Hands Up, Don’t ShootUnderstanding the explosive protests over police killings and the legacy of racism Following the high profile deaths of eighteen year old Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, and twenty five year old Freddie Gray in Baltimore, Maryland, both cities erupted in protest over the unjustified homicides of unarmed black males at the hands of police officers. These local tragediesand the protests surrounding themassumed national significance, igniting fierce