When Baltimore mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake stood at a podium Saturday night in the aftermath of violent looting, she was flanked by several men, including Carlos Muhammad, a leader of the local chapter of the Nation of Islam.
That in and of itself is not surprising, since Rawlings-Blake thanked the Nation of Islam for helping quash violence that gripped the city Saturday night.
So follow me here: One of the guys flanking Baltimore mayor was also standing behind Farrakhan at recent speech.(1/2) pic.twitter.com/BwHeLSJsvF
— Chuck Ross (@ChuckRossDC) April 27, 2015
But while Muhammad stood with Rawlings-Blake as she called for peace in the streets Saturday, it was a more fiery message he cheered on at a speech at Baltimore’s Morgan State University in November.
It was there, in the aftermath of a Missouri grand jury’s decision not to indict a white police officer in the shooting death of Michael Brown, that Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan asserted that peace was not an option for blacks in their dealings with law enforcement.
“We going to die anyway. Let’s die for something,” Farrakhan told the crowd that day.
“Teach your baby how to throw the bottle if they can’t bite,” Farrakhan said, as he made a throwing motion.
Whether Saturday’s ne’er-do-wells were acting on Farrakhan’s command is unclear. But looting occurred, and bottles, chairs and garbage cans were thrown at police, local businesses and innocent bystanders. Thirty-four people were arrested in all.
During his November speech, Farrakhan held up a copy of the Koran, pointing out that the Muslim holy book includes a “law of retaliation.”
Farrakhan in Nov. spoke of law of retaliation. Essentially called for blood in the streets. https://t.co/GsSAlHP1Vf pic.twitter.com/NhAsEHJQ0v
— Chuck Ross (@ChuckRossDC) April 27, 2015
As with Rawlings-Blake, Muhammad stood just behind and to the left of Farrakhan as he issued the call to arms.
“As long as they [whites] kill us [blacks] and go to Wendy’s and have a burger and go to sleep, they’ll keep killing us,” the 81-year-old Farrakhan said, his cadence rising. (RELATED: Farrakhan On Ferguson: ‘We’ll Tear This G*ddamn Country Up!)
“But when we die and they die, then soon we’re going to sit at a table and talk about it! We’re tired! We want some of this earth or we’ll tear this goddamn country up!”
At those remarks, Muhammad and the rest of the attendees immediately rose to their feet and applauded wildly.
“Yes, sir. Yes, sir,” Muhammad is heard saying, in stark contrast to his more low-key presence during Rawlings-Blakes’ press conference.
Rawlings-Blake, a Democrat, made controversial remarks of her own at Saturday’s press conference.
“It’s a very delicate balancing act, because while we tried to make sure that they were protected from the cars and the other things that were going on, we also gave those who wished to destroy space to do that as well,” she said.
While Rawlings-Blake seemed to give a pass to violent protesters, a spokesman at her office told The Daily Caller that her remarks were taken out of context. The spokesman said that Rawlings-Blake was saying that by trying to respect the rights of peaceful protesters, space was also inadvertently provided to those intent on committing destruction. (RELATED: Baltimore Mayor: Space Was Provided To Those ‘Who Wished To Destroy’)
The spokesman did not respond to TheDC’s follow-up questions pertaining to Muhammad’s presence at the press conference.
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