US Justice Department behind violence in Baltimore: Koerri Washington

US Justice Department behind violence in Baltimore: Koerri Washington

Tue Apr 28, 2015 2:31AM

Firefighters battle a blaze in East Baltimore on Monday night.
 

The US Department of Justice (DOJ) is fuelling violence in Baltimore in order to curb peaceful demonstrations being held in the US city against the death of an African-American man in police custody, according to an American journalist and activist in Wisconsin.
“It is just too convenient that every single time the DOJ comes in, the tactics change from the police, and then their provocateurs out there starting all the trouble,” Koerri Washington, host of The Average Liberator online news program, told Press TV on Monday.
On Monday, Baltimore erupted in violence as hundreds of unknown rioters looted stores, burned buildings and injured at least 15 police officers following the funeral of 25-year-old African-American Freddie Gray who died on April 19, a week after white police officers broke his spine.

Demonstrators climb on a destroyed Baltimore police car in the street near the corner of Pennsylvania and North avenues during violent protests following the funeral of Freddie Gray April 27, 2015 in Baltimore, Maryland. (AFP photo)

A large fire consumed a senior center under construction near a church in East Baltimore on Monday night, television reports showed.
Washington said that he felt that “the same situation was going to roll out again, because as I have stated in previous interviews, every time the DOG happens to come in and gets its hands on a situation, from Eric Garner to all the way back to Trayvon Martin, whenever the DOG gets involved there’s always seem to be a joint movement that come out of it.”
“I am getting quite skeptical about this whole situation. Everything was cool in Baltimore a few days ago, the DOJ rolls in, the peaceful protests turn into riots,” he added.
The mayor announced to place Baltimore under curfew from Tuesday night after peaceful protests turned violent.

Baltimore police officers clash with protesters in the streets near Mondawmin Mall on April 27, 2015 in Baltimore, Maryland. (AFP photo)

"Again, there will be a city wide curfew, 10:00 pm to 5:00 am," Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake told reporters on Monday.
"This preliminary curfew will last for one week and be extended as it is necessary," she added.
In addition, she said that the Maryland National Guard will be deployed in the violence-hit city.
The tragic incident was just one of a succession of fatal police brutalities in recent months.
In recent months, large-scale protests were held across the US after a series of high-profile incidents of white police officers killing unarmed African-American men, including Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri; Eric Garner in Staten Island, New York and Walter Scott in North Charleston, South Carolina.
GJH/GJH  source:presstv