Wolf Blitzer interviews Deray McKesson about violence in Baltimore

CNN interviews community activist, gets PWN'd

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[Wolf Blitzer] I want to bring in DeRay McKesson,

he's a community activist

who we first met in Ferguson Missouri,

he's now in Baltimore as part
of a peaceful protest

DeRay thanks very much for joining us.

What's your plan today?
What's your mission in Baltimore?

[DeRay McKessen] Y'know we're here
supporting the protesters on the ground,

and continuing the movement.

Y'know there's been a lot
of positive demonstrations

over the past couple of months here in Baltimore
and across the country

because the police have continued to kill people.

I mean, tonight will be another night

where people come out into the streets
to confront a system that is corrupt.

[WB] But you want peaceful protest, right?

[DM] Yes, for sure.

And remember, the people that have been violent
since August have been the police.

We think about the 300 people
that have been killed this year alone,

that is violence.

There's been property damage here
that's been really unfortunate

over the past couple... for a day or so here,

but remember there have been many days
of peaceful protest here in Baltimore City,

and in places all around the country.

[WB] But at least 15 police officers have been hurt,

200 arrests, 144 vehicle fires,

these are statistics local police have put out,

15 structure fires,

there's no excuse for that kind of violence, right?

[DM] And there's no excuse for the 7 people

that the Baltimore City police department
has killed in this past year either, right?

[WB] W-We're not making comparisons,
obviously we don't want anybody hurt,

but I just want to hear you say that there should
be peaceful protest not violent protest

in the tradition of Dr Martin Luther King.

[DM] Yeah there should be peaceful protest,

and I don't have to condone it to understand it, right?

That the pain that people feel is real,

and you are making a comparison.

You are suggesting this idea that broken windows

are worse than broken spines, right?

And what we know to be true is that
the police are killing people everywhere.

They're killing people here.

6 police officers were involved
in the killing of Freddie Gray,

and we're looking for justice there,

um, and that's real, right?

Cause the violence that the police have been inflicting
on communities of colour has been sustained and deep.

[WB] But you agree I assume with President Obama

who just said a few moments ago

that there's no excuse for the violence
that erupted yesterday,

there's no excuse for the stealing,

no excuse for the arson.

You agree with the president.

[DM] What I agree with is that
I advocate people to peacefully protest;

I also know that pain manifests in different ways,

and again, I don't have to condone it to understand it.

People are grieving, and people are mourning,

and I would advocate personally for people to
do it in ways that you are calling peacefully,

but again I also know that
Freddie Gray will never be back.

And that those windows will be.

[WB] The president also said, President Obama,

he said the violence distracted from the peaceful protest
and distracted from the mourning

that the family of Freddie Gray was seeking yesterday.

Your reaction to that?

[DM] Y'know, what distracted from progress
is when city officials get on TV

and call Black people in pain "thugs", right?

That's a distraction.

So y'know, I think that the unrest, the uprising,
whatever you call it,

is again a cry for justice here.

And a cry for justice across the country,

because the police continue to terrorize people.

And again the terrorizing is actually deadly.

Broken windows are not broken spines.

People are in pain,

so I think that the president,

I hope that he understands the conditions that
created the unrest, and continue the unrest,

not only here in Baltimore
but across the country,

because Freddie Gray will never see another day,

and neither will Tamir (Rice),
or Aiyana (Jones), or Mike Brown.

[WB] DeRay McKessen is a community organizer,
he's in Baltimore right now,

was in Ferguson,

DeRay thanks very much for joining us.

[DM] Thank you.