Baltimore mayor lifts curfew six days after unrest

World Today

A protester carries an American flag displaying Freddie Gray’s name alongside names of other black men and women who have died in law enforcement custody during a march, Saturday, May 2, 2015, in Baltimore. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky)

Six days after the death of a black man sparked riots in Baltimore, the city’s mayor lifted a citywide curfew on Sunday morning, signaling an end to the extraordinary measures taken to ensure public safety amid an outcry over police practices.

The order for residents to stay home between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m. had been in place since Tuesday, and officials had planned to maintain it through Monday morning. Protests since Monday’s riots have been peaceful, and Friday’s announcement of charges against six officers involved in Freddie Gray’s arrest eased tensions.

Baltimore’s unrest come amid a fierce national debate over police treatment of minorities and follows the deaths of unarmed African-Americans in New York, South Carolina and Ferguson, Missouri.

Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said in a statement that she didn’t want the curfew to continue any longer than necessary.

Gray died after suffering a broken neck while inside a police van. On Friday, State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby filed charges against the six officers involved in his arrest, transport and fatal injury. The officers face charges ranging from manslaughter to second-degree murder.

Report compiled with information from Associated Press.