State of Emergency Declared in Baltimore

Baltimore Burning: Curfew declared as violence flares

Gov. of Maryland has declared a state of emergency, activating the national guard as violence and looting intensifies.

Meantime, the mayor has declared a curfew following the funeral of Freddie Gray, a 25-year-old black man who died in police custody on April 19 after a week in coma.

The week-long curfew is effective between 22:00 and 05:00, starting on Tuesday.

At least 15 police officers have been injured in clashes with demonstrators, some with broken bones, while dozens of arrests have been made, as of posting.

Gray’s death is the latest in a series of high-profile cases where black men have lost their lives after contact with the police.

Baltimore police have suspended six police officers who were involved in the victim’s arrest.

The shooting of an unarmed black teenager Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri August last year led to nationwide demonstration after a jury decided not to charge police officer Darren Wilson over the killing.

Several other black men have also been killed fleeing the police, or while being arrested, since last year.