We have all heard the commentary on the major news channels, wondering perhaps if the riots in Baltimore were “preplanned.” It’s as if there was a conspiracy going on that no one was supposed to know about, yet most people on the scene seemed to expect what was happening.
Fox News, in an exclusive, is reporting a firm, who has asked to remain anonymous because of their government work, found 20 to 50 social media accounts in Baltimore that were connected to Ferguson’s peak period of violence. Fox says further analysis of the accounts is underway.
So far, the information gleaned from the data suggests the rioting was the result of “professional protesters or anarchists taking advantage of Freddie Gray’s death to incite more violence.” Freddie Gray, age 25, died April 18 after being injured while in police custody.
Monday’s rioting apparently started that morning when word of a “purge” started on social media. The word is in reference to a movie where crime is made legal one day each year. According to reports, the purge was to start at 3 p.m. at Mondawmin Mall, then venture down Pennsylvania Avenue to the Inner Harbor.
But the thing is this, everyone knew it was going to happen, including the Baltimore Sun, CNN and who knows who else. We do know all the high school students in Baltimore were aware of the upcoming purge, so it was no secret. The big question to be answered was why authorities didn’t respond to the social media message earlier.
Mondawmin Mall was chosen because it is a transportation hub for school students who use public transportation. About 75 to 100 students were met by police in riot gear. Students began pelting officers with water bottles, rocks and pieces of brick. And the melee grew from there.