Law Students Organize Vigil Commemorating Freddie Gray

Dozens of students gathered on the steps of Langdell Hall on Tuesday night for a brief vigil commemorating the death of Freddie Gray in Baltimore, Md.

The vigil, organized by the Black Law Students Association and the Harvard Ferguson Action Coalition, consisted of two speakers and spanned from 9:45 to 10 p.m. in order to coincide with the 10 p.m. city-wide curfew announced by the mayor of Baltimore following the governor of Maryland’s declaration of a state of emergency.

Gray, a 25-year-old black man, died in police custody on Sunday after having suffered a spinal cord injury following his arrest on April 12. The aftermath of his death resulted in an outbreak of riots and violence in the streets of Baltimore, calling for an end to police brutality.

Students assembled in front of Langdell Hall on Tuesday evening for a moment of silence for Freddie Gray, who died after severe spinal cord injuries in police detainment. The moment of silence occurred just before 10 p.m., which is the curfew imposed by the city of Baltimore in light of recent civil unrest. By Anneli L. Tostar

“We’ve gathered here today just to ask for peace,” said Leland S. Shelton in the opening remarks of the vigil. Shelton is a Law School student, member of BLSA, and resident of Baltimore who helped organize the event.

“Peace is what we ask our police officers, those who have sworn to serve and protect, those who we have sworn to keep the peace,” said Shelton. “It’s ironic because those same people are the ones who have been harassing and brutalizing us.”

Several students at the vigil held banners with phrases like “End White Supremacy,” “Your Peace is Violence,” and “Can You Breathe?”

“This is not just about Baltimore city, or Ferguson, or Staten Island,” said Shelton, adding that he thinks police brutality is a phenomenon that affects communities across America.

BLSA collected donations during the vigil and intends to send the contributions to bail funds and food pantries in Baltimore. Shelton indicated that they will also be benefitting the organization Baltimore United, which provides bail and legal support in the area.

The riots, which have been widely covered by the press, have seen the destruction of private property, looting of local businesses, and vandalization of police cars.

“It’s real funny to watch these streets you grew up in destroyed,” said Calvin Young, a second year student at Harvard Business School.  “But it’s just as tough to see young people who grew up in these streets just like yourself, angry and upset because of oppression that they’ve felt forever.”

—Staff writer Carolina I. Portela-Blanco can be reached at carolina.portelablanco@thecrimson.com. Follow her on Twitter @cportelablanco.