The violent riots in Baltimore, Maryland, over the death of an African-American man while in police custody have been instigated by the US government, a researcher and historian in Washington says.

The recent violence in Baltimore was “encouraged and incited” by federal law enforcement agencies, said Dr. Randy Short, a member of the Black Autonomy Network Community Organization.

“The violence that you’re seeing, some of it has been instigated by government provocateurs, some of the same people who set fires and caused problems in Ferguson were flown into Baltimore,” Short told Press TV on Friday.

“The United States government tries to criminalize the African-American public and to justify using police state tactics against us, which they’ve done for the last 50 years,” he added.

Baltimore has been the site of daily demonstrations since the death of Freddie Gray, as tensions simmer over police brutality and discrimination against African-Americans.

Gray died on April 19, a week after an encounter with police that left him with grave spinal injuries. Authorities have not explained how or when his spine was injured.

Despite an economic recovery in the majority black city, it is one of the most unequal American cities when measured by income and educational achievement.

Among 50 major US cities, Baltimore ranked 12 in the inequality measurement, according to a 2014 analysis by the Brookings Institution.

In a study published last year by Harvard University, the Baltimore metropolitan area ranked near the bottom of major US cities in terms of social and economic mobility.

AHT/GJH