Baltimore Police Are Not Rihanna Fans

Photo: WENN 

The murder of Freddie Gray followed in a long line of killings by police of unarmed black people. It caused a groundswell, an uprising of people who are frustrated with seeing more and more names in the press, and that pressure blew up nationwide.

Rihanna, the massively popular R&B queen, is no stranger to helping out those in need. The Roc Nation wanted to venture down to Baltimore, the site where Freddie Gray lost his life, to perform a free concert and walk in the streets with protesters in the week after rioting broke out.

How does anyone even know this? Well, in a recently released email dated May 1, a message was sent to Captain Eric Kowalczyk, who serves as the head of media relations for the Baltimore Police, outlining a conversation he had with a representative for the singer. “Rihanna wants to walk with the protesters as well as perform a free concert,” the officer wrote to Anthony Batts, who was then the city’s police commissioner.

“The representative said she [Rihanna] will be arriving by plane and in an effort to divert press/media she will be traveling to the city by train (or by car if necessary).” At the behest of the Bajan beauty, Rihanna wanted to secure some extra police security. Yet the police, possibly fearing the increased pandemonium of having Rihanna in the midst of people upset and clearly hurt over another murder by police, denied her arrival.

An update from the police was passed along to Kevin Harris, a spokesman for Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake and Anthony Batts, stating, “Possible Rihanna concert at Penn and North. No time given. Police are claiming they have no permit so it will not be allowed.”

It is interesting to learn that Rihanna wanted to be amongst the people during that time of need. In the end, that distinction went to enigmatic performer known as Prince, whom played a free show at the Royal Farms Arena on May 10 and performed a new song about the unrest in Baltimore.

He raised $35,000 with the help of Tidal streaming the free concert online.

[via Baltimore Sun]

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