Protests against police killing of black man in Baltimore continue

Protests against police killing of black man in Baltimore continue

A large number of Americans have again taken to the streets of Baltimore, Maryland, to protest the death of a 25-year-old unarmed African American man at the hands of white police officers.

On Thursday night, the protesters poured into the streets to demand justice for the murder of Freddie Gray, who died of a spinal injury he sustained during his arrest by police.

They rallied at City Hall before marching to to the Police Department. Some walked through traffic.

The demonstrators were carrying placards bearing the message “Black Lives Matter”. They also chanted slogans against racial discrimination and police brutality in the United States, with many shouting “No Justice No Peace”.

The slogan has become a centerpiece of the persisting protests over the past six days.

A protester displays a Freddie Gray sign outside the Police Department in Baltimore on Thursday.

Some protesters also clashed with police officers and threw objects at them. At least two people were arrested.

The demonstrators have vowed to continue hitting the streets until they get answers on Gray’s death.

Gray died on Sunday at a hospital a week after he was seriously injured while being arrested by the Baltimore Police Department.

According to family lawyer William Murphy, Gray fell into a coma after his spine was broken while he was in custody.

An eyewitness made a video of an injured Gray being dragged into a van by officers.

The killing of several unarmed black men by white police officers in recent months and decisions by grand juries not to indict the officers triggered large-scale protests across the US.

There is also widespread racial disparity in the US criminal justice system. According to a study by the Sentencing Project research group, one in three black males are likely to be sentenced to prison sometime during their life. The figure for white men is one in 17.