Baltimore protests: 'acts of violence will not be tolerated' – as it happened

http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2015/apr/28/baltimore-freddie-gray-riots-live-updates

Version 0 of 1.

12.55am ET05:55

Here's a summary of tonight's events:

12.53am ET05:53

An end-of-night dispatch from Paul Lewis:

I expect that tomorrow morning one noteworthy figure in all of this will be congressman Elijah Cummings, who was instrumental in tamping down the unrest and persuading people to obey the curfew.

Cummings emerged around 9.45pm, just fifteen minutes before people were ordered off the streets. The US Representative for Maryland’s seventh congressional district, who lives a few blocks from where the crowd had gathered, urged both police and protesters to show restraint.

But he made clear he believed protesters had valid grievances and empathised with their plights. “Folks its almost 10 o’clock,” he said, roaming the crowd, and embracing one or two people - including one man who had a bloodied face. “You’ve got to start clearing out.”

Here are excerpts from what Paul filmed him telling people in the crowd:

On local anger over Freddie Gray’s death:

The police have to be much more transparent. We have a young man from this neighbourhood who is supposedly arrested without force of incident, who suffered a broken neck, a crushed larynx, and a splintered spinal cord and then died. It just goes against common sense for a lot of people. That’s hard.

We’ve gotta get on to this police department and make sure we look at it very carefully from top to bottom. And then we’ve got to listen to our children. Let me tell you: this is, without a doubt, the civil rights cause for this generation - this and voting rights. And America needs to wake-up - big time.”

On the neighbourhood’s young people:

We’ve got a lot of young people who are really hurt. I’ve been here 33 years. I raised my family here. I was born here. And then when I see our young I feel their pain. A lot of them didn’t get the education that they needed. They then find themselves unable to function like they want to. The next thing they know themselves in criminal trouble then they have a criminal record.”

On the need for police to show restraint:

You’ve got to have a situation where police hopefully have restraint here tonight. We’ve seen people boisterous, but you don’t see any kind of violence. I think if police will just stay calm and let people kind of ease out, I think we will be fine.”

11.54pm ET04:54

Baltimore police commissioner Anthony Batts is speaking now. He says there were “no major events” this evening, and “approximately ten” total arrests.

The city is stable. We hope to maintain it that way.

11.33pm ET04:33

Other protests have been occurring in solidarity with Baltimore around the country tonight. This was an hour ago in Chicago outside police headquarters:

Chicago: Demonstrators begin sitting in the intersection of 55th and Cottage Grove Watch Live: http://t.co/MT0ZamkaQn pic.twitter.com/JbmY7ZfDGt

11.30pm ET04:30

Baltimore police commissioner Anthony Batts is set to speak to the media outside police HQ in fifteen minutes.

11.28pm ET04:28

The Guardian’s Paul Lewis is live on Periscope right now:

LIVE on #Periscope: Baltimore national guard https://t.co/EdRDSmbEgf

11.23pm ET04:23

Things seem to be winding down on the streets of Baltimore.

On CNN, Montel Williams tells Don Lemon that “America should be proud” right now, pointing in particular to the role gang members played in keeping the peace tonight.

11.15pm ET04:15

Police swoop from an unmarked SWAT van on a kid who is holding a bottle. Jon and Ollie both catch the moment on Vine:

Two kids just pulled over by cops on Penn Av for holding a bottle. #baltimore https://t.co/BdzNXO7JA7

Two cops just jumped from unmarked SWAT van shouting "drop the bottle!" at teen on right. Pat-down, then let them go pic.twitter.com/MlmxARTOJN

11.09pm ET04:09

Meanwhile, more prosperous areas of Baltimore are ghost-like and empty, shops shut and roads clear, reports Ben Jacobs:

In the prosperous precincts of North Baltimore tonight, the city has turned into a ghost-town. Cars, convenience stores and gas stations are all closed and shuttered.

Shops that were even open on Christmas Day have signs saying ‘open at 6am’. Traffic has come to a standstill, only a handful of cars on the streets as major thoroughfares became near-empty.

11.07pm ET04:07

The Guardian’s Mae Ryan and Steven Thrasher have left the police line, where, she says, “it was almost all media”.

“Dozens” of people still around where Oliver Laughland is:

Police now staying well back, dozens of people still out on Woodbrook & North #baltimore pic.twitter.com/0On7qVr31W

10.54pm ET03:54

Some confusion about the status of the media under this curfew.

Reporters on the ground have said that the helicopter announcements said that they would get arrested if they were out - though this tweet by police runs counter to that.

Credentialed members of the MEDIA are exempt from the emergency curfew. Please use caution in the area of police enforcement.

Certainly, police seem to be leaving the press alone so far.

10.51pm ET03:51

One protester has been arrested. Steven Thrasher got a good view of it:

A person just disappeared into the wall of cops. It happened so fast - the wall opened and they disappeared

10.50pm ET03:50

All Guardian team on the ground are safe and accounted-for. Jon is already fact-checking heroically.

Fire beside Pratt library was not caused by Molotov cocktail. The teargas grenade landed on trash and its sparks set the fire. Watched it.

10.47pm ET03:47

Police fired teargas can. Protester threw it back but it deflected off tree, landed on trash, set it on fire. Took a cloud of it in the face

10.46pm ET03:46

A brusque dispatch from Steven Thrasher:

30 minutes after curfew more cops coming in. Gas came from projectiles, can’t tell if it was from police or protest side. Police advanced about 30 feet, then heard order “Hold the line!” At which point, cops pulled back from media. Tanked advanced into intersection, cops aligned with it.

Jon and Oliver almost caught by tear gas after a protester tries to throw a canister back at police.

Tear gas and violent clashes meant I had to stop that last #Periscope broadcast. Too risky to continue now.

More tanks arriving - SWAT vehicle

10.37pm ET03:37

“Now it’s teargas,” Jon Swaine reports

10.36pm ET03:36

Reports of a small fire near Pratt Library, which the Sun’s Justin Fenton says was caused by a molotov cocktail:

Molotov cocktail thrown at Pratt Library pic.twitter.com/vu9Gb0sck1

Note: this was not, in fact, a Molotov cocktail, the Guardian’s Jon Swain confirms.

Updated at 11.05pm ET

10.35pm ET03:35

Smoke canisters - the police do not appear to be using tear gas - are not dispersing the crowds completely.

More smoke being fired. Police beating shields pic.twitter.com/MTMt0T3twS

10.28pm ET03:28

Our own Steven Thrasher sends this audio report from outside CVS, where bottles are being thrown at police.

I’m outside of the CVS in Baltimore, the Baltimore police are flying a helicopter over us threatening all media with arrest.

