Baltimore rocked by riots, violence

BALTIMORE – The streets of Baltimore erupted in violence Monday hours after the funeral of a black man who suffered a fatal injury in police custody, with hundreds of men and women setting fire to cars, looting businesses, and throwing bricks, rocks and bottles at police in the city’s worst episode of racial violence since the 1960s.

Thousands of National Guard troops and police officers from across the region began mobilizing in the evening as Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency to stem the racial unrest, which had overwhelmed the 1,500 deployed officers, at least 15 of whom had been injured.

“I have not made this decision lightly,” Hogan said in a televised news conference, where officials said they were requesting as many as 5,000 National Guard troops and 5,000 police officers to come to Baltimore’s assistance. “The National Guard represents the last resort to restore order. Baltimore city families deserve peace and safety in their communities.”

Fires burned throughout the city as looting continued in the evening, including at East Baltimore’s Church Square shopping center, where throngs of looters, with almost an air of celebration, dashed into stores and emerged carrying boxes of sneakers and tennis shoes and armfuls of clothing.

Virtually all of the looters appeared to be teenagers and young men, yet a girl with a white scarf tied across her face also ran out. One looter shouted, “We are going to riot until we die.”

Officials said some of the injured officers suffered broken bones, and one was described as “unresponsive.” Embattled Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake declared a citywide curfew beginning today at 10 p.m. and said it would last at least a week.

“Too many people have spent a generation building up this city for it to be destroyed by thugs who in a very senseless way are trying to tear down what so many have fought for,” Rawlings-Blake said.

At least 27 people had been arrested by early evening, multiple journalists had been assaulted during the unrest, and a CVS was set on fire. As firefighters tried to fight the blaze, someone tried to slash a fire hose, a firefighter said.

After night fell, a blaze began consuming a senior center that was under construction on the east side of Baltimore. However, fire officials did not know whether it was connected to the unrest. Two firefighters were reported hurt in firefighting efforts Monday.

Protests began in the afternoon just after the funeral for Freddie Gray, 25, who died a week after his spine was partially severed while he was in police custody.

No officers have been charged and police officials released few details about his arrest, stoking transparency concerns among black Baltimore residents who already had a fraught relationship with police.

On Monday night, newly confirmed U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch – the first black woman to serve as the nation’s top law enforcement officer – condemned the violence. She promised to work with community leaders to “protect the security and civil rights of all residents” as federal officials conduct an independent investigation into Gray’s death.

“Those who commit violent actions, ostensibly in protest of the death of Freddie Gray, do a disservice to his family, to his loved ones, and to legitimate peaceful protesters who are working to improve their community for all its residents,” Lynch said in a statement.

The violence began in the early afternoon and built throughout the day. Angry, rock-throwing people confronted police around Mondawmin Mall, which was later looted. After officers cleared the mall, one said, “It looks like a war zone in there.”

At one confrontation with police in the city, a crowd shouted at officers who stood still with their batons and shields in front of them.

“Basically we are tired of police officers killing black men,” said one of the bystanders, who would identify himself only as Keyon W., 23 and unemployed. “Not only men but black leaders.”

He added, “Our voices are not being heard, so this is the result.”

Police fired tear gas and used pepper spray to hold back crowds. Several police vehicles were disabled and set ablaze.

The baseball game between the Baltimore Orioles and the Chicago White Sox was postponed as a precaution.

“This is a group of lawless individuals with no regard for people,” said Baltimore police Capt. Eric Kowalczyk. “We don’t know who is out there. We do know they are criminals and have attacked officers without provocation.”

Officials said some of the people throwing stones at police appeared to be high school students.

“These are thugs who are seizing upon an opportunity to show their anger and distrust and frustration with the Police Department, and this is not the way to do it,” City Council President Bernard Young said.

Throngs of people were on the move, some of them armed with clubs to break into stores.

Baltimore has been on edge since Gray, a black man, died April 19, a week after his arrest. Last week’s protests began peacefully, but dozens were arrested over the weekend when six officers were injured despite repeated calls from community leaders and city officials for calm and restraint.

In a footnote to the growing unease, police announced Monday that they had received a “credible threat” that three violent gangs – the Black Guerrilla Family, the Bloods and the Crips – were working together to “take out” law enforcement officers. It was unknown whether the threat was connected to Gray’s death or to the rioting, police said.

The violence seemed to stem from a flier that circulated widely among city school students via social media about a “purge” to take place at 3 p.m., starting at Mondawmin Mall and ending downtown. Such calls have circulated before and are based on the film “The Purge,” which posits a dystopia where all laws are suspended for 12 hours.

One demonstrator outside the ravaged mall said he and a friend had learned about what was happening via Instagram and Twitter, using the hashtags #thepurge and #justiceforfreddie. He would give his name only as Eddie B., and said he was 25.

“Everyone feels like no one’s looking out for them,” he said.

Hours before rioting began, officials from city government and the White House attended the funeral for Gray, who was arrested after attracting officers’ attention by “making eye contact” and then running, officials have said.

Gray’s hands were cuffed behind his back, and he was placed in a police van. At some point, he was also restrained with leg irons. His pleas for medical help went unanswered, and by the time he arrived at the police station he was having difficulty breathing and could not speak, officials have said. Gray slipped into a coma, underwent surgery, and died April 19.

Throughout the trip in the van, Gray said he needed medical attention and at one point asked for an inhaler, police said.

Thousands of mourners gathered for the televised funeral, which lasted almost two hours. Rawlings-Blake and Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, D-Md., were among those who attended, along with a host of civil rights leaders including the Rev. Jesse Jackson, Dick Gregory, Maryland Rep. John Sarbanes and NAACP leader Kweisi Mfume.