Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and a coalition of two dozen interdenominational leaders issued a “call for peace” after 35 people were arrested and six police officers were injured in weekend protests over the death of Freddie Gray, the Baltimore Sun reports. Despite Police Commissioner Anthony Batts’ insistence that a minority of out-of-town instigators caused the violence, online court records showed that only three of those arrested during Saturday’s protests were from outside Maryland.
“While the vast majority of arrests reflect local residency, the total number of arrests does not account for every incident of criminal activity,” police said. “The Baltimore Police Department believes that outside agitators continue to be the instigators behind acts of violence and destruction.” The Mayor said, “Many people who weren’t from our community were, in essence, trying to hijack the very raw emotions of some of those who live in Baltimore and were expressing anger over the death of Mr. Gray.” she said. “People from the outside were inciting some of the ‘shut this city down’ sort of messaging, and then just left.” Gray died April 19, a week after he sustained a spinal cord injury while in police custody. He will be buried today.