World News for Students of English

07-05-2015 15:00

Protests have taken place in several US cities over the death of Freddie Gray. The 25-year-old black man died from a fatal spinal injury he suffered while in police custody in Baltimore earlier this month. Demonstrators gathered in New York, where more than 60 people were arrested. There were also marchers in Washington D.C., while a large march made its way peacefully through Baltimore streets.

A week-long nighttime curfew was introduced by the mayor of Baltimore after riots broke out in the city earlier this week following Freddie Gray’s funeral. Protestors say they want answers about his fate.

“They murdered somebody. You know, a life was taken. So I think we need to start paying attention to that and instead of that and put more on preservation of life than preservation of buildings, or whatever, and property, I don’t care about that. I care about the people who are like me’s lives.”

“The police are not there to protect the people. They’re there to protect, they’re worrying about property. Windows can be replaced. This guy’s spine, his life, can’t be. He’s gone.”
Police are due to give their findings on Freddie Gray’s death to prosecutors but have said no information will be made public.

Meanwhile, the Baltimore Orioles and Chicago White Sox played before a sea of more than 45,000 empty seats on Wednesday afternoon. Officials decided it was simply too difficult to assure the safety of fans coming to Camden Yards, the city’s downtown stadium. The game was the first time in major league baseball history that two teams squared off with not a single fan allowed in the stadium.

Difficult words: fatal (deadly), spinal (relating to the spine – the bones that run in your back from your head to your waist), custody (“jail”), curfew (when people must stay inside), riot (violent protest), fate (what’s going to happen), preservation (keeping something nice), to be due (to have to do something), prosecutor (a lawyer who wants to say someone is guilty), assure (to tell something and know that it is true), square off (to meet to get into a fight).

Source: www.ondemandnews.com