What began as a celebration of Black culture and community at Baltimore’s annual AFRAM festival ended Saturday night with police declaring a civil unrest zone after a fight involving dozens of young people and a massive law enforcement response.
Baltimore Police said officers were called to Druid Hill Park shortly before 8 p.m. for reports of a fight involving about 100 minors, with some throwing objects at officers.
Two officers were assaulted as police worked to disperse the crowd and clear the area, department spokesperson Lindsey Eldridge said. One officer was struck in the face by a bottle. Another was pepper-sprayed.
“This small group of young people who wanted to cause a disturbance was disrupted by officers, allowing the masses to continue to enjoy the festival,” Eldridge told The Banner in an email.
According to police, the area was declared a civil unrest zone due to the large group gathering in a small area. Under Baltimore Police policy, a civil unrest zone may be declared during a civil disturbance, defined as a breach of the peace by a gathering of people where there is a threat of collective violence, property damage or other unlawful acts.
Eldridge said extra officers were brought in, adding to the specialized teams, Foxtrot helicopter, drone unit and city agency resources stationed at the festival.
Mayor Brandon Scott announced an age restriction policy for the final day of the festival on Sunday. Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by an adult at all times. Eldridge said the decision was made after the convening of multiple city agencies, festival planners and the mayor’s office.
Festival activities continued for the crowd despite the police response. Eldridge said about 100,000 people attended AFRAM on Saturday.
No arrests have been made, but the investigation is ongoing. Eldridge said police will review officers’ body-camera footage and additional videos to identify those responsible for assaulting the officers and any additional crimes.
Eldridge also confirmed that a dispersal order was issued Saturday night in Fells Point for an unlawful assembly. It is estimated that more than 1,000 young people were in the area. The crowd dispersed following the order, Eldridge said.
As police tried to disperse people, video clips from a local tenant showed hundreds of young people being herded down Broadway toward Thames Street, many breaking into a sprint away from the area.
In the midst of it all, the glass door to a 7-Eleven was cracked. An employee working Sunday said the recent events and crowds had been scary. She also fears what else might come if hordes of people take over the street more often.
Ron Furman, owner of Max’s Taphouse in Fells Point, said he is frustrated. He had been up all night dealing with crowds of young people numbering in the hundreds that flooded Broadway in Fells Point.
Year after year, he said, the city uses the same tactic, blocking off the streets in the neighborhood and enacting a curfew that is scarcely enforced, but all it does is create a “playground” for young people who can be seen walking, smoking and carrying full bottles of Tito’s or other liquor.
And all too often those crowds get out of control, making the area more dangerous, he noted.
“It’s devastating for business,” he said. “If something doesn’t change, we won’t survive it.”
Darron Waller, owner of nearby Mahogany Makers, said his business has been in the area for a couple of years and he has never had a problem. His store typically closes earlier.
Waller said the swarms of youngsters in Fells Point are likely a result of other communities in East and West Baltimore being destroyed or gentrified.
“Their neighborhoods have been knocked down, so they come to the next one,” he said.
This article has been updated.
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