Plastic bottles are starting to be thrown ... most of the media does not want to stop reporting. It’s quite a disturbing scene.

Hear the whole report here:

10.24pm ET03:24

CNN reporting that tear gas was deployed; then revised it, saying they were smoke-bombs.

10.23pm ET03:23

Jon Swaine and Oliver Laughland still on the scene.

Police line continuing to advance #baltimore pic.twitter.com/wOLC29BMjs

Current state of the standoff in west Baltimore #FreddieGray https://t.co/fFCuxuMH94

10.21pm ET03:21

“Couple of plastic bottles hurled at police. Then the smash of glass. Police have temporarily stopped their march”, reports Jon Swaine on Twitter.

“Another glass bottle smashes at the other side of police line. And then a dinner plate. ‘No! Don’t do this shit!’ man shouting at them.”

10.19pm ET03:19

The Baltimore Sun’s Ian Duncan is listening to the police scanner.

Scanner: Police preparing to move. Flank around from the right.

10.18pm ET03:18

Police line advancing #baltimore https://t.co/NYQt7NDKCH

10.17pm ET03:17

The group at North Ave / Pennsylvania Ave is becoming aggressive & throwing items at police officers.

10.16pm ET03:16

Loudspeaker on police helicopter now announcing that media will be arrested too.

Police line now advancing; bottles and rocks thrown.

10.11pm ET03:11

A great angle on the story from the Guardian’s Ben Jacobs, who reports that Baltimore police are setting bail deliberately high to prevent those arrested last night from being out on the streets tonight.

In a radio interview with WBAL-AM, Delegate Curt Anderson said that courts were deliberately setting bail bonds as high as $500,000 for those arrested on Monday. The veteran Baltimore politician described one youth who was photographed breaking the windshield of a police car on North Avenue during the disturbances.

He said that the young man’s expression visibly fell when he heard his bail number. This mean he wasn’t getting out of jail that day but instead would be detained for months.

Anderson said that the goal of this was keep offenders off the streets in the coming days and ensure that they wouldn’t be on the streets when States Attorney Marilyn Mosby announced the results of her investigation into the death of Freddie Gray on Friday.

This would keep the streets calm and serve as a deterrent, as Anderson said “the court commissioners ain’t playing.”

10.08pm ET03:08

The only disturbance so far appears to be a group of people unhappy with Fox News’ Geraldo Rivera.

As curfew passes, only violence where I'm at in Baltimore is people mad at Geraldo Rivera getting in a small shoving match with him

Geraldi getting chewed out by FOX News hating protester, said network only cares about riots, not poverty. #bmore pic.twitter.com/y2WIPMxxYe

10.05pm ET03:05

Rep. Cummings says he’s feeling “real pain” for this neighbourhood, right now on CNN.

The police have to be much more transparent. We’ve got a situation where we have a young man from this neighbourhood, supposedly arreested without incident ... then he died. It just goes against common sense for some people. That’s hard.

This is the civil rights cause of this generation.

The interview is brought to a close by police, who are enforcing the curfew.

It is now 10:00pm. An emergency curfew is in effect within the city of Baltimore. http://t.co/6w6eqR8p3m

10.01pm ET03:01

10PM - curfew is now in force

It’s crunch time.

“Going into the curfew it is not the police who are pushing people to go home the most, but a group of volunteers who live near here,” says writer-at-large Steven Thrasher.

Sometimes linking arms in a line in front of the line of riot cops, the neighbors are forcefully trying to get protesters and the media to leave the area.

At times begging, at times mildly pushing, they are trying to get us all to leave. Each time they sweep the intersection, though, the void just fills in again.

Three choppers flying overhead, two very low, and a voice saying “please go home” calling out over a bullhorn.

10.00pm ET03:00

A picture of the scene just before the curfew falls, from the Guardian’s Mae Ryan:

The #Baltimore community has cleared out protesters from the front line. Wants everyone to go home before 10 curfew pic.twitter.com/lU1PZhmMcm

9.56pm ET02:56

Jon Swaine is at the focus point, and sends this report:

Things are at a standstill at the intersection of North Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue, where a CVS pharmacy was torched last night and protesters have gathered steadily throughout the day in the sunshine.

A group of people including members of the Bloods and Crips gangs - marked out by their red and blue bandanas - inserted themselves between the police line and protesters. Then they slowly drove out the demonstrators en masse in advance of 10pm’s curfew. “We are going home,” said one.

While it broke up the rump of the demonstration, scattered groups and reporters remain in the intersection while the intervening group pleads with people to leave. “Go home,” reads the marker pen inscription on one man’s sign. “Fight another day,” it reads on the other.

But with 10 minutes before the curfew is enacted, perhaps 500 or 600 people remain around the intersection. A long line of police in riot gear continue to look over them. Their intentions for after 10pm are not yet clear.

9.55pm ET02:55

CNN currently reporting that the mayor is on the loudhailer, asking people to go home. Massed protesters facing lines of police, with just five minutes to go until curfew.

This moment will be a real test of the police’s patience. There are a lot of people still on the streets. Things could get nasty quickly.

9.52pm ET02:52

Baltimore police reporting on Twitter that a group of people have started throwing rocks. Arrests are being made.

Officers are making arrests at Patapsco and 9th Street. A group started attacking officers w/ rocks and bricks.

9.47pm ET02:47

Ben Jacobs has this report:

At The Diz, a bar in the rapidly gentrifying neighborhood of Remington near Johns Hopkins University, customers rapidly left after 8PM on Tuesday.

The curfew meant that the kitchen would close at 8 and the bar just an hour afterwards. There was a slightly edgy, uncomfortable fear as customers finished their pints while an NBA game played in the background.

People were ready to obey the curfew at the predominantly white bar. Rules were rules and no one wanted to get into trouble.

9.38pm ET02:38

With just over 20 minutes to go until curfew, lines of people have formed, and are currently helping police make people go home.

Those clearing the protest sending wave after wave of people with arms linked. Ordering reporters out too pic.twitter.com/8pS5eNqcLE

Officer just shook hands with one of those who formed line telling people to head home "thanks for your help," officer said. #baltimore

9.36pm ET02:36

A quick throwback to this extraordinary video from yesterday, shot by local ABC affiliate WMAR, of a mother beating her son around the head for throwing rocks at police.

You can see the original here.

9.23pm ET02:23

Baltimore mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake takes to Twitter to say that while she is “encouraged by what we are seeing tonight”, the curfew will still take effect at 10.

While I'm encouraged by what we are seeing tonight, the city curfew will begin at 10 pm. For more information, go to: http://t.co/dauZZr3CG4

9.15pm ET02:15

During the next hour, you will hear officers using bull horns to make announcements about the 10:00pm curfew.

