Carmelo Anthony makes emotional plea to ‘build Baltimore, not tear it down’

Un sujeto camina cerca de un vehículo policial incendiado el lunes 27 de abril de 2015, durante los disturbios que se dieron tras el funeral del negro Freddie Gray en Baltimore. Gray falleció de lesiones vertebrales una semana después de ser arrestado y trasladado en una camioneta del Departamento de Policía de Baltimore. (Foto AP/Patrick Semansky)

The escalating situation in Baltimore is a cause of concern throughout the United States, as tensions between African-Americans and police continue to overflow into violence.”

NBA star Carmelo Anthony took to Instagram late Monday night to urge protesters in an emotional plea to “build our city up, not tear it down.””

“We all want Justice. And our city will get the answers we are looking for,” he wrote in his post. “We need to protect our city, not destroy it… Think about the youth. How this will impact them. Let’s build our city up, not tear it down. Although, we want justice, let’s look at the real issues at hand.”

Protests have escalated since the weekend, after 25-year-old Freddie Gray died on April 19 from a spiral injury while in police custody.

“I know my community is fed up. I’m all about fighting for what we believe in,” Anthony wrote. “The anger, the resentment, the neglect that our community feels right now, will not change overnight. Continue fighting for what you believe in. But remember, it takes no time to destroy something. But, it can take forever to build it back up.”

While Anthony was born in Brooklyn, his family moved to Baltimore when he was 8 years old.

The growing violence has prompted other celebrities to take to social media to voice their outrage.

“Nobody wins in Baltimore tonight. My heart is broken watching the news in Singapore right now,” tweeted Monday night.

Blogger Perez Hilton tweeted: “Sending #love and wishing #peace for everyone in #Baltimore!

Like us on Facebook
Follow us on Twitter & Instagram