Two days after charges were announced against six Baltimore police officers involved in the arrest and death of Freddie Gray, Baltimore mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said she is lifting a citywide curfew put in place last week.
The move, which Rawlings-Blake announced on Twitter, came a day earlier than expected.
Effective immediately, I have rescinded my order instituting a city-wide curfew. I want to thank the people of Baltimore for their patience.
— Mayor Rawlings-Blake (@MayorSRB) May 3, 2015
Rawlings-Blake put the 10 p.m. curfew in place Monday night after widespread rioting and looting that began after Gray’s funeral, which was held earlier in the day.
Numerous businesses were burned and looted. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan also activated the National Guard to help quell the riots. Both acts were seen as effective. While arrests continued throughout the week, no businesses were burned or looted.
My goal has always been to not have the curfew in place a single day longer than was necessary. I believe we have reached that point today.
— Mayor Rawlings-Blake (@MayorSRB) May 3, 2015
Rawlings-Blake, a Democrat, has received criticism from all directions for her handling of the response to the unrest.
On Saturday, after an initial spate of violence and looting forced a temporary lock-down of Baltimore’s baseball stadium, Camden Yards, Rawlings-Blake said rioters were provided a “space to destroy.”
While Rawlings-Blake said that her comment was taken out of context, many Baltimore police officers alleged that they were ordered to stand down during the rioting. (RELATED: Baltimore Mayor Regrets Space To Destroy Comments)
Rawlings-Blake also came under fire for calling the rioters “thugs” during her press conference on Monday.
On Friday, Marilyn Mosby, the state’s attorney for Baltimore, announced charges for the six police officers involved in the April 12 arrest and transport of Gray. Gray died a week later. In her charging announcement, Mosby said Gray’s death had been ruled a homicide. She said that he was illegally arrested and that officers failed to properly restrain him in the back of a police van. She also alleged that the officers failed to provide Gray with medical care even though he asked for it.
Mosby’s announcement was met with a celebratory response by protesters and many Baltimore citizens.