9.13pm ET02:13

Maryland state senator Catherine Pugh just addressed the crowd from police loudspeaker, according to Jon Swaine, who is on the scene. She praised peaceful protest and said “take your babies home”, Jon says.

9.08pm ET02:08

The Guardian’s Jon Swaine and Oliver Laughland are both at North Ave and Pennsylvania Ave in West Baltimore.

This was the epicentre of much of last night’s violence, but it looks like the members of the notorious Crip and Blood gangs are keeping their promise to help maintain the peace. Extraordinary scenes.

Line of protesters moving everyone back. Now about 5 metres between police and crowd #Baltimore pic.twitter.com/4l8kvLEFnb

Bloods crips and others moving the crowd away from the police en masse. "We are going home," they say

Seems like members of Bloods and Crips trying to move protesters back with others too #Baltimore pic.twitter.com/gbte7n598W

9.01pm ET02:01

One hour to go until curfew.

As darkness falls, the streets of Baltimore still throng with protesters.

Police line at Penn & North. Still a line of protesters facing towards the crowd separating police from masses: pic.twitter.com/s9OWVtGU7E

8.54pm ET01:54

Jon Swaine interviews 15-year-old Sin - a member of the notorious Crip gang. She says:

This is my life. It ain’t about me being a Crip, being a bad person, shooting people, shit like that. It’s about coming together, making our community better.

She says when the curfew comes, “I’m gonna go home, because I don’t wanna get shot”.

Here’s the full video:

Updated at 9.28pm ET

8.53pm ET01:53

Another of Oliver Laughland’s interviews from earlier - this is Anthony Smith, 23, from East Baltimore.

He says he wants answers, and feels he hasn’t got them. As with many people tonight, he’s against the curfew - which comes in force in just over an hour - if protests are peaceful.

8.40pm ET01:40

Some members of the two most notorious gangs in America just held a press conference on national TV.

So some Crips and Bloods just held a press conference

The gangs are usually enemies. But tonight, the Guardian’s Jon Swaine reports:

Pretty amazing moment just now as group of bloods and crips came out together to deny being to blame for anything last night and say they kept things from being worse (seems to be true).

Bloods and Crips being interviewed by @geraldorivera for Fox News in W Baltimore. Sure, why not. #FreddieGray pic.twitter.com/JTI7U6KY0o

Bloods being interviewed right now. amazing shit. 'We want peace. We're working w Crips and protecting our community' #BaltimoreUprising

Jon got a video interview with some of them, which we’ll have for you soon.

8.31pm ET01:31

Baltimore Ravens star Ray Lewis - not to be confused with our own Paul Lewis - released this emotionally-charged video today, in which he pleads for calm.

“Too many hardworking people built this city,” says Lewis, who spent his entire 17-year NFL career in Baltimore. “We put this city together. We put this city on our back.”

8.19pm ET01:19

Earlier, Oliver Laughland interviewed Heidi Alsangak, 22, from Randallstown, Maryland. This is her first time protesting. She told him:

I want to say it’s not just for Freddie Gray – it’s for every single life here in the United States, whether black, white, brown, asian, whatever. We all deserve justice, we all deserve peace.

About the curfew, she said that she was “planning to stay as long as my heart will allow me to”, and thinks that if people are protesting peacefully, there shouldn’t be a curfew.

You can hear the whole interview here:

8.11pm ET01:11

Baltimore police have a plan:

We will begin using bull horns around 9:00pm tonight to remind everyone about the curfew.

8.04pm ET01:04

Two hours to go until curfew.

Protesters are gathering in several locations in downtown Baltimore, as dusk falls and curfew approaches.

Ben Jacobs, who was there yesterday, describes the scene as “much more peaceful” than this time last night - possibly due to the 1700 national guardsmen, and police forces from across the state in the city tonight.

Montgomery county police armoured vehicle just left the line at North and Penn #baltimore pic.twitter.com/LCtvtGc7sV

Last night saw 235 arrests, more than 150 vehicle fires, and as many as 20 officers wounded.

7.58pm ET00:58

Ben is still near City Hall.

Mounted police watch other side of rally as protestors chant "USA, USA." pic.twitter.com/idoOxz5OmR

7.54pm ET00:54

Steven Thrasher is still outside the burned-out CVS, and sends this report of the scene:

Shortly before sunset and long the 10 PM curfew, the scene is somewhat light outside of the CVS in Baltimore which was burned last night. Volunteers have been sweeping out the interior while a line of civilians stands in front of a line of riot cops.

Meanwhile, from two different directions bands of peaceful protesters came to fill the streets. From the south came the 300 Men March; and from the East came a parade of dancing and drumming boys and girls.

He took this video:

7.51pm ET00:51

Rep. Elijah Cummings was on that conference call with attorney-general Loretta Lynch, along with Senators Barbara Mikulski and Ben Cardin, and representatives C.A. ‘Dutch’ Ruppersberger and John Sarbanes.

He just released the following statement:

This evening I had a very productive conversation with my colleagues in the Maryland Congressional Delegation and U.S. Attorney General Loretta Lynch. The Attorney General assured us that the DOJ investigations of the Baltimore City Police Department are ongoing and have her highest priority and attention.

I feel confident that the DOJ will conduct thorough investigations and that the findings will help provide answers to the many questions surrounding the death of Freddie Gray and the policies and practices of the Baltimore City Police Department.

7.38pm ET00:38

An update from the Baltimore Sun’s John Fritze on the Department of Justice investigation into Freddie Gray’s death - the death that started all this:

Attorney General Loretta Lynch is discussing the Gray case with members of Maryland's congressional delegation by phone.

7.37pm ET00:37

Also at City Hall, Ben Jacobs has this to say:

Outside city hall, dozens of television news cameras were set up as reporters flocked to Baltimore around the world. They interviewed local worthies for the 24 hour news cycle as they dealt with periodic interruptions.

A caravan of 25 cars drove by honking loudly as passengers leaned out windows and sun roofs shouting “No Justice No Peace.”

Soon after they left, just as quiet returned, a crowd of 150 protestors showed up in the plaza around City Hall shouting “hands up don’t shoot” and bearing signs with Freddie Gray’s picture saying Black Lives Matter.

At the edge of the crowd hecklers shouted at local black politicians who were there to speak to the cameras as symbols of an establishment which let them down.

7.35pm ET00:35

Paul is also live on Periscope from City Hall:

LIVE on #Periscope: Baltimore city hall protest now https://t.co/mPSAQPjl09

7.33pm ET00:33

A crowd of protesters have just reached City Hall. Paul Lewis and Ben Jacobs are both on the scene. Paul says:

The quiet outside Baltimore’s City Hall was just punctured by the arrival of a crowd of some 200 protesters. The administrative building in the heart of the city had been surrounded by National Guard troops, armed with wooden sticks and automatic weapons, in a show of force that has been magnet for the network TV channels.

