Elijah Cummings at Freddie Gray funeral: ‘We will not rest’

Rep. Elijah Cummings gave a passionate speech Monday at the Baltimore funeral for 25-year-old Freddie Gray, saying he will not rest until “justice is done.”

“I’ve often said that our children are the living messages we send to the future we will never see, but now, our children are sending us to a future they will never see,” the Maryland Democrat said at the New Shiloh Baptist Church in the funeral attended by thousands, The Hill reported.

Mr. Gray died April 19 after his voice box was crushed and his spine nearly severed while in Baltimore police custody. The police department has suspended with pay the six officers who played a role in apprehending and transporting Mr. Gray as they investigate his death. The Justice Department has also launched an investigation.

At the funeral, Mr. Cummings asked lawmakers to stand up to show Mr. Gray’s mother that they would seek justice for her son, The Hill reported.

“I’m in the twilight years, but I am telling you we will not rest, we will not rest until we address this and see that justice is done,” he said, addressing Mr. Gray’s mother. “Look at them, mother. We will not rest. So it is our watch, it’s our watch. We will not fail you.”

Quoting the Old Testament’s Book of Amos. Mr. Cummings said, “I want justice, oceans of it. I want fairness, rivers of it. That’s what I want. That’s all I want.”

Near-nightly protests have been held in Baltimore since Mr. Gray’s death, with one group turning violent Saturday following a largely peaceful mass demonstration. Many say his death is the latest evidence that the federal government should play a bigger role in preventing police-related killings of black men, The Hill reported.

White House press secretary Josh Earnest, however, said Monday that local authorities are responsible for mending community tensions.

“Ultimately this is a problem that the federal government is not going to be able to solve,” he said. “It’s going to require the commitment of local elected officials, local law enforcement leaders and communities across the country to try to address this problem where it exists.”