Baltimore riots a “predictable reaction to deep mistrust of police”

WASHINGTON, DC, April 28, 2015—As the situation in Baltimore, Maryland continues to unfold in response to the suspicious death of a young black man, Freddie Gray, while in police custody, the National LGBTQ Task Force is calling for urgent action from the local, state and federal governments.

“Our hearts go out to the family of Freddie Gray and to those people whose hearts are broken with grief. Police-related killings of young black men have become a regular occurrence across our nation. So in a very real way what is happening in Baltimore is a predictable reaction to appalling injustice, deep mistrust of police and the real sense that nothing will be done about it. Governments cannot ignore this issue. They can’t become desensitized to this escalating national epidemic that impacts everyone. They need to show that black lives matter, not by what they say but by what they do. We must get action from the local, state and federal governments. Justice must be served in a transparently fair way. Racial injustice is a scourge that must be eliminated from our society; racial profiling must be eliminated from our policing; and racism must end,” said Rea Carey, Executive Director, National LGBTQ Task Force.

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CONTACT:
Jorge Amaro
Media and Public Relations Director
213-842-7564
jamaro@thetaskforce.org