The latest fundraiser for the officers charged in the death of Freddie Gray cites “The Battle of Mondawmin.”
T-shirts displayed at Baltimore6.com show a brick, much like one that was thrown at cops near Mondawmin Mall in the April 27 rioting.Around the brick, the shirt reads “The Baltimore Riot 2015 – The Battle of Mondawmin.”
After rumors of a school walkout and “purge” circulated on the day of Freddie Gray’s funeral, police in riot gear lined up on the east side of the mall, which is a transit hub for students. The scene turned violent as bricks and other objects were thrown, and eventually wound through the neighborhood, giving way to a night of rioting throughout the city.
More than 75 people had ordered a $25 shirt as of Monday morning. The description reads as follows:
On May 1, 2015 six Baltimore Police Officers were indicted and suspended without pay in the wake of the riots and demands that they be charged criminally. They, and their families, suffer while some rejoice in their misfortune. They supported our community, doing a job few have the courage or ability to do. Now they need our support. ALL proceeds will go directly to the FOP#3 Distress Fund
FOP #3 refers to Baltimore’s police union, but a spokeswoman told WBAL that the union isn’t directly involved with the fundraiser.
Over the summer, a planned fundraiser event for the officers was cancelled after it was revealed that a former Baltimore cop would be reviving his controversial blackface routine.
The next hearing in the officers’ case is set for Thursday, when a judge will consider a motion to move the trial outside of Baltimore.
