2015 Baltimore curfew
On Monday, April 27, 2015, in response to the 2015 Baltimore riots, the city of Baltimore announced a curfew that would begin the following evening and apply to all persons within the city's boundaries. The curfew, which was originally planned for one week, was scheduled for the hours of 10 PM to 5 AM every night, with the threat of arrest imposed on any violators. Exemptions were given to those traveling to and from work in possession of a letter from their employer stating their need to travel during these hours, those traveling on Interstate 95 through the city, and for medical emergencies.
Though announced to the public on Monday, the curfew did not officially take effect until the following night (Tuesday) because time was needed to inform the public.
The curfew was lifted on Sunday, May 3 by Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake after being in place for just five days. Rawlings-Blake stated that she did not wish to have the curfew in place a day longer than was necessary.[1] She and Maryland Governor Larry Hogan agreed that the curfew had outlived its purpose two days ahead of time. She said after a tour of Mondawmin Mall that the unrest had been settled.[2]
Arrests
While the word of the law allowed for police to arrest anyone outside in the city after 10 PM, police mostly arrested those who were out in guarded areas.
Numbers of violators arrested each day
Tuesday night, April 28: 35 [3]
Wednesday night, April 29: 18 [4]
Thursday night, April 30:
Friday night, May 1: 40 [5]
Saturday night, May 2: 46 [6]
Responses
Citizens
Many citizens complained about the curfew, though most respected it.[7]
Public officials
Baltimore Police Commissioner Anthony Batts stated it was necessary to keep the curfew in place to restore order. While there were calls to lift the curfew prior to the weekend due to the fact that the situation had calmed down, Batts stated that he wished to keep it in place for the weekend as more protests were expected during that time, including some from out-of-town visitors.
Impact
Cancelations
The curfew led to the cancelation of many evening events around the city.
For example, a Tuesday night lecture series with Dan Rather at the Meyerhoff Symphony Hall was canceled. Area business owners complained this hurt their business by taking away would-be customers from the event.[8]
Criticism
The curfew was criticized by many people and groups, including residents, business owners, and the American Civil Liberties Union for the infringement on freedom, cost to businesses, and uneven enforcement.[2]
Infringement on freedom
The ACLU criticized the curfew as infringing on the freedom of citizens to protest. Sonia Kumar, a juvenile justice attorney for the Maryland ACLU, criticized the curfew as unnecessary on the Rachel Maddow show.[9]
Effect on businesses
Business owners in the city complained that the curfew required establishments with later hours to close their doors early, thereby costing them revenue from later hours customers and hurting their employees by forcing them to work fewer hours.[10][11]
Selective enforcement
The curfew was criticized because law enforcement only enforced it in the areas affected by the riots and did not bother those outside for reasons not covered in the list of exemptions in other parts of town. Numerous comments were found on social media of people in unaffected areas running about their business late at night, walking their dogs, and doing other activities not included in the exemption list.[12]
In Hampden, a group of mostly white protesters received a warning from police. Following this warning, the group dispersed.[2]
References
- ^ "Maryland Governor Draws Down National Guard As Baltimore Mayor Lifts Citywide Curfew". m.huffpost.com. Retrieved 2015-05-04.
- ^ a b c http://touch.baltimoresun.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-83449452/
- ^ "Second Night of Baltimore Curfew Arrives Quietly | Al Jazeera America". america.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2015-05-04.
- ^ "Protests Resume in Baltimore With Hundreds Marching on City Hall - WSJ". wsj.com. Retrieved 2015-05-04.
- ^ "After 'Victory Rally,' Arrests Made of Violators of Baltimore Curfew - ABC News". abcnews.go.com. Retrieved 2015-05-04.
- ^ "As Baltimore curfew ends, celebratory crowds peacefully gather - LA Times". latimes.com. Retrieved 2015-05-04.
- ^ http://abcnews.go.com/US/baltimore-mayor-lifts-citywide-curfew/story?id=30769616
- ^ "With Baltimore curfew in place, bars and restaurant owners brace for economic impact - Baltimore Sun". baltimoresun.com. Retrieved 2015-05-04.
- ^ "Baltimore curfew criticized as unnecessary | MSNBC". msnbc.com. Retrieved 2015-05-04.
- ^ "How Baltimore's Mandatory Curfew Is Affecting Area Restaurants and Bars - Eater". eater.com. Retrieved 2015-05-04.
- ^ "Baltimore’s curfew takes a toll on city businesses". rawstory.com. Retrieved 2015-05-04.
- ^ "Hampden, other areas tell different story of Baltimore curfew - ABC2News.com". abc2news.com. Retrieved 2015-05-04.