In the days since the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old African-American man who died after being pinned to the ground by a white police officer in Minneapolis last Monday, an outpouring of outrage and grief has swept the United States—from every corner of the internet to large protests in the midst of a global pandemic in dozens of cities across the country, including the streets of Baltimore.

It’s an all too familiar scene, coming on the heels of other deeply disturbing, high-profile killings of black Americans like Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor, and just one month after the five-year anniversary of the death of Freddie Gray in police custody.

From personal anecdotes to documentary footage, here are some of the responses coming out of Baltimore, as well as ways to get involved.

WAYS TO GET INVOLVED

Following Saturday’s protests in downtown Baltimore, a youth-led “Love from Baltimore to Minneapolis” demonstration will take plan on Monday, June 1, in the name of “justice for George Floyd and all victims of state violence [in] solidarity with the Minneapolis Uprising,” with a 3:30 p.m. assembly on the corner of Sharp and Pratt streets.

There are many organizations currently accepting donations such as the Official George Floyd Memorial Fund; the Minnesota Freedom Fund, which works to provide bail for jailed protesters; the Minnesota-based Black Visions Collective, a black, trans, and queer-led social justice organization; Colin Kaepernick’s Know Your Rights Camp that provides resources for black and brown youth; the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People; the American Civil Liberties Union; and the Southern Poverty Law Center, among others.

Local restaurants and businesses are also finding ways to get involved by fundraising for local and national organizations and non-profits. Today, Sunday, May 31, Fells Point’s Cocinas Luchadoras taco spot is donating 10 percent of all sales to the Minnesota Freedom Fund. Old Goucher’s Larder restaurant is now featuring a special waste-free duck and vegetable dish with proceeds from all orders benefitting the Minnesota Freedom Fund, as well, in addition to matching all donations submitted through their website. Motzi Bread is matching all sales of its $5 Pay It Forward loaves for donations to Reclaim The Block, a Minneapolis organization that advocates for police reform, as well as Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle, a Baltimore collective that works toward inclusive public policy.

Today, Charles Village’s Get Shredded Vintage shop will also be donating 25 percent of online sales to the Baltimore Action Legal Team’s community bail fund for people imprisoned under minor offenses. This week, the Remington-based B. Willow plant shop will also donate all gratuity and 10 percent of sales to the Baltimore Action Legal Team, while the Greedy Reads book store is also donating 15 percent of all sales to D.C.’s Antiracist Research & Policy Center and the Baltimore Brew.

Ahead of several planned rallies surrounding this week’s House Republican Conference at the Baltimore Marriott Waterfront Hotel in Harbor East, where President Donald Trump is expected to be speaking this Thursday, protestors want to make one thing clear.

“These protests are not against President Trump,” says Cristi Linn, lead organizer at Baltimore Welcoming Committee (BWC). “It’s against the House Republican retreat that Trump happens to be attending.”

As the retreat nears, grassroots organizations like Baltimore Welcoming Committee have sprouted into action with plans for events and protests in the Harbor East area. In the case of BWC, these events have been in the works for several weeks.

But over the weekend, after weeks of speculation, it was announced that President Trump would be coming to Baltimore on Thursday to speak at the retreat—which is sponsored by the nonprofit Congressional Institute. The visit comes on the heels of the president’s comments last month about the city, calling it “rat infested,” as well as taking aim at Congressman Elijah Cummings. The remarks spurred a rallying cry, #WeAreBaltimore, which locals used to tag their social media posts explaining what they love most about the city.

The retreat being held in Baltimore has been common knowledge for months. It’s set to be held over the course of three days, though the most attention it will likely draw is around the president’s visit. Its purpose is to serve as a gathering for lawmakers to communicate goals and take stock of the party.

The BWC is made up of people who represent different demographics—including members of the LGBTQ community, people of color, and those who are disabled. Organizers see the event as a way to foster community while also espousing their views. “We want to bring attention to all of the issues and how they affect real people,” Linn says.

While a vast array of events—among them a dance party, a singing labor protest, and a climate protest—are being organized by the Baltimore Welcoming Committee, other groups are getting into the fray as well.

People’s Power Assembly, which “fights to defend the rights of poor and working people” is planning its own event Thursday centered around climate change and opposing racism. Much like BWC, People’s Power Assembly was also proactive in its planning.

“We had heard about retreat before as it was reported on,” says Sharon Black, a representative from the organization. “Our view was that the chance [of him coming] was very high. We projected our protest not just around Trump, but really the event in general.”

Of course, with the president’s first proper visit to the city scheduled, the fervor surrounding the weekend heightens. Linn says that in the last 24 hours interest from the general public has significantly increased. Meanwhile, the visit also raises the probability that counter protesters may launch their own events.