The backdrop was supposed to show the city that law and order was back in control. But just after 7pm the quiet was interrupted by a convoy of cars, with beeping horns and people hanging out of windows chanting “our streets”.

Shortly after the a crowd of activists arrived and climbed on top of a raided monument holding an American flag. The crowd is predominantly young and they’re angry.

They’re holding Black Lives Matters signs and several in the crowd are shouting loudly at the troops, urging them to go home. “You’re making us look bad,” one man just shouted at an armed guard.

“Do not bring Eric Holder or Al Sharpton to this city,” another man shouted. “They ain’t done nothing for us.”

7.17pm ET00:17

The mayor’s office has just sent out a release with more details about tonight’s curfew, which will be in force from 10PM - 5AM, for the next seven days, unless specifically extended or rescinded by the mayor’s office.

These are the details (I’ve bolded the important bits):

7.11pm ET00:11

There is a party atmosphere, too, where Ben and Oliver are - outside City Hall, and at North and Penn, respectively.

Protestors outside city hall honking horns pic.twitter.com/jhG0SGT5iI

"We want the power back. We want peace." dancers sing #baltimore https://t.co/7P2Yl7lObO

7.06pm ET00:06

Steven Thrasher, the Guardian US’s writer-at-large, is also in Baltimore, outside the CVS which was burned during last night’s unrest, where police are already gathering. Curfew begins tonight at 10PM - in three hours time.

He tells me that as well as the line of cops, he is standing with “300 peaceful men and a parade of dancing boys and girls”

Outside the CVS in Baltimore, the police await curfew hours in advance pic.twitter.com/9YbLQqmRiE

7.01pm ET00:01

Oliver Laughland is with protesters at North and Penn Ave. He just sent in these pictures.

6.32pm ET23:32

My colleague Jon Swaine, in West Baltimore, has his eyes on the sky.

In the sky over the centre of #FreddieGray protests in W Baltimore (L-R): a drone, a police helicopter pic.twitter.com/U4MrdgGqOP

6.23pm ET23:23

Governor Hogan: "We've got a long night ahead of us."

Back to governor Hogan. “We’ve got a long night ahead of us,” he says.

We will put all the resources at our disposal to make sure we don’t get overwhelmed like last night. We’ve got a lot of manpower ... and we’re going to put whatever resources we need to keep the people of Baltimore safe.

Says that the call to end the state of emergency is one he’ll make himself. “I’ll know it when I see it.”

Hogan also says he doesn’t want to apportion blame.

I don’t want to second-guess the mayor’s decisions ... when she asked us for help, we immediately responded.

It normally takes eight hours to mobilise the national guard, Hogan says, but they were already waiting - so they did it in three hours. So to some extent, he was already second-guessing the mayor...

6.14pm ET23:14

Those of you by a TV might want to tune to MSNBC right now, where my colleague Paul Lewis is talking to the Rev. Al Sharpton about how the story was told last night through the streaming app Periscope.

I'll be talking about how the #BaltimoreRiots were told through Periscope on @TheRevAl's MSNBC show after 6pm tonight.

Updated at 6.21pm ET

6.13pm ET23:13

General Singh, of the Maryland national guard, next to governor Hogan, says that over 1700 guardsmen have been activated in Baltimore in less than a 24 hour period.

6.10pm ET23:10

Maryland’s governor Larry Hogan is giving a press conference.

Protecting innocent lives and property is our number one priority.

At sunrise today, I surveyed the damage ... started at the west Baltimore precinct, and went on the Mondawmin mall. During these visits I saw neighbours working together to restore normalcy.

He says that the national guard’s primary mission is to maintain order. “Acts of violence and destruction of property will not be tolerated,” he says.

6.04pm ET23:04

As the daylight fades, it’s worth taking a step back and thinking about how we got here.

This piece by my colleague Jana Kasperkevic looks into the economic forces behind the neighbourhood at the centre of all this: Sandtown-Winchester, Freddie Gray’s neighbourhood. You can check out the data below.

Updated at 6.05pm ET

5.59pm ET22:59

Rawlings-Blake is on CNN hedging her bets as to whether, as commissioner Batts has said, there will be a report from the investigation into Freddie Gray’s death available on Friday.

5.55pm ET22:55

On the question of whether the Baltimore police need major changes, Rawlings-Blake says:

Absolutely. I’m sure you know we have the Department of Justice in Baltimore at my request to do collaborative reform.

This issue around police brutality, and holding officers accountable, this is something I’ve worked on for years.

She says she’s “very keenly aware of the issues”, and the city is “pushing to get better”.

5.53pm ET22:53

Mayor Rawlings-Blake is live on CNN answering questions. She’s received criticism of the way she’s handled the crisis - especially for saying on Saturday that she wanted to give space for protesters “to destroy”.

I want to say, just to be very clear, a lot of this started with high school kids. We tried to have a response that was appropriate, and not excessive.

It wasn’t allowing rioters to loot and burn down. It was making sure we had an appropriate response.

She says the community is “really coming together in a way the police can’t really do.”

5.45pm ET22:45

By the way, this is Nicky Woolf here, taking over the liveblog from Jess Glenza and Lauren Gambino in New York as Tuesday evening approaches.

Out in Baltimore right now for the Guardian US we have Paul Lewis, Jon Swaine, Mae Ryan, Ben Jacobs and Oliver Laughland.

5.37pm ET22:37

More from Batts, who says about 15 officers were injured last night:

We had a lot of our officers with bruises on their hands from bottles and rocks being thrown ... I visited one officer, Brian, in hospital, he’s doing well.

All the other injured officers, he says, are home and OK.

5.31pm ET22:31

At the same press conference, Baltimore police commissioner Anthony Batts says that Tuesday has been “a very good day” overall.“I had one of my officers say to me, I went home and cried last night,” Batts says. “But what you’re seeing today also is people out celebrating and trying to heal this city.”

Batts is addressing the question of why the response last night was slow.

People ask, why didnt you prepare yesterday? Why didnt you move faster? Because they’re 14, 15 year-old kids. Do you want people using force on 14, 15 year-old kids? They’re old enough to be accountable but they’re still kids.

Updated at 5.33pm ET

5.26pm ET22:26

Baltimore mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has begun a press conference outside City Hall.

Last night was a very rough period for our city. But today I think we saw a lot more what Baltimore is about. We saw people coming together to reclaim our city, clean our city, and help heal our city. I think this can be our def moment, and not the darkest days we saw yesterday.

I spent the morning talking to residents, I visited along North avenue where residents were cleaning up and trying to give confidence to people ... I saw the damage done to Mondawmin Mall, and it breaks my heart because those of use from Baltimore know how much we fought for those resources and those stores.

She thanked the Baltimore police department, and all the law enforcement agencies that have helped out in the past week, as well as members of the community who “spent all day yesterday trying to figure out how we can come together to heal.”

Updated at 5.35pm ET

5.10pm ET22:10

As we wait for a 5pm press conference with Baltimore mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, here’s another image of the demonstration at Pennsylvania Avenue and North Avenue.

Load of marchers just arrived at the protest base in W Baltimore. Hundreds of people here now #freddiegray pic.twitter.com/m6OpblOyVR

4.55pm ET21:55

Washington Post reporter Michael Fletcher, who has lived in Baltimore for more than 30 years, said the city has always been a “combustible mix of poverty, crime, and hopelessness, uncomfortably juxtaposed against rich history, friendly people, venerable institutions and pockets of old-money affluence”.

But don’t conflate Baltimore and Ferguson, Fletcher writes.

Baltimore is not Ferguson and its primary problems are not racial. The mayor, city council president, police chief, top prosecutor, and many other city leaders are black, as is half of Baltimore’s 3,000-person police force. The city has many prominent black churches and a line of black civic leadership extending back to Frederick Douglass.

Yet, the gaping disparities separating the haves and the have nots in Baltimore are as large as they are anywhere. And, as the boys on the street will tell you, black cops can be hell on them, too.

4.53pm ET21:53

4.28pm ET21:28

There will be baseball in Baltimore on Wednesday, but Baltimoreans will not be able to attend, my colleague and MLB fan Spencer Ackerman reports.

But is the move unprecedented? Well, we don’t know, Spencer says. According to Elias Sports Bureau, which compiles baseball statistics, it has no way of determining if there was a precedent for two teams playing to an empty ballpark in over 100 years of professional baseball.

Read more here.

Updated at 4.30pm ET

4.11pm ET21:11

My colleague Ben Jacobs has sent us this statement from Lis Smith, a spokeswoman for former Maryland governor and presidential hopeful, Martin O’Malley.

Governor O’Malley has arrived in Baltimore to be with the people in the city that he loves. Since last night, he has been reaching out to community leaders, the Mayor, and members of the clergy to offer his assistance where appropriate and needed.

In the coming days, he will be doing what he can to raise awareness about volunteer opportunities, while participating in the healing process with the people of Baltimore.

Updated at 4.35pm ET

4.04pm ET21:04

Jon Swaine

I just spoke to my colleague Jon Swaine who called in this report from west Baltimore:

At the moment, it’s fairly robust. It’s definitely not a retreating-type mood here. They protesters are not angry right now, but there’s a sort of toughness in the air and you can feel that people are still pissed off.

The crowd just walked along North Avenue and successfully pushed an armed vehicle from the Carroll County Sheriff’s department out of their path. They’re all celebrating at having driven this vehicle off their path.

They marched one whole block and a police car followed them. There was no real confrontation.

Actually, there was one white, middle-aged guy, who tried to get up in the window of the police van, and the young, black protesters asked told him to calm down because he was making everybody look bad.

Armoured vehicle from Carroll County Sheriff's dept being slowly pushed out of protest by crowd in west Bal... https://t.co/lynloYfUQ2

3.37pm ET20:37

My colleague in Baltimore, Jon Swaine, reports that firefighters have gone back into a CVS at Penn and North, which was one of two CVS drug stores set ablaze last night.

Firefighters going back into the burned out CVS in west Baltimore; small plume of black smoke coming out of roof pic.twitter.com/wxi2ET3fiy

3.26pm ET20:26

Summary

One day after violent protests rocked Baltimore, here are Tuesday’s key events:

Updated at 3.30pm ET

2.59pm ET19:59

The Baltimore Orioles have announced they will play the Chicago White Sox in Baltimore tomorrow, but that the stadium won’t be open to the public.

Fans can exchange their tickets for future games in a “dollar for dollar” swap. The Orioles will play their upcoming series against the Tampa Bay Rays as the home team there, in the two teams’ May 1 through 3 series.

Tomorrow’s game between the Orioles and the Chicago White Sox will begin at 2:05 p.m. ET and will be closed to the public.

Orioles announcement regarding schedule changes pic.twitter.com/nwCDyqjzWs

2.56pm ET19:56

In Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake’s most recent comments, she thanks first responders, and calls on those demonstrating to remain peaceful.

Thanks again to all our law enforcement and fire officials, emergency management personnel, and National Guard for working around the clock.

To all those who shared my anger and heartbreak, thank you for your work in our communities and for showing the world Baltimore's resilence

And to those actively demonstrating, I call for peace. Tonight we must be #OneBaltimore. Thank you for holding the line.

Earlier Tuesday, the mayor faced tough questions from reporters about whether she acted fast enough to he growing unrest in the city. On Tuesday morning, she told reporters that crises will always have “armchair quarterbacks” questioning officials’ decisions. Her reaction, however, has not stopped questions about her leadership.

2.51pm ET19:51

Former Baltimore Ravens player Ray Lewis is calling on the youth of the city to stay peaceful, releasing a video on Facebook.

“Young kids – you got to understand something. Get off the streets. Violence is not the answer. Violence has never been the answer. Freddie Gray – we don’t do nothing for him doing this,” Lewis said.

“We know there’s a deeper issue. We know what the jungle looks like, but this isn’t it ... Baltimore get off the streets. Kids go home, stay home.”

2.37pm ET19:37

There are reports that the situation on North and Pennsylvania Avenues, an area where many people are again gathering, is heating up.

Man arrested at Pennsylvania/North in Baltimore after hurling bottle at cops. Crowd tried to stop him. CNN reporter caught in pepper-spray

A large crowd remains at North Ave and Pennsylvania Ave. The crowd is becoming aggressive and throwing items at police.

Men from 300 Man March work to diffuse situation: "These emotions will get you killed!" pic.twitter.com/KVkuoDici6

2.31pm ET19:31

Baltimore Police Captain Eric Kowalczyk has just briefed the media, giving updated information on arrests and injuries.

He says that Baltimore police intend to enforce the city’s 10pm to 5am curfew, and that there will be hourly briefings throughout the evening.

“Please, stay off the streets after 10pm unless you’re going to receive medical treatment or you’re coming from work,” Kowalczyk said.

Sirens could be heard whirring behind him as he spoke. Police expect to give a briefing every hour throughout the evening.

