answer is yes, they do have a valid complaint, far too often the police tend to be harder on those of a minority status, often looking for the smallest infractions. Driving a beat up old car through a nice neighborhood can get you pulled over cause they think that the person may be selling or doing something illegal. At the same time one can also state that the prevalence to either ignore the police or break the law also is a contributing factor.

The problem here is that the police, thought their actions, lead to the death of a person, who was in their custody. They deliberately caused injury time and time again, and instead of getting him the proper medical treatment, ignored it until it was too late. It was beyond believable, but in short they did violate the persons rights, by giving him cruel punishment, to which he did not deserve. Breaking his back, crushing his windpipe is not something that the police should have done. And the people should be upset.

The problem is a big one, and the solution is going to not only hurt, but also means that communities need to change the way that they think and act. It means first, that they need to vote, and not always for the same candidate every time. Far too often the people who write the laws, sit in the halls of power, tend to ignore the very people they are suppose to represent. They hire the police, and sign the checks, yet when it comes to holding the police accountable and ensuring that they are doing their job, fails many times. This is not going to get any better, until the people wake up.

And rioting is not going to be the answer, but it is going to draw attention, how the city handles it will either be like a fire extinguisher to a flame and get it to smolder, or will pour gas on it.



posted on Apr, 26 2015 @ 09:39 AM
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a reply to: Anyafaj

I was struggling with watching this unfold last night, and I suspect a lot of other people feel the same way about this too.

First of all, obviously I am in support of this protest, policing in the US has been out of control for a long time, and nothing seems to be being done to hold people to account. They're currently allowing these cops to "investigate themselves", which is utterly ridiculous and should not in any way be considered acceptable.

I also understand rage, and I get that the destruction of property is the result of Human emotion. When the authorities have systematically refused to rectify a problem of massive injustice (perceived or not) this is what happens. No one should be surprised by this at all. Enough with the pearl-clutching faux shock and outrage, if this systematic abuse of authority and thug-cop-culture had been happening to you and those you love for decades you would probably be out there smashing sh*t up too.

And lets not ignore the fact that when a few thousand white sports fans destroy a chunk of a city it rarely gets a mention, but one black man in a crowd of two thousand breaks a car window and suddenly all those white folks are calling for the National Guard.

And people STILL don't see the white privileged and racism going right to the core of your country?

The problem I had with this last night when I was watching it unfolding were the attacks on other innocent people. That is something I cannot possibly excuse or ignore.

I saw three examples of mob violence against innocent people...

A sports fan at a bar had something thrown at him from a guy in the protest, and he threw it right back, with ten people instantly jumping on him and attacking him. That was reminiscent of the worst moments of the LA riots, and I immediately thought right then that things were out of control and the cops needed to arm up.

Believe me, if that had continued I would have had no problem with the police using force. That's what happens when you start being violent toward others, you deserve a smackdown.

Next I saw footage from inside a restaurant as protesters smashed several windows. Yes, some people are rightly saying that a few broken windows are not comparable to taking a life, and I obviously agree. My problem is the obvious terror it caused to entirely innocent people in that restaurant. That is unacceptable to me. That risked the safety of people in that restaurant, and it made me f-ing angry as a result.

Finally, we have the RT journalist being mugged by a gang of kids. These kids looked to be no older than 15, some of them looked as young as 7 or 8. And these kids are out in the street at night while there's a protest and violent confrontations going on? Again, unacceptable. I don't like RT at the best of times but when you attack a journalist the gloves come off. Their parents should now be tracked down and charged with something - perhaps child neglect?

I started off entirely supportive of that protest and entirely understanding of the anger. The sight of a police car being destroyed means nothing to me, I expect it and I presume the police did too, leaving it out there in a convenient place ready to be filmed and shown across the country. But while I'm still understanding and supportive of the peaceful protesting, I finished watching feeling very different.

Angry protest is one thing, targeting police and their vehicles is something I would expect from such an angry crowd, but the moment a protest starts attacking and terrorizing innocent people they loose support and a more aggressive response is needed.

There comes a time in a protest like this when you have to say enough is enough. When people start attacking other innocent people the police have a duty to respond with the tools they have to prevent it from continuing or escalating. I hope that if these protests continue they manage to hold each other in check and accountable for their actions, if not, they have no place complaining about the police response.




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