riots Tag

The April 2015 Baltimore riots caused a great deal of damage to local businesses.  Former Baltimore mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake is reported to have told police to stand down and insisted that the lawless mobs be given "space" to destroy private property unimpeded. Baltimore businesses are now suing city officials, including the former mayor and local police, for failing to prevent the rampant looting and rioting that resulted in nearly $13 million in damages. The Baltimore Sun reports:

Dozens of Baltimore business owners are suing city officials, including the police department and former Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, saying they mishandled the city's response to the rioting in 2015.

We've recently seen riots in Ferguson and Baltimore, and there are growing concerns that Cleveland will be the next city to become embroiled in riots.  As we learn about (relatively well-) paid protesters and watch the usual parade of race grievance mongers, one thing has become quite clear:  the left has decided that violent riots are a viable tool for change. According to Jonathan Chait in New York Magazine:

The recent spate of protests against police brutality have changed the way the left thinks about rioting. The old liberal idea, which distinguished between peaceful protests (good) and rioting (bad), has given way to a more radical analysis. “Riots work,” insists George Ciccariello-Maher in Salon. “But despite the obviousness of the point, an entire chorus of media, police, and self-appointed community leaders continue to try to convince us otherwise, hammering into our heads a narrative of a nonviolence that has never worked on its own, based on a mythical understanding of the Civil Rights Movement.” Vox’s German Lopez, while acknowledging the downside of random violence, argues, “Riots can lead to real, substantial change.” In Rolling Stone, Jesse Myerson asserts, “the historical pedigree of property destruction as a tactic of resistance is long and frequently effective.” Darlena Cunha, writing in Time, asks, “Is rioting so wrong?” and proceeds to answer her own question in the negative.

Baltimore called in reinforcements after riots that began Saturday night continued to devastate the city. What began as a march over the death of Freddie Gray who passed away from a spinal chord injury while in police custody, rapidly descended into a violent riot. So far, rioters have thrown rocks and bottles at cops, looted and set fire to a CVS pharmacy, and robbed a reporter. And, just like the Ferguson, Missouri protests, these riots include the anti-Israel mob. To give you an idea of what's going on there, this confrontation between rioters and local law enforcement sums it up pretty well: The Baltimore Orioles game scheduled for this evening was postponed due to the unruly mob. The University of Maryland closed their Baltimore campus today because of local "activities." Essentially, Baltimore is out of control. Not to fear though, Al Sharpton is set to make an appearance. CBS Local live feed here: