If my newsfeed is any indication, the students at the University of Illinois have been closely following the events transpiring in Baltimore, which have been referred to as the Baltimore Riots. Six police officers have been accused of placing Freddie Gray face-first on the floor of a police wagon without a seat belt, while handcuffed and shackled and ignoring his cries for medical aid.

The Maryland State Medical Examiner attributed his death to the officers, who failed to restrain him in an appropriate manner. The growing controversy swirling around Freddie Gray’s untimely death has sparked violent protests as well as passionate debate about police conduct. Gray’s death has only exacerbated the tensions that emerged after Ferguson.

Michael Chew, freshman in LAS, sums up what seems to be student sentiment very well. He believes the Baltimore Police Department is at fault and, “the police officers deserve to be convicted for the murder.”

But he continued by saying, “I do believe the protesters are going about it the wrong way. Resorting to violence just perpetuates the gap of understanding between the police and the African-American community.”

This sort of criticism seems to be popularly accepted.

However, some national pundits have gone further, dismissing the rioters grievances as destructive entitlement. For example, Bill O’Reilly, Fox News host, said, “The rioters are angry because America is a country of mass incarceration. People who burn down buildings and loot are just misdirected folks who feel hopeless.”

It is easy to dismiss the actions of the Baltimore rioters as random hooliganism. But when the riots are placed in context, their motivations are not only understandable, but rational.

Let’s start by taking a look at the numbers.

Since 2011, the city of Baltimore has paid over $5.7 million in police brutality settlements, and 317 Baltimoreans have brought civil cases against the Baltimore Police Department — over 100 have won.

Many of these apprehensions lacked probable cause that would warrant police intervention, which Baltimore City State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby made clear.

In her recent press conference, she declared that the police had, “failed to establish probable cause for Mr. Gray’s arrest, as no crime had been committed by Mr. Gray. Accordingly, Lieutenant Rice, Officer Miller and Officer Nero illegally arrested Mr. Gray.”

Gray’s case is not unique. The Baltimore Sun recently launched an investigation of Baltimore Police Department misconduct and some of their findings are horrifying.

Take the case of Venus Green, an 87-year-old grandmother. After her grandson was shot in the leg, Green called 911 for assistance. When the police arrived, she was interrogated, blamed for the shooting, and then slammed against her own dining room table. Her shoulder was broken.

Starr Brown, a 26-year-old pregnant woman, had a strikingly similar experience. After asking a police officer to chase after a group of 20 girls who had attacked two pedestrians, an argument broke out between the responding officers and Brown. The disagreement culminated with the officers throwing Brown to the ground and putting her into a chokehold.

What is even more concerning is how the Baltimore Police Department deals with adjudicated cases. After settlements are paid out, recipients are prohibited from talking about their case on the record. You cannot expect a police force to be monitored effectively if the victims are not allowed to speak out.

These cases are why Baltimoreans are fighting. Police violence begets civilian violence.

As noted by civil rights activist DeRay McKesson, the smashed windows can be replaced; the smashed spine of Freddie Gray cannot.

Thomas is a freshman in LAS.

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