Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake Comes Under Fire Because Of ‘Balancing Act’ Comment
People might not have known much about Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake until recently. Because of the riots following the funeral of Freddie Gray, Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has been in the national news for the riots going on in and around her city. In fact, the 45-year-old mayor has come under fire for making a comment about a “balancing act.” The major later explained that she didn’t mean what the public is thinking she meant, according to Fox News.
The Baltimore mayor faced backlash for her response to a situation that is definitely out of control, with more than a dozen police officers injured. Automobiles, stores, and other buildings have been vandalized. Worst than that, some buildings have been burned to the ground.
Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake might have had good intentions with her attempt to make a distinction between peaceful protesting and criminal rioting, but that’s not the way the media understood it. What she said before the riots started was that she condemns the violence while remaining committed to protecting the rights to protest.
“It’s a very delicate balancing act because while we tried to make sure they were protected from the cars and the other things that were going on, we gave those who wished to destroy space to do that, as well.”
After a day of riots, the mayor made another statement on Monday night. It was an attempt to clarify what she had previously said in reference to protesting.
“I’m going to protect people’s right to protest. The fact that people exploited that does not mean that I do not have an obligation to protect people’s right to protest. I never said, nor would I ever say, that we are giving people space to destroy our city. So my words should not be twisted.”
According to WBAL News on Monday night, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said, ‘This is one of our darkest days.” She issued a mandatory citywide curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. starting Tuesday night until May 4. The curfew starts at 9 p.m. for those who are 14-years-old and under. She stipulated that this is a preliminary curfew that will last for one week and will be extended if it becomes necessary to do so.
During the press conference on Monday night, Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake blamed “thugs” for the riots. Howard Libit, spokesman for the mayor’s office, gave a list of damages done to the city of Baltimore.
- 15 officers hurt
- 6 officers hospitalized
- 144 vehicle fires
- 15 structure fires
- Nearly 200 arrests
[Image via My Fox News]
