Gang members: We did not make truce to harm cops

DEBORAH: I’M SORRY, THERE WAS A FIRE TRUCK FLYING DOWN THE STREET. I WANT TO SHARE SOMETHING WITH YOU. THROUGH THE NIGHT, I HAVE SEEN ANOTHER — A NUMBER OF YOUNG PEOPLE STOP ME AND SAY TO ME, YOU NEED TO TALK TO US AND GET OUR VOICE HEARD. I SAID, YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY RIGHT. SO WE HAVE A PORTION OF AN INTERVIEW WE DID WITH SOME OF THE GANG MEMBERS WHO WERE ATTENDING THE MEETING TONIGHT WITH CHURCH LEADERS. HERE IS WHAT THEY HAD TO SAY. TELL ME WHAT’S GOING ON. WE WANT THE PEOPLE OF BALTIMORE CITY TO KNOW THAT THE IMAGE THEY ARE TRYING TO PORTRAY OF GANGS IN BALTIMORE, WE DO NOT MAKE THAT TRUCE TO HARM COPS. WE DID NOT, TOGETHER AGAINST COPS. WE HAVE SOLDIERS OUT RIGHT NOW. WE DIRTY. THEY FOR BOMBS AT US AND ARE TRYING TO STOP WHAT’S GOING ON RIGHT NOW. YOUR GAME PLAN HAS BEEN TO STOP THE VIOLENCE? TO STOP WHAT’S GOING ON. WE JUST WANT JUSTICE FOR FREDDIE GRAY. WE BELIEVE IN THAT. WHAT YOU THINK WHEN YOU SEE THIS HAPPENING IN THE STREETS? BUSINESSES LOOTED, CARS ON FIRE, POLICE INJURED? IT MAKES US LOOK REAL BAD. AND IT IS BACKING UP WHAT THEY ARE SAYING. THEY ARE SAYING WE ARE ANIMALS. AND WE ARE ACTING LIKE THAT. BUT I DON’T AGREE WHAT — WITH WHAT’S GOING ON, BUT I UNDERSTAND WHY PEOPLE ARE MAD. BUT WE HAVE TO HANDLE THINGS ANOTHER WAY. I THINK THE SAME THING. WE HAVE BEEN OUT HERE ALL DAY TRYING TO PREVENT PEOPLE FROM BREAKING INTO STORES. THEY HAD US WITH A BOMB. THEY RIPPED OUR SHIRTS AND WE WERE STILL STANDING RIGHT THERE. WE CAME RIGHT BACK AND HELD HANDS. WE MARCHED TOGETHER. WE WERE HOLDING STRONG. WE WANT THEM TO STOP HURTING US SO WE CAN LIVE OUR LIVES AND KEEP GOING. WE ARE TRYING TO HELP THEM. WITHOUT THEM DOING THAT, IT IS GOING TO MAKE EVERYONE ANGRY. WE DON’T WANT TO BE ANGRY. WE AS A COMMUNITY, WE WANT TO CALM EVERYONE DOWN. THEY HAVE HEARD A LOT OF PEOPLE AND KILLED A LOT OF PEOPLE FOR NO APPARENT REASON. WHAT GROUP IS THIS? WE ARE ONE RIGHT NOW. THAT IS THE BLOODS OVER THERE BUT WE ARE UNITED RIGHT NOW. WE ARE BLACK MEN AND WE ARE UNITED. NO MATTER WHAT PEOPLE SAY, WE ARE NOT TRYING TO SHOOT POLICE. WILL NOT — WE WILL NOT LET THAT STOP US FROM DOING WHAT WE PLAN TO DO. TO PEOPLE WATCHING, HOW DO YOU WANT TO EXPLAIN WHAT IS HAPPENING TONIGHT? STOP BELIEVING EVERYTHING YOU HEAR IN THE MEDIA. IF YOU WERE NOT AT THE PROTEST ON THE DAY WE PROTESTED FOR FREDDY, YOU DON’T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED. THEY DID NOT TELL YOU THAT WE WALKED PAST DOWNTOWN, THAT PEOPLE THROUGH BAGS AT US. PEOPLE CALLED US NAMES. THEY CALLED US THOSE THINGS. THE PROTEST WAS AGITATED. YOU GUYS FEEL THAT YOU ARE GETTING BLAMED, CORRECT, OR WHAT’S HAPPENING? YES, MA’AM. BECAUSE WE ARE BLACK AND WE HAVE FLAGS ON, THEY ASSUME WE ARE GOING TO HURT SOMEBODY OR BREAK SOMEONE DOWN. MOST OF US, WE BRING EVERYBODY CLOSE. WE GO TO OUR JOBS AND GO TO SCHOOL ON TIME. THEY MAKE IT SEEM LIKE, HE HAS A FLAG ON, HE IS DOING THE WRONG THING. BUT I JUST CAME HOME AND I AM TRYING TO DO EVERYTHING I CAN TO PREVENT THIS. I GOT LOCKED UP FOR HELPING A FEMALE DOWNTOWN ON BALTIMORE STREET. I STOPPED IT. I USED SELF-DEFENSE. THEY LOCKED ME UP BECAUSE I AM ME AND I’M A BLACK MALE. THEY HAVE BEEN FOR TRAINING US THIS WAY FOR SO LONG. A LOT OF THE NEIGHBORHOODS, A LOT OF THE SO-CALLED GANG BANGERS, THAT IS WHERE THEY COME FROM AND WHAT THEY ARE. BUT WE TRY TO GET ACROSS, WE ARE A DIFFERENT FACTION. WE WANT TO START SHOWING PEOPLE IN THE COMMUNITY THAT WE CAN COME TOGETHER AND B.P. SPOKE. THERE WERE SO MANY THINGS GOING ON ON SATURDAY THAT GOT PORTRAYED IN THE WRONG LIGHT. FOR SOME REASON, AND NOSE, RIGHT? KNOWS WHAT HE WANT TO PASTE — PAINT THIS PICTURE. WHEN A GROUP OF 30 BLOODS WALKS UP ON A GROUP OF 30 CRIPS, AND THE PICTURES THEY TAKE, THEY SAY, THEY ARE UNITING TO KILL COPS. BUT THEY DIDN’T WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE GOOD SIDE OF WHAT WE ARE DOING IN THIS COMMUNITY. WE WERE ARE AT THE CHURCH TONIGHT. ALTHOUGH OUR CAUSE IS RIGHTEOUS, WE CANNOT CONTROL EVERY PERSON. JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE IS A MEMBER OF THE BLOODS OR CRATES, WE CANNOT CONTROL EVERY GANG IN THE CITY AND STATE — AND SAY, STOP THIS. I ESTIMATE THAT WE WERE 30 PEOPLE STRONG. OUT OF THE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE WHO WERE DOWN THERE, YOU MEAN TO TELL ME YOU ARE POINTING THE FINGER AT US BECAUSE WE HAVE COLORS ON? THAT IS NOT WHAT WE STAND FOR. JUSTICE FOR FREDDIE GRAY. JUSTICE. THANK YOU SO MUCH. DEBORAH: THAT IS A VERY DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE THAN YOU HAVE PROBABLY EVER HEARD. OFTENTIMES, WE HAVE TO BEG PEOPLE TO TALK TO US ON NIGHTS LIKE THIS. AS YOU CAN SEE, THEY VERY MUCH

By Deborah Weiner