BALTIMORE — City Council President Bernard C. “Jack” Young today issued the following appeal for peace after pockets of ruffians marred peaceful demonstrations throughout downtown Baltimore Saturday:
“Our country has a storied history of turning the disparate many into a powerfully cohesive unit in pursuit of justice.
Since Monday, we have witnessed the young and old lock arms, and engage in the age-old tradition of peaceful assembly in the name of justice. They’ve brought little more than their collective voices and a desire for change, which transformed into a clarion call for justice for Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old man who died April 12 while in police custody, and the countless other individuals who have suffered as a result of our nation’s emphasis on punitive measures. I have supported their rights, and joined them on their journey for justice.
But on Saturday, the righteousness of the many was perverted by the misdeeds of a few.
We all have a constitutional right to peaceful assemble and protest. But we do not, however, have a right to visit destruction and harm upon the innocent.
I am asking for anyone not interested in peacefully seeking justice to please leave our city.
I would like to thank the many brave protesters who stood up to the few individuals who were more interested in breaking the law than in pursuing meaningful and lasting change.
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