Police breakup election celebration
Early this morning, Baltimore police broke up a celebration of Barack Obama supporters in Charles Village. Authorities said 16 people, including a Johns Hopkins University professor, were arrested and then released without charges around 9 this morning.
Participants said the gathering of about 200 people was peaceful but loud. Police say they got complaints about loud noise and moved in to break up the gathering about 2 a.m., two hours after it had begun. They also said an intersection near Union Memorial Hospital was blocked by the crowd.
Many are emailing the Baltimore Sun with complaints of brutality, and a short 14-second video has been posted on Youtube. I've put the link below; judge for yourself, but it doesn't show much. A woman can be heard yelling, "Somebody take pictures" but I didn't see any brutal behavior. You do see officers wrestling somebody to the ground.
A Baltimore Police spokesman Sterling Clifford said, "As is sometimes the case, there were people who did not want to go home." In an interview with Baltimore Sun reporter Gus G. Sentementes, he added, "We made a reasonable effort to accommodate those people. You can't just let it go on indefinitely, partly out of concern for their safety, and partly out of concerns for the neighborhood."
Here are some samples of emails:
Last night I was celebrating in the streets with a bunch of my classmates when the police arrived and tried to break things up. After meeting no violence whatsoever and no more resistance than should be expected for such a large crowd, they proceeded to taze and arrest at least 10 students. I'm pretty sure they were kept overnight downtown. Coverage of this issue seems extremely important.
From Robert Dillon in Illinois:
Here are some samples of emails:
Last night I was celebrating in the streets with a bunch of my classmates when the police arrived and tried to break things up. After meeting no violence whatsoever and no more resistance than should be expected for such a large crowd, they proceeded to taze and arrest at least 10 students. I'm pretty sure they were kept overnight downtown. Coverage of this issue seems extremely important.
From Robert Dillon in Illinois:
Comments
Here in the city, we have a murder rate second to very few. We have drugs. We have all many of fearful things that our illustrious police department seem to be too afraid to even try to handle! By Golly! it's good to know that we're safe from those who evil folks who would celebrate our democracy!!
Posted by: Eve | November 5, 2008 4:14 PM
These students were acting disorderly and refusing to disperse at 2am while the area residents were trying to sleep since I am sure many had to get up early and go to work. It is unreasonable to expect the police and neighbors to tolerate such behavior so late at night. I am sure the parents of these fine students were snug in their beds and would not have appreciated such a display of revelry outside their bedrooms windows. Be considerate - is that too much to ask?
Posted by: Cynic | November 6, 2008 10:10 AM
It's 2 a.m. Do you know where your common sense is?
When the police arrive to break up a loud, disruptive outdoor gathering that's disturbing people inside their houses and even inside a hospital, GO HOME. Of all the reasons to cast a critical eye on the Baltimore police, this doesn't make the list.
Posted by: Jeff | November 6, 2008 10:27 AM
Many of those arrested were, in fact, trying to go home. Loud noise is NEVER an excuse for the kind of violence and brutality that we were met with. The BPD did a very good job of putting out a story that puts them in the right. This however was not the case at all, and those of us who were there know it. Before you hop up on your high horse and condem a group of people celebrating a truly amazing event, get the real story.
Posted by: Anonymous | January 7, 2009 1:32 PM