Baltimore - Family and friends gathered Monday for the funeral of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man whose death in custody triggered a fresh wave of protests over US police tactics.
Dozens of people arrived at the New Shiloh Baptist church to pay final respects to Gray, who died on April 19 of severe spinal injuries, a week after his arrest in Baltimore.
His death sparked heated demonstrations over the weekend in the blue-collar port city, and police said some 34 people were arrested and six officers injured is street violence.
Friends, family and strangers came together Monday to bury Gray, who lay in a casket next to a Los Angeles Dodgers baseball cap and a sign reading "Peace y'all."
"I'm here to pay my respects," said Kenny Nicholson, a friend of Gray's who attended with his wife.
Supporters, many dressed in all white, filed into the church where a photo of Gray was displayed among floral wreaths.
A banner reading "Black lives matter and all lives matter" hung in the church.
Another family friend said she had come to give Gray a proper farewell.
"At first, I didn't want to come. I didn't feel comfortable. I saw this little boy growing up," the elderly woman told AFP, without providing her name.
"The Lord will bring the truth," she added.
Others attended the service to show solidarity with the family, though they did not know Gray personally.
AFP
