Riots grip US city Baltimore, state of emergency declared, curfew imposed
News, US April 28, 2015 No Comments on Riots grip US city Baltimore, state of emergency declared, curfew imposedThe US city of Baltimore continues to smolder after protests over the death of a young black man in police custody
Rioters plunged parts of Baltimore into chaos, torching a pharmacy, setting police cars ablaze, and throwing bricks at police officers hours after thousands mourned the man who died from a severe spinal injury he suffered in police custody.
Hundreds of people set fires, looted stores and confronted police across the city on Monday. City officials have been criticised for not responding more aggressively.
US President Barack Obama said on Tuesday that the riots have unfairly overshadowed the peaceful protests about police use of force. “There is no excuse for the kind of violence we saw yesterday,” Mr. Obama said. “They are not protesters. They are not making a statement. They are stealing.”
“That is not a protest. That is not a statement. It’s a handful of people taking advantage of a situation for their own purposes and they need to be treated as criminals,” the president said, speaking from the White House Rose Garden.
The president’s remarks echoed those of Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony Batts, who said, “This is not protesting, this is not your First Amendment rights. This is criminal acts doing damage to a community that is challenged in some ways [and] that do not need this.”
Police arrested nearly 200 people after 15 buildings, 144 vehicles were set ablaze
On Tuesday, Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said police had arrested nearly 200 people after 15 buildings and 144 vehicles were set ablaze overnight. With the state of Maryland declaring a state of emergency, the Baltimore Orioles baseball team canceled a game scheduled for Tuesday evening and schools remained closed for the day in the city of roughly 620,000 people about 40 miles (65 kilometers) from the US capital, Washington, DC.
“It’s idiotic to think that by destroying your city, you’re going to make life better for anybody,” Rawlings-Blake said Monday.
Protests broke out on Monday after several had gathered to mourn Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man fatally injured in police custody. A cellphone video shot April 12 shows Gray howling in pain as officers force his limp body into a van. Gray requested help and an inhaler during his roughly 40 minutes in detention, and police have acknowledged that he should have received medical attention sooner.
Baltimore firefighters battle a three-alarm fire at a senior living facility under construction at Federal and Chester Streets in East Baltimore. Photo: Jerry Jackson/The Baltimore Sun
Officials instated week-long curfew after overnight protests
The governor of the US state of Maryland has declared a state of emergency and activated the Maryland National Guard to help with the violence and rioting in the State’s largest city of Baltimore.
Baltimore mayor Stepanie Rawlings-Blake announced weeklong, daily curfew to start on Tuesday from 10 pm to 5 am local time.
Governor Larry Hogan condemned the violence that plunged part of the city into chaos.
“People have the right to protest and express their frustration, but Baltimore City families deserve peace and safety in their communities and these acts of violence and destruction of property cannot and will not be tolerated.”
More Accountability for Law Enforcement
While authorities have not said how Gray was injured, many are pressing for more accountability among law enforcement personnel.
Gray’s family is pleading for calm. “I want ya’ll to get justice for my son, but don’t do it like this,” Gray’s mother, Gloria Darden, said.
Police have not been able to take control of the riots.
“We’re putting out a request for up to 5,000 law enforcement [officers] from the regional area to assist us as well,” Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony Batt said.
Maryland’s governor declared a state of emergency and authorities called in the National Guard to restore order.
Heavy National Guard presence in central Baltimore
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