Knicks star player and longtime Baltimore resident Carmelo Anthony called on protesters to “build up our city not tear it down” amid demonstrations that turned violent Monday.
Anthony sounded off in an Instagram post about the unrest in the city following the death of Freddie Gray, a man who died from spinal injuries while in police custody April 19.
Following Gray’s funeral Monday, more than a dozen police officers were attacked while stores were looted and several buildings set ablaze. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan issued a State of Emergency in the height of the violence Monday evening and the National Guard was called in to restore order.
“To see my city in a State of Emergency is just shocking. We need to protect our city, not destroy it,” Anthony wrote in the Instagram post.
In the post, Anthony said he thinks the protesters should fight for what they believe in but added, "it takes no time to destroy something. But, it can take forever to build it back up."
"If not yourself, then Think about the youth. How this will impact them. Let's build our city up not tear it down," he said.
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Images of the Baltimore Protests by NBC 4 New York Reporter Marc Santia
Anthony was born in Brooklyn but moved to Baltimore when he was 8 years old. He was one of the region’s top high school players before playing his senior year at the basketball powerhouse Oak Hill Academy in southwest Virginia.