Captain Kowalczyk provides an update on the protests to the media in front of police HQ. pic.twitter.com/cPrdhDAscx

Updated at 2.47pm ET

1.55pm ET18:55

As we wait for the Baltimore Police to begin their 2pm press conference, here is another image of the demonstration at Pennsylvania Avenue and North Avenue.

Hundreds form circle at Pennsylvania and North Avenue. All singing "Amazing Grace". Feels like church #Baltimore pic.twitter.com/ghcNxhjO2z

1.48pm ET18:48

Here are more images of protesters dancing in front of police on at North Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue, from CNN reporter Shimon Prokupecz.

Protesters dancing around as police in riot gear watch #baltimoreriots pic.twitter.com/1DKNWZoW7d

1.39pm ET18:39

Baltimore Police are advising drivers to avoid North Avenue, Fulton Avenue and Pennsylvania Avenue.

Overhead images from a WBALTV11 helicopter shows what appears to be at least several dozen people blocking the intersection. Reporters from WBALTV11 described the demonstration as “peaceful,” some praying, amid a “large police presence”.

Reporters from WBALTV11 reported that the group is believed to be the 300 Men March, an anti-violence group that has marched the city peacefully demonstrating.

Traffic Advisory: Motorists should avoid North Ave between Fulton Ave and Pennsylvania Ave.

1.29pm ET18:29

Despite multiple social media threats, Baltimore County Police Chief James Johnson says there are “no credible threats to our citizens, to our business, or other property in Baltimore County.”

Social media threats could “be 12-year-old children who live on the other side of the county.” Baltimore County police are using significant resources to verify, and in some cases debunk, social media threats, Johnson said.

The county is providing 50 officers to the city of Baltimore. “We believe we have adequate resources within the county,” said Johnson.

No credible threats in Baltimore Co says the police chief. pic.twitter.com/CD3vy4BM1o

Updated at 2.48pm ET

1.21pm ET18:21

Now listening to Baltimore County Police Chief James Johnson and Baltimore County executive Kenneth Kamenetz take questions from reporters.

1.05pm ET18:05

We’ll have more to come shortly on Obama’s comments from the Guardian’s Tom McCarthy. In the meantime Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake is at the Bethel AME Church with local faith leaders.

"The pain is real," @MayorSRB said. "The pain they're feeling, they're also inflicting." pic.twitter.com/fSKLHZEnyx

I'm at Bethel AME Church joining community leaders as they open doors to youth for comfort, frank discussion, and an opportunity to clean up

Updated at 1.17pm ET

12.56pm ET17:56

Obama speaks about Baltimore protests at press conference

Obama spoke about the destruction in Baltimore: “There’s no excuse for the kind of violence we saw yesterday.”

When individuals get crow bars, and start prying open doors to loot, they’re not protesting they’re not making a statement – they’re stealing.

When they burn down a building, they’re committing arson, and they’re destroying and undermining businesses and opportunities in their own communities, that rob the jobs and opportunities from people in that area.

So, it is entirely appropriate that the mayor of Baltimore, who I spoke to yesterday, and the governor, who I spoke to yesterday, work to stop that kind of senseless violence and destruction.”

Those committing violence are “taking advantage of a situation” and need to be “treated as criminals,” Obama said, also referring to a “handful of criminals and thugs who tore up the place”.

Updated at 2.51pm ET

12.52pm ET17:52

Obama: "The violence that happened yesterday distracted from multiple days of peaceful protests." #BaltimoreRiots pic.twitter.com/MLbkxOYPjh

12.49pm ET17:49

Barack Obama is now speaking at his press conference about the protests and riots in Baltimore and about police violence:

Since Ferguson, and the task force we put together, we have seen too many instances of what appears to be police officers interacting with individuals, primarily African-American, often poor, in ways that raise troubling questions.

This seems to be happening once a week now, he suggested.

Updated at 12.51pm ET

12.39pm ET17:39

Tom McCarthy

The Guardian’s Tom McCarthy (@TeeMcSee) has provided us with a little more information about the New Jersey state police expected to arrive in Baltimore tonight.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, meanwhile, a potential opponent for Paul in the Republican primary, said that he had consulted with Hogan and was sending a contingent of New Jersey state police to Maryland.

“Our full deployment of @NJSP will unfold later today to help ensure a peaceful resolution for the city and people of Baltimore,” Christie tweeted.

There will be a deployment of 150 @NJSP and personnel and 100 of those troopers will provide operational support. Approximately 50 enlisted and civilian personnel will provide investigative and logistical support. @NJSP will be on the ground for the initial term of 72 hours, as per the request from Maryland.”

Updated at 12.45pm ET

12.30pm ET17:30

CNN’s Shimon Prokupecz has posted this short video showing police lines in the city.

Police in riot gear moving forward to push people off W. North Ave. #BaltimoreRiots pic.twitter.com/lV1BjZsy2G

Updated at 12.33pm ET

12.16pm ET17:16

Hogan told reporters that “there are no more fires burning, there are no more lootings going on. You see a tremendous presence on the streets,” a reference to national guardsmen and police on Baltimore’s streets.

He also told reporters about measures being taken by Maryland to stabilize Baltimore:

“We’re going to make sure the city is brought back to peace,” Hogan said.

Updated at 12.20pm ET

12.12pm ET17:12

Governor Larry Hogan is getting quite a few questions about the Baltimore mayor’s response to the violence Tuesday, just as the press conference ends.

The Obama-Abe press conference begins just as the Hogan conference ends. Obama is expected to take questions on the violence in Baltimore. We’ll cover that shortly.

Updated at 12.19pm ET

12.06pm ET17:06

Maryland governor: 'No repeat of last night'

Maryland governor Larry Hogan on what will happen on Tuesday night:

We’re going to ensure we’re going to bring whatever resources are necessary, whatever assets are necessary… We’re not going to have another repeat of what happened last night.”

Updated at 12.19pm ET

12.03pm ET17:03

Maryland governor Larry Hogan is about to speak about the protests in Baltimore. Watch the press conference here.

Updated at 12.18pm ET

11.58am ET16:58

President Obama and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are expected to hold a joint press conference at noon, in just a few minutes.

Obama is expected to take questions on the violence in Baltimore.

11.55am ET16:55

Rawlings-Blake faced tough questions from reporters in west Baltimore this morning, many asking whether she’d done enough to stem the violence of Monday night.

I wish I could be three different places at once. Everybody knows there’s an operation response that had to be done. The situation evolved very quickly and required my direct attention and I gave it my direct attention.

She continued that, telling Fox45 Baltimore: “You know when you have a 24-hour news cycle it never seems enough, but I can’t shirk my responsibilities, to do the work of being mayor and responding and managing the crisis as it unfolds. ”

She said crises often produce “armchair quarterbacks” who would question her response.

