Tales of Baltimore (2020)

2

April 19, 2015

A CNN news report of Freddie Gray's passing is being broadcasted across America.

Baldwin: I'm Brooke Baldwin with CNN. The Mystery death of young man in Baltimore police custody. The autopsy of this young 25 year old is now complete. The names of the officers involved in his arrest is now released, but more information was not lead, though, to any more clarity as far as how this 25 year old suspect, Freddie Gray, broke his neck after he was arrested on April 12th....

News footage of Freddy Gray being arrested is shown. In the city, a BLM gathering, consisting of mostly young African-American teenagers is taking place.

BLM Leader: What happened to that boy was unjustified! That's a straight fact! It's the same story, but a different motherfuckin name. We've been dealing with this systematic racism, since we arrived into this country in chains! We've seen this with Michael Brown, Travon Martin, Emmit Till. We can't let these bitch ass pigs run our streets no more! We can't let them kill our people no more! So I say if they wanna come into our streets and kill us like we ain't shit, we gonna do the same to their neighborhoods! Let's burn this bitch to the ground!

The young juveniles and teenagers begin looting and breaking into several stores, stealing goods. One rioter steals a scooter with Cleo amongst the protesters.

Cleo: Darnell, what you gonna do with that scooter? Nigga, you know good well, I can ride that scooter better than your black ass can.

Several other rioters toss a molotov into the CVS store as a fire erupts. The rioters begin to cheer on as the flames rise.

BLM Rioters: The roof! The roof! The roof is on fire! We don't need no water! Let the motherfucker burn! Burn, motherfucker, burn!

a few days later, news footage of Baltimoreans, particularly the African-American community, begin protesting in the midst of Freddie Gray's death.

Pitts: We report from Balitmore, where the Governor of Maryland has declared a state of emergency and the Mayor of Baltimore has announced a week long curfew beginning tomorrow night. A curfew that cannot come soon enough. Tonight, we have witnessed lawlessness and chaos on the streets as the violence escalates despite calls for peace....

Baltimore Rioter: First of all, this is not a war. This is not a war. We want peace, but y'all gotta give us that. Y'all keep taking everything we got; we gonna take what y'all got. This is not war, but we want our rights.

On April 27th, 2015, state attorney, Marilyn Mosby attempts to calm down the protesters.

Mosby: People of Baltimore. I know how you feel....

The protesters react in frustration and anger as they continue to lash out.

Mosby: But listen...during this time, we need to calm down...Freddie Gray's family has reached out to us. They've asked to please, stop rioting....please, just calm down.

Protester # 9: You fucking calm down, girl! Don't tell us to calm down after what those police did to that boy!

Mosby: I know you're upset. I'm upset, too. I am disgusted with what happened to young Freddie Gray. He should be here, ladies and gentlemen. This city has problems, especially with the police of this city....but listen....listen....we need to make the changes....we need to make a change....unite...with the other communities.