Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake (D) in an interview Thursday defended her decision not to personally go and calm angry crowds in the city’s streets.
“I know that my presence can be a calming presence and can be a flashpoint,” she said on CNN’s “New Day.”
“I’m not going to risk inserting myself — you know, it might look good to some people — but I’m not going to insert myself in a situation that we know is potentially hostile and very fragile when I have leaders like Elijah Cummings and Senator Pugh who are willing to stand in and do that work that needs to be done,” she said.
Some elected officials, including Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), have been a presence among protesters — looking to convince residents to obey a curfew that took effect on Tuesday night. Rawlings-Blake said that “everybody has their role and their place to bring peace in our community.”
“There are a lot of moving pieces, there’s a lot of work that needs to be done operationally, and I’m doing that role,” she added. “I can’t be eight different places at one time.”
The mayor has been visible at media briefings during protests in the city over the way the police department treats minority communities. Those protests were sparked by the death of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man who sustained a fatal spinal injury while in police custody.
Most of the protests have been peaceful, but on Monday there were riots that saw residents burn cars and buildings over the course of the afternoon and evening.
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It is her City. If she has 8 places that she needs to be at once, she needs to place priorities based on importance. Her City in turmoil with protesting and rioting should be her TOP Priority and she should have been there to help bring peace to her community. She is a coward and needs to be fired!
ReplyDeleteI don't like her much but this is an unprecedented situation. No matter what she does, she'll be criticized.
ReplyDeleteI did see come comments complaining on the Sun talk forums where there's been disparity in police protecting property. The police weren't tolerant in the more affluent/tourist areas as they were in the West Baltimore low income areas.
10:33, She lost all my respect by demanding all law enforcement stand down. The final straw was when she brought Sharpton in. I was almost afraid Ireton was going to bring in Richard Simmons the other night.
ReplyDeleteShe should step down, or figure out a way to fire her. She allowed criminals the opportunity to destroy taypayers properties and risked the safety of officers, fire personnel, ems and citizens. She refused to answer for her actions and stood by while the bobblehead assaulted a person. It is a shame that SHE is considered a leader. Shows why bmore is a 3rd world s..thole.
ReplyDeleteShe's a lot like obamas wife , always worried about her looks.
ReplyDeleteHowever , both are ugly due to their reputation .
If you want a leader to lead you into poverty , you got it.
Clearly a case of "Lipstick on a Pig".
ReplyDeletetime to ask her to just go away
ReplyDeleteI think every owner of a business that was destroyed, every person whose vehicle was damaged, every homeowner whose home was burned, every person that was injured, and mostly every Police Officer in the City of Baltimore should sue the Mayor for her total lack of regard, and her public comments made that she gave rioters space to destroy. It has and will cost the city billions !!
ReplyDeleteAs often as I disagree with this blog,.,
ReplyDeleteI wholehardly agree with all the above comments^^