Maryland Governor Larry Hogan held a press conference after Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake announced the 10 pm curfew on the city has been lifted.
The curfew had been set after much of the the city was burned and destroyed during riots last week protesting the death of Freddie Gray, who died while in police custody last month.
Hogan said more than 200 businesses were destroyed – many of which did not have insurance – and that millions of dollars have been lost.
Members of three Baltimore street gangs came together in unity during Monday’s riots to protect businesses — or at least some of them.
Gang members from the Crips, Bloods and Black Guerrilla Family stood guard and protected black-owned businesses from looters and protestors in Baltimore during the riots. The gang members directed the looters instead to other businesses mostly owned by Asians and Arabs, The New York Times reported.
“Stores were being looted a lot of terrible things, but since then I’ve seen incredible acts of kindness,” Hogan said recalling the Monday night violent riot. “It’s a great way to end the week – with a day of prayer and peace and reconciliation”
He added that he and Mayor Rawlings-Blake talked and agreed it’s time to get the community back to normal again. The mall where the riot began and looting occurred is also set to reopen.
“We want to heal our city, we know we have challenges in Baltimore,” said Rawlings-Blake.
The National Guard has slowly begun to pull out of the city as of Sunday morning.
Hogan said he didn’t want to discuss reform or the case itself, but that there is longer term questions on how to fix the situation and create trust between the community and police.
“Today we are about having peace in the city,” he said.
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