“If you would’ve asked me before he was coming, I would’ve said it’s gonna be peaceful the whole time,” Linn says. “I think that if there is a chance for any escalation it’s gonna be Thursday.”

Regardless, given the interactions between the city of Baltimore and the president over the last month, the discourse that arises from the retreat will govern conversation around the city.

“My hope is that people don’t only want to come protest Trump, and they join in on the other actions, as well,” Linn says. “Those are really the ones that will build solidarity.”

Some stood, some knelt, some sat, some stayed in the locker room, and one even stretched for the National Anthem during Sunday’s NFL games. Following comments made by President Donald Trump at a political rally in Alabama on Friday calling on NFL owners to fire any player who “disrespects our flag,” multiple teams in the organization came together on Sunday in one of the biggest displays of open protest.

The Ravens and Jaguars kicked off a long string of protests in London Sunday morning with 10 Ravens players—including Terrell Suggs, C.J. Mosley, and Lardarius Webb—either taking a knee or standing with locked arms in solidarity in response to the president’s remarks.

“That’s a total disrespect of our heritage,” President Trump told supporters on Friday in Huntsville, Alabama. “That’s a total disrespect of everything that we stand for. Wouldn’t you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, to say, ‘Get that son of a bitch off the field right now.’”

This was the first time any Ravens player protested—just as quarterback Colin Kaepernick did back in 2016 in protest against the treatment of African Americans in the United States.

Following the Ravens early game, a number of other NFL players followed suit by staying in the locker room during the Anthem, including members of the Pittsburgh Steelers, Seattle Seahawks, and Tennessee Titans. Trump responded to the series of protest on Twitter Sunday.

Supporters of the protests insist the act is less about the American flag and National Anthem, and more about the right to exercise free speech and speak up about racial injustice. 

“In nearly 25 years as a sports executive, and a lifetime spent as an American citizen, I have never been so appalled by the abusive blood lust of my country’s highest governmental office, to defile my country’s constitutional guarantees,” president of MASN Sports, John P. Angelos, wrote on Twitter. “Anti-American and anti-citizen abuse of [the Trump administration’s] power should be repudiated, protested, and legally opposed on every front.” 

However, opponents of the athletic protests believe their actions are unpatriotic and disrespectful to those who have served or are serving in the military. Locally, Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey R. Gahler took to Facebook to express his anger with the Ravens franchise.

“The embarrassment that is the NFL continues and people wonder why I am on strike,” Gahler wrote. “Ravens join the nonsense of taking knee [sic] while on the soil of the country we gained our independence from. Will be doing a housecleaning of any Ravens merchandise later today and getting it all ready for the burn.”

There are many people in Baltimore that have mixed feelings about the protests that happened on the field Sunday, wondering if there is a way to simultaneously respect the right to free speech while also honoring the country and its veterans.

“Just a thought . . . what if every past, current, and future American military person chose to take a knee instead of fighting to keep our country safe and free?” Bar Liquorice owner Jeff Cahill posted on Facebook. “I do respect anyone’s right to peacefully protest, but it has to be tempered with the respect for those who fought and lost their lives [my family included] in service to this country, which is what our flag and National Anthem symbolizes.”

The protests have also gone beyond the NFL, with Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry declining an invitation to visit The White House. President Trump then rescinded the invitation and Lebron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers sounded off on Instagram. The ripple effect continued into the MLB when Oakland Athletics’ catcher Bruce Maxwell, who is from a military family, became the first baseball player in history to kneel during the National Anthem on Saturday.

The weekend of protesting has caused a firestorm on a local level with a mixed bag of protests, support, boycotting, and championing. For Baltimore Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti himself, he sees all of the dialogue as a reflection of democracy.

“We recognize our players’ influence,” he said. “We respect their demonstration and support them 100 percent. All voices need to be heard. That’s democracy in its highest form.”

Judge Barry G. Williams declared a mistrial Wednesday afternoon after jurors were unable to reach a unanimous verdict on charges against Officer William Porter in the death of Freddie Gray. After the mistrial was declared, protests grew to around 75-100 activists downtown around the Clarence M. Mitchell Jr. Courthouse and City Hall. Protests were peaceful, according to the Baltimore Police Department, which did not report any arrests. The Baltimore City Sheriff’s Office did take at least two protestors into custody outside the courthouse shortly after the verdict was announced—no word, however, on any charges in those cases.

Prosecutors from the Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office are scheduled to meet with Judge Williams Thursday to discuss a potential new trial date for Porter, charged with involuntary manslaughter, second-degree assault, reckless endangerment, and misconduct in office related to the death of Gray last April. One or more scheduling conferences in his Williams’s chambers with the attorneys are expected Thursday, according to communication officials from the Maryland judiciary system.