Pew Poll: Multiple Causes Seen for Baltimore Unrest

According to a Pew Research Poll 66% and 54% of blacks say that people taking advantage of the situation to commit crimes contributed a great deal to the unrest. Blacks are more likely than whites to say that poverty is a major cause: 50% of blacks say this contributed a great deal to the turmoil, compared with 39% of whites. The response was also split along party lines between Republicans and Democrats in their views of the factors behind the unrest in Baltimore.

76% of Republicans say that some people taking advantage of the situation to engage in criminal behavior contributed a great deal to the violence and unrest in Baltimore. 50% say tensions between the police and black community contributed a great deal to the turmoil, and 48% say the same about anger over the death of Freddie Gray.

In contrast, 63% of Democrats say that tensions between the police and African-American community were anger over the death of Freddie Gray. 58% responded it was people taking advantage of the situation to commit crimes. With 54% responding it contributed a great deal to the unrest in Baltimore.