“We have additional resources and we’ll continue to bring in the resources as we need.”

Updated at 11.57am ET

11.53am ET16:53

Pressure on Baltimore mayor

Tom McCarthy

Pressure was growing on Tuesday on Baltimore mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake to lead the city away from violence after she was accused of delaying an emergency response and making statements alternately criticized as inciting riotous protests and dismissing protesters’ concerns.

At a news conference on Sunday, Rawlings-Blake said she had ordered police to “give those who wished to destroy space to do that”.

On Monday night she made a testy appearance at a news conference in which she referred twice to protesters as “thugs.”

The mayor’s office later said Rawlings-Blake’s comments on Sunday had been misunderstood. “The mayor is not saying that she asked police to give space to people who sought to create violence,” the office said in a statement. “Any suggestion otherwise would be a misinterpretation of her statement.”

Meanwhile Maryland governor Larry Hogan suggested at a news conference Monday that he would have called a state of emergency and activated the national guard sooner, but he could not reach Rawlings-Blake to coordinate it.

“We were all in the command center in the second floor of the state House in constant communication, and we were trying to get in touch with the mayor for quite some time,” Hogan said. “She finally made that call, and we immediately took action.”

Rawlings-Blake, a Baltimore native who took office in 2010 after her predecessor was convicted of embezzlement, held a news conference Monday to condemn looting and burning by protesters.

“I’m a lifelong resident of Baltimore and too many people have spent generations 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, later tweeting a version of the line.

Too many people have invested in building up this city to allow thugs to tear it down. pic.twitter.com/bGjT5ru5cy

By Tuesday morning, the mayor had softened her tone. “Seeing my city like this breaks my heart,” she tweeted. “But, like so many Baltimoreans, my resolve is strong. We are already seeing volunteers from across Baltimore joining together to clean up damage. We will not let these deplorable and cowardly acts of violence ruin #OurCity.”

In three years of Rawlings-Blake’s mayoral term, the city of Baltimore paid out $5.7m to settle lawsuits claiming that police officers violently assaulted members of the public and abused criminal suspects, according to an investigation by the Baltimore Sun.

Updated at 11.57am ET

11.51am ET16:51

Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has spent most of Tuesday morning supporting cleanup efforts around the city.

So proud to see our community come out to support local businesses by Lexington Market. pic.twitter.com/b8X2DMei2A

Seeing my city like this breaks my heart. But, like so many Baltimoreans, my resolve is strong.

Updated at 11.58am ET

11.44am ET16:44

As a reminder, a city-wide curfew in Baltimore begins tonight, from 10pm to 5am.

“If you are on the streets it will be for two reasons: medical emergency or you’re going to work, that’s it,” Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said Monday, according to Fox45 Baltimore.

The city already has a youth curfew in effect for teenagers younger than 14, who must be home by 9pm every night.

11.37am ET16:37

And the Baltimore Ravens have decided against holding a draft party scheduled for Thursday.

Ravens cancel Thursday draft party out of respect to curfew in Baltimore City due to riots

11.34am ET16:34

The Baltimore Orioles have delayed another game against the Chicago White Sox, citing safety concerns. The Orioles delayed a game Monday night due to the protests.

After consultation with MLB & state & local officials, tonight’s game between the Orioles & the White Sox at Oriole Park has been postponed.

11.31am ET16:31

And Johns Hopkins University has canceled classes in the city today and tonight.

Baltimore City schools are closed today, and many school districts surrounding the city have canceled trips to Baltimore, some for the rest of the week.

Update: Classes at all our schools in Balt. city will NOT be held today or tonite.

11.27am ET16:27

The Baltimore Orioles are expected to make an announcement about tonight’s game against the Chicago White Sox soon. It’s unclear whether the game will go forward, after it was delayed Monday evening because of the protests.

An announcement regarding the make-up date will be made as soon as possible.

Fans are encouraged to keep their tickets and parking passes until more information is made available.

11.10am ET16:10

While many are praising the city cleanup effort undertaken by volunteers citywide, some shops still appear fearful the violence could continue.

Amid rumors of another 'purge,' Security Square Mall closed Tuesday via @pwoodreporter @lizbowiehttp://fw.to/cAdyaNP

Justin George, a Baltimore Sun crime reporter, is referring to reports that many young people looted the Mondawmin Mall after a flyer was circulated on social media calling for a 3pm “purge,” a reference to a film about one lawless night in which crime is legalized.

This weekend's #FlowerMart in Baltimore has been postponed for the "safety of vendors, police and patrons".

11.02am ET16:02

Here’s a look at how media outlets around the country covered protests in Baltimore.

How the Freddie Gray protests in Baltimore played on newspaper front pages: pic.twitter.com/9N4mlc6ikN

Updated at 11.02am ET

10.50am ET15:50

Photographs from Monday

10.38am ET15:38

Baltimore branch president Tessa Hill-Aston says that “rough riding” is a common form of “intimidation” by Baltimore police. Hill-Aston is referring to reports that Freddie Gray was dragged into a police van and driven without being belted in.

“It’s a form of trying to get information,” said Hill-Aston.

Brooks adds that rough riding is “illegal and unconstitutional.”

“The NAACP is not adverse to taking people to court,” said Brooks.

10.34am ET15:34

“The NAACP is in this fight to the very end,” said NAACP president Cornell William Brooks, about a push for police reform nationally and in Baltimore.

Let’s be clear when these cameras disappear, when the press conference is over, when the press release has been issued, when the tweets die down, when social media is quieted, the NAACP will do the work. Because that’s who we are. This branch has been in this city for decades, these citizens have been doing this work day in day out.”

10.31am ET15:31

Brooks said the satellite office will take complaints, as announced in the NAACP’s press release, as well as provide workforce development and legal services.

Additionally, Brookssaid the NAACP (headquartered in Baltimore) will begin a push in Congress for three specific demands:

10.24am ET15:24

The NAACP’s president and CEO Cornell William Brooks is speaking about the opening of a satellite office in Baltimore’s Sandtown-Winchester neighborhood.

There’s a sense of anger in this community... But the story of NAACP over the course of our 106 years, is that we have frequently moved out of a sense of anger to action.”

“The opening of this satellite office is very much about translating anger into action,” Brooks said. He said the office will provide, “critically needed services at a moment of crisis.”

10.13am ET15:13

The NAACP is starting a press conference now – ABC2 is streaming.

10.05am ET15:05

Monday evening’s Baltimore Orioles game against the Chicago White Sox was canceled. Many are still waiting to hear whether the team will play the Sox tonight, following the destruction in the city.

Here was Monday’s statement on the game cancellation:

After consultation with Baltimore City Police Department, tonight’s game between the Orioles & White Sox at Oriole Park has been postponed.

