As dawn approached, at least 25 police officers arrived at City Hall to get the remaining protesters to leave.
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The occupation came amid city deliberations on making interim commissioner Kevin Davis permanent.
Davis took the interim role in July after his predecessor, Anthony Batts, was sacked after violence rocked Baltimore and in the wake of unrest and rioting in April in the wake of Freddie Gray’s death.
After the subcommittee voted 3-1 for Davis, moving his permanent appointment one step closer to reality, Davis actually praised the protesters, calling their actions “an act of civil disobedience”, “It’s all part of the healing process”, he said, according to the AP. The remaining protesters were arrested and charged with trespassing, police said, adding there were no reported injuries to any protesters or officers.
Police are inside City Hall, though apparently the commissioner left after telling the protestors he was amenable to speaking with them at a few point.
Tawanda Jones, whose brother Tyrone West died after a confrontation with Baltimore police following a traffic stop in 2013, is among the protesters, holding a sign that reads: “Jail for Killer Cops”.
Activists remained at city hall overnight, saying they wouldn’t leave until their demands were met. At 4:45 a.m., the protesters who did not vacate were arrested and charged with trespassing.
Davis says the arrests were “the last thing we wanted to do”.
Activist Lawrence Grandpre, who was among those who left City Hall before arrests began, questioned why police had chosen to allow the protest to proceed all evening, then shut it down in the small hours of the morning. The city’s Board of Estimates must also approve Davis’ contract.
Protesters shout as council members leave the chamber at city hall…
Three of the subcommittee’s five members voted in favor of Davis. Since the death of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man who suffered a critical spinal injury in police custody, the police department and its leaders have taken the brunt of criticism for decades of government failures to address the city’s woes. Councilman Nick Mosby, who is married to State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby, voted against the confirmation, while Carl Stokes, who is running for mayor, abstained. Since their arrests, widespread unrest, homicides have risen, and residents in crime-addled neighborhoods have accused police officers of abandoning their posts.
It is clear that since Kevin Davis took office as interim police commissioner there has been a heightened aggression from law enforcement towards protesters….
Among the things they asked for: police officers to wear badges identifying them, no wiretaps or interception of cell phone usage, no use of armored vehicles or rubber bullets.
Following the subcommittee’s vote, Davis called Wednesday night’s protest an “act of civil disobedience” that “is just part of this moment”.
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Addressing the council subcommittee earlier, Davis said that he remains committed to training officers to actively engage and interact with community members.
