Cast of HBO series 'The Wire' went to Baltimore to reenact scenes from Freddie Gray protests

This weekend, cast members of the beloved HBO television series "The Wire" voiced the words of Baltimore's poorest and most disenfranchised residents during "Wired Up," an event aimed to celebrate the "unsung heroes' of Baltimore - those who serve inside and amongst the community, tirelessly and selflessly," according to the events website. 

Among those in attendance were Michael K. Williams (Omar Little on The Wire), Sonja Sohn (Shakima Greggs), Andre Royo ("Bubbles" Cousins) and Larry Gilliard Jr., (D'Angelo Barksdale), according to the Baltimore Sun. Actors Dominic West (Jimmy McNulty) and Wendell Pierce (Bunk Moreland) and show creator David Simon also submitted taped messages.

Others in attendance included actress Felicia Pearson (Snoop), Tristan Wilds (Michael Lee), Seth Gilliam (Raymond Carver), Chad L. Coleman (Dennis "Cutty" Wise), Jamie Hector (Marlo Stanfield), Gbenga Akinnagbe (Chris Partlow), Dierdre Lovejoy (Rhonda Pearlman), Anwan Glover (Slim Charles), Tray Chaney (Malik "Poot" Carr), and Maria Broom (Marla Daniels).

Each cast member took turns reciting monologues of stories told to them by members of Baltimore's Sandtown-Winchester community about the April 27 protests over the murder of Freddie Gray - a young black man who died in police custody - to a crowd of some 1000 people at the Modell Performing Arts Center in Baltimore, the Sun reported. 

"We can't wait for more people to die," former cast member Sonja Sohn told the audience, according to The Sun. "We can't wait for any more black men to die at the hands of police officers who were acting irresponsibly."

"That's why we put this event together. We're actors, and what we can do is to build a platform to raise voices that need to be heard."

Michael K. Williams, who played Omar Little on the Wire, a drug dealer with a strict moral code, gave an impassioned speech to the crowd:

Other photos showed cast members coming together for the first time since the show ended in 2008.

 

 

Gray's stepfather Richard Shipley also spoke to the crowd, the Sun reported.

"The Gray family is so very proud of all the things shaking and moving in Baltimore," Shipley said. "I see people working, kids going to school, camps opening. I see a lot of progress being made in a short period of time. It's just a shame that a tragedy had to happen to get us up off our butts."