Baltimore mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake issued the following statement Sunday morning on her decision to rescind the citywide curfew order:
“Effective immediately, I have rescinded my order instituting a citywide curfew. My goal has always been to not have the curfew in place a single day longer than was necessary.
My number one priority in instituting a curfew was to ensure the public peace, safety, health and welfare of Baltimore citizens. It was not an easy decision, but one I felt was necessary to help our city restore calm.
I want to thank the people of Baltimore for their patience during this difficult time as we continue to come together to heal and restore our City.”
The rescinding of the citywide curfew order comes on the heels of City state’s attorney Marilyn Mosby’s announcement Friday that six police officers involved in the arrest and transport of Freddie Gray, who died April 19 in police custody, were being criminally charged.
The decision to rescind the citywide curfew also follows peaceful protests and rallies Friday and Saturday in the wake of Mosby’s announcement. In the last several days, particularly after the indictments against the police officers, which included a charge of second-degree murder against one officer, calls for ending the curfew immediately grew louder both from the small business community and protestors.
Later Sunday afternoon, at Mondawmin Mall, Rawlings-Blake announced that the longtime West Baltimore shopping center, which had been closed since rioting and looting there last Monday, was re-opening today.
At a small press conference in the Mondawmin parking lot after a tour of the mall, Rawlings-Blake said the Maryland National Guard will not immediately leave city today, but will begin drawing back their presence over the next week. “It’s not like you flip a switch,” Rawlings-Blake said. “They have to unwind their operations.”
Whether the decision to lift the curfew came too early, or too late, only time will tell, Rawlings-Blake said. “You’ll let me know,” she told reporters. But she added that she believes the worst of the crisis in the city is over and the state of affairs is improving in Baltimore.
‘Right now I’m very confident [the worst of unrest has passed.],” Rawlings-Blake said. “What we saw over the past few days [referencing the peaceful demonstrations], is not just the resiliency of our city, but also our communities coming together. We want to heal our city. We know we have challenges in Baltimore. We know there is work to be done.”