Baltimore’s mayor lifted a citywide curfew, six days after riots sparked by Freddie Gray’s death, and faith leaders called for continued activism until justice is achieved.
A jubilant crowd of several hundred prayed and sang civil-rights anthems at a Baltimore City Hall rally. Sunday’s peaceful gathering came two days after the city’s top prosecutor announced criminal charges against six officers involved in Gray’s arrest. His death came amid a national debate about the deaths of black men at the hands of police.
Speaker after speaker exhorted the crowd not to rest just because the officers have been charged. The Reverend Jamal Bryant, a fiery leader of the protests that followed Gray’s April 12 arrest and the death of the 25-year-old black man a week later, drew deafening cheers when he said the officers deserve jail time.
“We’ve got to see this all the way through, until all six officers trade in their blue uniform for an orange uniform,” Bryant said. “Let them know: Orange is the new black.”
Police said on Sunday that 486 people had been arrested since April 23, and that 113 officers had been injured during riots and protests.
The order for residents to stay home between 10pm and 5am had been in place since Tuesday last week; officials had originally planned to maintain it through yesterday morning. Protests since Monday last week’s riots have been peaceful, and Friday’s announcement of charges eased tensions.
Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake announced the curfew’s end in a statement.
“My No. 1 priority in instituting a curfew was to ensure the public peace, safety, health and welfare of Baltimore citizens,” the Democratic mayor said. “It was not an easy decision, but one I felt was necessary to help our city restore calm.”
State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby has said Gray died after suffering a broken neck while inside a police van. On Friday, Mosby filed charges against the officers involved in his arrest and transport. One is charged with second-degree murder. Three others are charged with involuntary manslaughter and two with second-degree assault.
Mosby said Gray’s neck was broken because he was placed head-first in a police van, handcuffed and later in leg shackles, where he was left to slam against the walls of the small metal compartment.
Police said the officers who arrested Gray ignored his cries for help because they thought he was faking his injuries. He was repeatedly denied medical attention.
US Representative Elijah Cummings on Sunday said he will ask US President Barack Obama and congressional leaders to send a bipartisan delegation “to look at what is going on in Baltimore.”
“It is so symbolic of what is going on all over this country. We have to address the problems of the urban areas because so many our young people are being left behind,” Cummings said.
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