Outsiders Faulted for Unrest in Brooklyn Over Kimani Gray Case

Carol Gray, mother of Kimani Gray, 16, whom the police killed, with Kenneth Montgomery, left, a lawyer for the family, and Councilman Charles Barron

The anger in East Flatbush is local. But the unrest that has gripped the Brooklyn neighborhood, including clashes with the police after officers fatally shot a 16-year-old, has been encouraged and incited by people coming from outside, community leaders said on Thursday.

The leaders appealed for calm a day after a vigil for the teenager, Kimani Gray, turned chaotic around Church Avenue late Wednesday night. Dozens of marchers were arrested and two officers were hurt, the police said. The crowds on the street swelled with local teenagers and seasoned organizers, including some members of the Occupy Wall Street movement.

It was the most sustained unrest in three consecutive days of vigils and marches. A protest the night before, in which people from outside the neighborhood were also prominent, ended without incident.

“It’s definitely outside influence who come in and start the crowd going and then leave at the end when all hell breaks loose,” said Gilford T. Monrose, a pastor who described the neighborhood as “hardworking families from the Caribbean who own these homes.”