Freddie Gray Protest: Violence Breaks Out At Baltimore Rally

This story has been updated.

Update, 11:26 p.m. EDT: Baltimore Police released a statement on the arrests made following protests in the city over the death of Freddie Gray while in police custody. A department spokesman said in the statement that "approximately" 34 people had been arrested during the protests and that six officers had suffered minor injuries. The department noticed that the protests had been "mostly peaceful throughout the day." See the full statement below.

Update, 11:26 p.m. EDT: Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake asked Saturday for calm in the wake of violence that erupted during protests against Freddie Gray's death. Violence swept across the city in the evening as protesters damaged police cars and clashed with police after a day of peaceful demonstrations.

"Our city has a long history of peaceful demonstrations," Rawlings-Blake said in a press conference Saturday night, according to the AP. "Ninety-five percent or more of the people who came out sought to protest in that spirit. Unfortunately a small group of agitators turned what was otherwise a peaceful demonstration into a violent protest."

The mayor also said that she was "profoundly disappointed" the day became violent. Twelve arrests were made in the protests and Police Commissioner Anthony Blatts said he expected many more to come, the Baltimore Sun reported.

Gray's family made a plea for calm protests as well. “Can ya’ll please, please stop the violence?” Fredericka Gray, Freddie Gray's sister, pleaded.

Update, 9:05 p.m. EDT: The inside of a Baltimore store appears to have been damaged, according to a tweet and photo from Baltimore Sun.

UPDATE: 8:50 p.m. EDT: Eight arrests have been made in the protests, Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony Batts said, according to the Baltimore Sun.

Original post:

A protest rally prompted by the police-custody death of Freddie Gray turned violent Saturday evening as demonstrators and police clashed. Police car windows were smashed amid disturbances in downtown Baltimore.

Gray, 25, an African-American, suffered a fatal spine injury in police custody and later died in a hospital last week. Protestors rallied to demand answers about his death and some of the crowd turned violent. When the protests reached Camden Yards, several protesters rushed toward a police cruiser, one stomping across the top of it, the Baltimore Sun reported. Videos have surfaced appearing to show protesters smashing the windows of police cars. A video posted by AJ+ on Twitter appears to show a group of demonstrators attempting to burn an American flag pulled down outside of Baltimore City Hall. The Baltimore Sun reported a fracas with protestors throwing rocks and the local paper's live updates indicated arrests were made.

The violence came after peaceful marching and protests throughout the streets of Baltimore. The crowd moved throughout the city, making stops at Camden Yards and Maryland Shock Trauma Center where Gray died. Gray was arrested after running from police on April 12. He was then driven unbuckled in the back of a police van, and paramedics later were called. He was taken to the hospital and died last Sunday.

The crowd yelled out “Killers!” and “You can’t get away with this,” clashing with more than 100 police in riot gear, the Baltimore Sun reported. State police in tactical gear have been sent out, with more being deployed to the crowd that was becoming more unruly, the Baltimore Sun reported. The Baltimore Police Twitter account confirmed several of its cars had been damaged, and posted people from "out of town" were causing the disturbances. It also posted the protesters have a right to speak but asked for the rally to remain peaceful.

"It could have been my brother, my father," protester Dante Acree, 33, told WBAL TV, Baltimore. "I'd want the same support."