Meredith Grey and Christina Yang would be the first to tell you to just dance away the pain, so we're assuming this protestor in Baltimore heeded their advice.
Like many others, Dimitri Reeves also has taken to the Baltimore streets Monday night to protest in the wake of Freddie Gray's funeral, but instead of using violence, he's dancing. Reeves blasted Michael Jackson's hit song, "Beat It," and not only danced MJ's famous moves but also sang along to the '80s hit.
NBC reporter Shomari Stone captured the footage, and while the reason for his dancing is heartbreaking, it somehow manages to shed some light and hope on a very damaged city. Stone tweeted the footage and it has since been retweeted many times. Other users even noted how Reeves' dancing has been the cause behind many smiles.
As on user noted, "This guy has literally waited his entire life for this moment." It was, without a doubt, worth the wait. He definitely selected this song on purpose because its lyrics resonate with what is happening in the Maryland city. "You're playin' with your life / This ain't no truth or dare / They'll kick you, then they beat you, then they'll tell you it's fair/ So beat it."
After Reeves went viral he tweeted, "Spread love and peace never violence....."
Violence broke out throughout West Baltimore Monday after 25-year-old Gray's funeral, who died of a severe spinal injury he obtained while in city police custody. Protests began over the weekend but escalated Monday, which prompted Gov. Larry Hogan to declare a state of emergency and activate the Maryland National Guard.
Another protestor had a very different experience while participating in the riots. One mother was watching the news when she noticed her son throwing rocks, so she immediately tracked him down. In a clip that has since gone viral thanks to the hashtag #MomoftheYear, the mother successfully found her looting son and slapped the heck out of him. She also lectured him in a profanity-ridden rant, according to WMAR.
Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony Batts praised the mother for her actions during a press conference on Tuesday morning.
"These are Baltimore youthful residents; a number of them came right out of the local high schools there on the other side of Mondawmin and started engaging in this," he said. "And if you saw in one scene, you had one a mother who grabbed their child who had a hood on his head and she started smacking him on the head because she was so embarrassed. I wish I had more parents who took charge of their kids tonight."