Within minutes after a jury deadlocked on convicting Baltimore police officer William Porter of Manslaughter and other related charges, Baltimore sheriffs were on “high alert” with protesters who had assembled outside of the county courthouse to protest the mistrial ordered by the presiding judge in the case. Kwame Rose who has been a high-profile figure in the City of Baltimore since the death of Freddie Gray was one of the two that were immediately arrested for what some viewed as a targeted effort by law enforcement to silence the civil rights activist. After his release, Kwame Rose released an official statement via his facebook page below:
To the Mayor, Baltimore City Police, and the Sheriffs office:
Yesterday afternoon I was subject to yet another targeted arrest, in an effort to silence, and disperse protesters. In my charging documents it states “We identified Kwame Rose through investigation, and intelligence as being the leader of several protest.” It should be noted that none of us involved in the movement, including myself, are bigger than the movement. Arresting me over and over again will not deter the movement from happening, I am not the leader of the movement the people are. I suggest that you all use the “investigation and intelligence” methods you describe, to point out police officers who aren’t abiding by their sworn oath.
A 16 year old, who has been attending protest over the last few months to stay out of trouble, was choke slammed by a grown man. That Sheriff deputy needs to be fired immediately and charged with assault. No more will we allow law enforcement to make unjustified arrest, as a method of crowd control. Our voices will not be silenced, nor held in captivity.
-Kwame Rose
Georgia Dickens, A Kwame facebook supporter wrote the following:
Know your history, read black literature. How can my generation ‘pass the torch’ to a divided generation? I was and remain proud of the YOUth who stepped it up in April. As far as the coming trials, do not be discouraged. You have to strategize. Think, think, think. Don’t be predictable. You have to ask for help from supporters, colleges and other states. Where is your network? As a child of the civil rights era, I do not recall Dr. King, Medgar Evers, SNCC or Freedom Riders asking permission to protest. What if Harriett Tubman asked permission to lead slaves to freedom by way of the North Star? What if Ida B. Wells gave the KKK a copy of her news stories on lynchings for review? What about all the non-black friends and supporters who marched and died to support our cause for justice and equality? I may have missed something during the trial reporting, so tell me if there was a discussion about how Freddie Gray was injured and who injured him, before this whole what happened inside the van story evolved? The police, like most in this City want to keep their foot on our necks in my opinion. If you back down and lose this Non-violent but justified standoff, your prosperity will suffer the consequences. Law enforcement started this fight, YOUth must stand your ground and finish it yes with nonviolence but not without some scrapes and bruises as what occurred at the Edmond Pettus bridge in Selma, AL. Send out an S.O.S. Ask if anybody cares enough to come and help YOUth fill the streets of this city to let the mayor and police chief know that Black Lives Matter enough to send a strong message now to prevent revisiting the subject later. Stop being passive. Be assertive, intelligent, articulate and determined to have a better life and future in this city. Lest We Forget.
Hopefully there will be justice in the death of Freddie Gray as one thing is for sure, he was a healthy 25-year old prior to his senseless death.
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