Chicago Protests Over Freddie Gray's Death: Several Arrested During March In Solidarity With Baltimore

Several people were arrested Tuesday night in Chicago after hundreds of protesters gathered outside the city’s police department. The protests came in the aftermath of riots in Baltimore over the death of a black man in police custody.

The protests began peacefully, but took an ugly turn after 200 people started marching east on 35th Street and King Drive blocking traffic, according to the Chicago Tribune. The protesters refused to obey police who urged them to use sidewalks, and a small scuffle reportedly broke out between demonstrators and police. Protest organizers reportedly pleaded people to go home, citing concerns for children who were among the demonstrators.

A group of protesters outside the entrance of Chicago's police department carried signs that read, “Freddie deserved better,” and chanted, "stop police violence," referring to the 25-year-old Freddie Gray, who died earlier this month after suffering a spine injury in police custody in Baltimore.

Among the protesters was the brother of Rekia Boyd who was killed by an off-duty Chicago police officer in 2012.

Baltimore witnessed the rage of people after Gray's funeral on Monday as rioters torched several buildings and looted stores in the Maryland city.

“When individuals get crowbars and start prying open doors to loot, they’re not protesting, they’re not making a statement. They’re stealing,” President Barack Obama said in a statement condemning the Baltimore riots, which triggered a city-wide curfew from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m. on Tuesday and is set to continue through May 4.