Dozens arrested in Baltimore at protests over police shootings

  • 8 years ago
Maryland police arrested dozens of demonstrators on Saturday (July 16) who were protesting over the fatal shootings of two black American men by police.

Police arrested 65 people in Baltimore, Maryland mostly for misdemeanors for blocking traffic, NBC said

Authorities grappled with a wave of demonstrations against police use of force that has swept the country in the past weeks after the killing of Philando Castile, 32, in a St. Paul, Minnesota, suburb, and Alton Sterling, 37, in Baton Rouge.

The protest took place as Baltimore awaits a decision in the trial of a police officer charged in the 2015 death of black detainee Freddie Gray, which then triggered protests and rioting.

At a spontaneous march in Dallas on July 7, a U.S. military veteran shot and killed five police officers, sending a chill through law enforcement as well as those involved in the mostly peaceful demonstrations.

Baltimore police received a warning from the Federal Bureau of Investigation on Thursday (July 14) that local gangs were targeting police, Police Chief Kevin Davis said.

With protests hitting many U.S. cities, the deadly ambush of Dallas police, and the ever-present threat of gun violence, four countries have urged citizens to be on alert if visiting the United States, and some black travelers are worried about making the trip.

The Bahamas, Bahrain, New Zealand and the United Arab Emirates have warned citizens to be on guard if visiting U.S. cities rocked by sometimes violent protests.

Recommended