MEMPHIS, Tenn. — About 1,000 National Guard members were on the streets of Baltimore after a night of violence and looting.
Between Monday and Tuesday, at least 235 people were arrested.
People all over the world have been paying attention to the events unfolding in Baltimore — including Memphis.
While faith leaders in the Bluff City said there has been a grave injustice done in Baltimore, they also said all of the rioting and looting was taking away from the message that needed to be heard.
“You do not match an injustice with injustice, inappropriate acts with inappropriate acts,” Pastor Dwight Montgomery, President of the Memphis Chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), said.
Many people do not seem to be talking about Freddie Gray anymore.
Instead, the topic of conversation was centered on the injured Baltimore Police officers, burned cars and buildings, and looted stores.
Rioters said the displays of outrage were supposed to help bring justice for Gray, who died while in police custody.
Memphis community leaders, like Montgomery, said the push for justice was being clouded by destruction.
“Often times when an issue comes up in a city such as the police brutality that has been existing across our country, there are those who take advantage of that for their own selfish purposes and that is not in the best interest of the community,” Montgomery explained.
Montgomery said the country needed to deal with officers doing wrong, but rioting was not the way to do it.