If you value private property rights and the law, steer clear of Baltimore, Maryland.

After the city of Baltimore devolved into violent rioting in the wake of protests over the death of Freddie Gray, Baltimore mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake made a stunning admission.

“I made it very clear that I work with the police and instructed them to do everything that they could to make sure that the protesters were able to exercise their right to free speech.

“It’s a very delicate balancing act. Because while we try to make sure that they were protected from the cars and other things that were going on, we also gave those who wished to destroy space to do that as well. And we worked very hard to keep that balance and to put ourselves in the best position to de-escalate.”

With those words, Rawlings-Blake declared the city was effectively placing a higher value on giving “space” to those seeking to harm the livelihoods of those who had nothing to do with the death of Freddie Gray. In other words, their “rights” trump the private property rights of families and business owners.

The mayor has essentially said her city should be viewed as a “no-go zone” for civilized people who expect the government to defend their life and property from savages merely out to cause destruction and chaos.

Her comments signal a belief that the businesses those owners have built up over a lifetime mean nothing. They’re merely a target on some gang’s hit list. A statistic cited in the press.

The Baltimore Sun reports several businesses were attacked by mobs of thugs, including several 7-Elevens and a McDonald’s.

“There has really been an outpouring from community members that felt bad for our franchisees,” Margaret Chabris, a 7-Eleven corporate spokeswoman said.

“Two students … from Morgan State University came [to the Howard Street store] with a mop, bucket, spray cleaners. They were on a mission to help.”

Don’t count Rawlings-Blake among them. She’s siding with the looters.

The mayor’s policy to provide “space” for destroying also put innocents in harm’s way.

“The anxiety-provoking part was when the police were retreating,” Tim Rossback said, who was visiting to attend the baseball game. “You could feel the tension in the air.”

Why would any business want to locate in the city of Baltimore when the mayor makes such a blatant declaration that she’s siding with those who clearly don’t value them?