BALTIMORE Police and protesters are confronting each other not just on the streets of Baltimore but also on social media, where they are battling on Twitter for control of the narrative and highlighting the importance of these technologies as vital tools for reporting and responding to news.
As riots rocked some neighborhoods, the Baltimore Police Department, which has 113,000 Twitter followers, sent out media advisories, updates on injured police officers and areas they considered dangerous because of fires, looting and other criminal activity. In some instances, the police referred to groups of violent criminals who were throwing rocks and other items at police or who were looting and destroying property. The department also made direct appeals to parents and the media for their help in getting children to stay indoors and to protesters to remain peaceful using the hashtag #PeacefulProtest.
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