Philadelphia mayor defends Baltimore leader’s riot response

Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter is defending his Baltimore counterpart as a stand-up leader.

Nutter tells CNN Tuesday that Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake is being unfairly criticized for the response to violent protests over the police custody death of Freddie Gray.

Nutter says protesters bear personal responsibility for their role in Monday’s riots that included looting and buildings being burned.

Nutter says the riots distracted from Gray’s death following an April 12 arrest. His funeral was held Monday.

The Philadelphia mayor called for calm. He says leaders need to address bigger issues fueling unrest, including tense police-community relations and high unemployment.

Nutter criticized television commentators for knocking Rawlings-Blake without what he says are all the facts. He says television coverage has largely ignored people trying to save their communities from rioters.