As of right now, the game is expected to be played tonight:

#Orioles game tonight: First pitch, temps at 63 & about 55-60 for the remainder of the game; mainly clear skies. pic.twitter.com/QQBBWivZpK

Updated at 10.24am ET

9.55am ET14:55

And the NAACP will open a satellite office in Baltimore’s Sandtown-Winchester neighborhood, an area the Baltimore Sun calls one of the city’s “most-troubled areas.”

The Satellite Office will be open to community members who want to report complaints about cases and incidents of police brutality and racial profiling. The information collected will be provided to help inform the Justice Department’s investigation in patterns and practices of misconduct by the Baltimore Police Department. The National Legal Staff will provide support to the Satellite Office in the form of complaint intake and training/presentations for the community on “Knowing Your Rights,” an NAACP press release said.

9.50am ET14:50

Maryland governor Larry Hogan has temporarily moved his office to Baltimore, from the state’s capital in Annapolis.

Gov @LarryHogan visits #MondawminMall, site where #BaltimoreRiots violence began yesterday. #Baltimore pic.twitter.com/TS2At4NSFl

In #Baltimore talking w/ community & thanking law enforcement for their svc. https://t.co/8OvUnKHdzF #mdpolitics

Updated at 10.24am ET

9.44am ET14:44

The senior center housing, which was slated to soon get a roof, is now a pile of rubble.

Was supposed to be new church Senior Citizen Center. It was burned to the ground in last night's Baltimore violence. pic.twitter.com/Qvdzt4pQjm

Here’s a photo of what the development looked like before Monday.

@dhamiltonwbal Southern Baptist Church family --their property loss. pic.twitter.com/79NWSjAG14”. Dream defeated, so sad. On fire.

9.36am ET14:36

One of the scenes of greatest destruction was a fire at what was supposed to be a 60-unit affordable housing building for seniors. The complex was burnt to the ground.

The Guardian’s Paul Lewis chronicled the fire last night.

Southern Baptist Church Pastor Donte Hickman was marching with protesters through the evening, trying to maintain peace, when he received a phone call urging him to return to the Chester Street church.

Hickman arrived to find a 60-unit affordable home complex for senior citizens, built by his church, in flames. “This is not the justice that we seek,” he said, walking toward the flames. “This is chaos and confusion. But it is going to work for our good. Because we will rebuild this community.”

Hickman added moments later: “It hurts my heart,” as the magnitude of the fire sank in.

The $16m site took the church eight years to build, and was due to open this year.

Fire being fought at building opposite Southern Baptist Church, Chester St, Baltimore https://t.co/XOu9raQdYb

Updated at 10.25am ET

9.22am ET14:22

If you want to get a sense of what it was like to be on the streets of Baltimore Monday night, watch this video by the Guardian’s Paul Lewis (@PaulLewis).

9.15am ET14:15

There still appears to be some conflict about how many people were arrested in protests following Freddie Gray’s funeral Monday. More than 200 could have been arrested, according to officials in Baltimore.

Latest from the jail is 170 arrested. Most waiting on release decision. If they have to see judge for bail review, won't be until tomorrow.

Since yesterday afternoon, 202 people have been arrested in Baltimore, mayor's office tells me. @baltimoresun

9.01am ET14:01

Clean-up is beginning where some of the most destruction occurred on Monday evening in Baltimore.

Of the many shops that were looted or damaged, two CVS pharmacies were reportedly burned out.

Large group of volunteers cleaning up that burnt out CVS in Baltimore pic.twitter.com/84BVzu7SWS

Inside one of two CVS burnt out in Baltimore pic.twitter.com/NHSrEYii0e

Updated at 9.06am ET

8.47am ET13:47

Children won’t be attending school this morning in Baltimore.

To ensure safety of students & in compliance with daytime curfew for youth, schools closed April 28. District office open, w/ liberal leave.

Some school districts surrounding the city have canceled all transportation in and out of Baltimore. In the case of Anne Arundel County, the superintendent has canceled all transportation into and out of Baltimore through May 3.

“While we hope that the demonstrations remain civil and peaceful, I feel it is in the best interests of our students, staff and parents to keep them away from any potential disturbances,” Anne Arundel County Superintendent George Arlotto said.

Updated at 8.49am ET

8.36am ET13:36

Baltimore’s mayor has called last night’s riots one of the city’s “darkest days”.

This is one of our darkest days. But I am confident that the will of good can overcome the destructive interest of a few.

Some have criticized Mayor Stephanie C Rawlings-Blake for not being up to the job of leading Baltimore through the crisis.

Maryland governor Larry Hogan indicated on Monday evening that state officials had been trying to get in touch with Rawlings-Blake for “quite some time”.

“She finally made that call, and we immediately took action,” the Associated Press reports. The governor didn’t go so far as to say the mayor waited too long to declare a state of emergency, however.

“They’re all under tremendous stress. We’re all on one team,” Hogan said.

Updated at 10.25am ET

8.25am ET13:25

Here are some specifics about the violence last night. According to mayoral spokesperson Howard Libit, as reported by the Associated Press, there were:

Surreal scene as dozens of National Guardsmen line the street at the Inner Harbor in Baltimore: pic.twitter.com/Of1f8FFfFP

8.22am ET13:22

Here’s a bit of background on Freddie Gray, for those who might not be familiar with his case.

Protests began last week after Gray, 25, died in hospital on April 19. A week earlier he had sustained a broken neck and an almost-severed spinal cord while in police custody. He reportedly was arrested after “catching the eye” of a lieutenant and running away.

Cellphone footage shows Gray being dragged into a Baltimore police van while yelling in pain. Police said his neck was broken after this point, but did not provide details. Authorities have also said the officers failed to make sure Gray was in his seatbelt, and that he should have been provided medical attention immediately.

Gray’s case is the most recent in a series of police killings, especially of young black men. Protests were also sparked after the failure to indict officers in the deaths of Staten Island man Eric Garner, and of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri.

Updated at 8.25am ET

7.56am ET12:56

Summary

Good morning, and welcome to the Guardian’s live coverage of the unrest in Baltimore, Maryland, following the death of Freddie Gray.

Residents were sweeping up debris on city streets as dawn broke on Tuesday. Largely peaceful protests following the funeral on Monday of Gray, a black man who died in Baltimore police custody last week, turned violent as the night wore on. Buildings were burned, shops looted and more than a dozen officers injured in clashes. At least two dozen people were arrested.

The previous evening, public officials imposed several measures in an attempt to keep the peace in the city:

The Guardian will be live-blogging all the day’s developments, with several reporters on the ground in Baltimore.

Updated at 10.20am ET