In a surprise move, DeRay McKesson, one of the leaders of the Black Lives Matter movement, filed to run for mayor of Baltimore late Wednesday evening.
The 30-year-old activist, who submitted the paperwork necessary for the mayoral bid shortly before the filing deadline, will run as a Democrat in the city’s April 26 primary.
Born in Baltimore, McKesson rose to national prominence following the Aug. 2014 police shooting death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo. From there, McKesson traveled the country to protest in the wake of numerous police-involved incidents involving African-Americans, including the jail house suicide of Sandra Bland in Texas in July.
Civil rights activist @deray formally filing to run for mayor of Baltimore at the 9PM deadline pic.twitter.com/usFCjK2b2c
— Luke Broadwater (@lukebroadwater) February 4, 2016
According to The New York Times, Mckesson said that he wants to challenge the “traditional pathways to politics and the traditional politicians who walk that path.”
“We have to challenge the practices that have not and will not lead to transformation,” he added.
McKesson will face off against two such career politicians in Nick Mosby, a city councilman who is married to Marilyn Mosby, the state’s attorney prosecuting the six police officers in the Freddie Gray case, and Sheila Dixon, a popular former mayor of the city.
McKesson has attracted much controversy along during his short-lived protesting career. He has refused to apologize for rioters and looters in cities where police protests have turned violent.
He has also often peddled false claims and rumors about the cases that he’s protesting. In the aftermath of the Bland’s death following a bogus arrest for a minor traffic infraction, McKesson repeatedly claimed that sheriff’s deputies somehow killed the 28-year-old. Medical examiners determined that Bland hanged herself in her jail cell. Video recordings from the jail where Bland was held for three days before her death also show no evidence of foul play. (RELATED: All Evidence Suggests That Sandra Bland Killed Herself, But DeRay McKesson Continues To Claim She Was Murdered)
After being here in Waller County, I'm certain that they killed #SandraBland.
— deray mckesson (@deray) July 24, 2015
McKesson also perpetuated falsehoods following Freddie Gray’s April 2015 death. The 25-year-old Gray died after suffering a neck injury while riding in the back of a police van. In the days after Gray’s April 19 death, McKesson claimed that Baltimore police officers beat Gray. He also claimed that police were responsible for severing Gray’s neck.
But a medical examiner found no evidence that Gray was beaten in any way by the officers who arrested him. There is also evidence that Gray purposely injured himself while riding in the back of the police van.
It is being reported that #FreddieGray, 27, has died today. He was arrested and beaten by Baltimore City police on April 12th.
— deray mckesson (@deray) April 19, 2015
#FreddieGray's spine was 80 percent severed at his neck by the Baltimore Police Department.
— deray mckesson (@deray) April 19, 2015