Thousands took to the streets of Baltimore on Monday night to riot in protest of the April 19 death of 25-year-old black male Freddie Gray, who did not receive medical care in time to save his life while he was in police custody.
It was reported by several news outlets Tuesday morning that 202 arrests, 144 vehicle fires and 19 structure fires took place Monday night.
There are many opinions to be had about what has taken place in Baltimore, including those belonging to students at MSU.
Physiology senior Daniel Tanbakuchi said he sympathizes with the citizens of Baltimore and does think challenging authority can sometimes be good, but said he thinks the destruction is wrong.
“What they’re doing, destroying their city, that doesn’t help anything,” Tanbakuchi said. “I think their point gets nullified when they do that.”
Business and arts and humanities freshman Travis Revard also agrees that setting fire to a city is wrong.
“I don’t think that’s a great thing to be doing,” Revard said. “Burning and wrecking things doesn’t help anything. ... You’re supposed to be setting a peaceful example for change. ... I think the people that riot are being hypocritical.”
In a statement Tuesday, MSU Black Student Alliance Vice President Kelsi Horn, like many, said she has conflicting view points when it comes to the current events in Baltimore.
“I feel that their actions are result of continuous mourning not just for Freddie Grey but for Trayvon Martin, Renisha McBride, Walter Scott, Phillip White, Eric Harris,Tamir Rice, Eric Gardner and the thousands of other Black lives that have been taken as a result of police brutality who will never have the opportunity to have their narratives told,” Horn said.
Horn said this week has been an emotional one for people of color.
“This week we have been forced to reopen wounds that have not yet been healed and live in fear of who we will mourn next. People need a way to lash out their emotions and to make their voices heard,” she went on to say. “While destroying property may not be the most productive way, I cannot say that their actions are not unwarranted. However, when the media portrays only violence associated with the situation it allows for people to villainize those who are victims of a system that continuously fails them.”
Black Student Alliance President Myya Jones also said she had conflicting feelings about the violence, but understood the frustration and anger which came from Gray's death.
"While I don't agree with agree with everything that is going on and there could be peaceful alternatives, when people are fed up with how they are going to react in the way they feel is best to get the results they want," she said in a statement. "I believe the negativity that is coming with Baltimore is because of the races associated. Example White students have rioted numerous times in East Lansing and set Grand River ablaze in recent past because of sport game victories but yet when Black students protest for liberation, we are frowned upon. The U.S. government has used violence as a way to get results repeatedly in history. If violence isn't the answer, why do we proudly go to wars?"
