Baltimore Mayor: “We . . . Gave Those Who Wished To Destroy Space To Do That.”

With looting and rioting increasing in Baltimore, Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake caused a bit of a stir in her press conference by explaining that she instructed police to not only give protesters room for the exercise of their free speech but “we also gave those who wished to destroy space to do that as well.” The problem is that images of people being stripped of their bags and belongings in broad daylight seemed to confirm precisely that type of space. It is perhaps the most botched quote in the history of botched quotes.

The images have gotten worse today with fans being told that they had to remain in the Orioles Stadium even after the game was cancelled because it was not safe to walk on the streets of Baltimore.

The mayor insisted that the order to give space to the protesters was meant to “put ourselves in the best position to de-escalate.” It does not appear to have worked.