Post by Admin on Apr 29, 2015 16:39:55 GMT -4
‘Michael Jackson protester’ Dimitri Reeves dances during Baltimore riots
He’s a dancer not a fighter. As protesters looted and burned a CVS pharmacy two blocks away in downtown Baltimore, Dimitri Reeves cranked a little Michael Jackson and moonwalked across North Avenue. He climbed atop a box truck on Monday and shimmied on the roof while the King of Pop’s beloved “Beat It” blared. The surreal sight of the fleet-footed performer stunned protesters, who had filled the streets following the funeral of a black man who suffered a fatal spinal cord injury in police custody. Dimitri Reeves has become known as the "Michael Jackson protester" after he moonwalked to "Beat It" during Monday's protests in Baltimore. “We wanted to go out and spread positivity,” Reeves told the Daily News. “I wanted to go out and show people flipping cars isn’t the answer.”
The 22-year-old Baltimore recording artist and street performer regularly dances across the city, but he quickly emerged as the mysterious “Michael Jackson protester” when videos of his moves hit the Internet. “Everyone was so tense,” Reeves told the Daily News. “Even while I was performing, people were running down the street.”
Dazed-looking demonstrators stared in disbelief while others clapped and pulled out cellphone cameras to record the unexpected performance. A few angry protesters told him to shut it down and yanked the plug out of his sound system. “Actually, the whole time I was up there, I was hoping nothing would fly across and hit me,” Reeves said. He insisted he wasn’t trying to make light of a serious situation — only encourage people to stop and think about alternatives to destroying their own neighborhoods.
Rioters with rocks and bricks injured at least 20 cops, and more than 200 people were taken into custody during the pandemonium that began Monday afternoon following services for Freddie Gray. “I’m not trying to make a mockery,” he said. “I’m not trying to joke around. I’m trying to spread positivity.” Some onlookers interpreted Reeves’ choice of songs — “Beat It” — as a message to cops. Others suspected he was speaking to protesters. Don’t read too much into it, Reeves said. “I was just trying to dance,” he said. “I was just trying to perform.” He planned to head back out on Tuesday.
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