BALTIMORE - Authorities say 12 people have been arrested while protesting a police conference in Baltimore.
Dozens of protesters gathered Sunday outside a hotel, where the Maryland Fraternal Order of Police is holding its biennial conference this week.
The Baltimore Police Department said in a statement that several of the protesters entered the hotel, chained themselves to a railing and blocked the escalator. Police say the protesters were arrested and charged with trespassing after refusing to leave.
The protest comes days after the U.S. Justice Department released a report that said Baltimore police routinely discriminate against blacks and repeatedly use excessive force.
Baltimore Bloc is among the activist groups that organize the protest. It says in a statement that the Fraternal Order of Police prioritizes legal protection of their officers over justice.
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