(Newswire.net — April 30, 2015) — When MSNBC’s anchor, Thomas Roberts approached one of Baltimore’s protesters, he didn’t expect the pointed criticism of his network and other media. Danielle Williams, a protester against the police brutality, calmly answered Roberts’ question about reasons they gathered, then she asked the reporter why they didn’t cover the protests against police brutality before the riots.
“My question to you is, when we were out here protesting all last week for six days straight peacefully, there were no news cameras, there were no helicopters, there was no riot gear, and nobody heard us,” Williams said to Roberts.
In a video, Williams admitted protesters were burning and breaking, however, she had a perfectly sane explanation: “So now that we’ve burned down buildings and set businesses on fire and looted buildings, now all of the sudden everybody wants to hear us,” she said.
The protester then politely asked the reporter “Why does it take a catastrophe like this in order for America to hear our cry?”
“I mean, enough is enough. We’ve had too many lives lost at the hands of police officers. Enough is enough,” she said.
Protests in Baltimore flamed when a man arrested by the police died while in custody. Gray was arrested in the Sandtown-Winchester neighborhood of West Baltimore on April 12, and died under unexplained circumstances in a police station, which triggered the people of Baltimore to march against the police brutality.
The media attention was attracted after the protesters clashed with the police and burned down a building. A recent theory emerged when one inmate allegedly heard someone hitting the wall. Allegedly, Gray died of self-inflicted wounds, hurting his spine while bumping his head against the wall.
Nonetheless, the aggravated citizens believe the police could have prevented Gray from dying, but they didn’t do anything just like in Eric Garner’s case.
Actually, the protests against police brutality began in Baltimore a day before Gray’s death and continued for five days without violence. Over the weekend, some protesters clashed with police, although demonstrations remained largely nonviolent.
Continuance of the Baltimore protests sparked solidarity protests in other US cities. After largely peaceful protests in Chicago, more than 60 people were arrested in New York City amid civil disobedience, Russia Today reporterd.
According to a RT reporter Marina Portnaja who said in a report that the police warned protesters that they would be arrested if they stepped onto the street from the sidewalk.
“I have never seen this before,” Portnaja reported in live coverage. “Police officer walking around with the speaker, playing robotic message over and over, reminding the crowd that if they walk onto the street they will be arrested.”
In her report, Portnaya added that “The media will continue to paint the people of Baltimore as rioters and looters but people forget that the City and Police of Baltimore loot and destroy Black and Brown communities of Baltimore every day of the year.”