AFP, Baltimore :
Numerous protesters were arrested for defying a curfew in Baltimore, hours after six police were charged over the death of an African-American man who was in their custody.
The protesters struck a defiant chord with police, even after the six officers were charged earlier in the day over the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray.
The scene contrasted with Thursday night, when protesters largely cleared the street as the 10 pm curfew set in.
The curfew was imposed following mass protests and riots earlier in the week in the city about an hour’s drive north of Washington.
“Officers are arresting protesters who refused to leave after the curfew went into effect,” the Baltimore Police Department said on Twitter.
One of the protesters told CNN he felt he was “being arrested unjustly. This is my city. These police don’t live here, I do.”
Thousands of demonstrators had hit the street earlier in the day, despite the charges against the six officers.The charges ranged from second-degree murder and manslaughter to misconduct and were announced in a surprise statement by Maryland state prosecutor Marilyn Mosby.
All six officers — three of them black and three white, according to mugshots broadcast by CNN — were taken into custody and later posted bond, reports said.
The death of Gray, 25, who is the latest African American to lose his life at the hands of police, has reignited simmering resentment in the United States over law enforcement tactics, particularly in their dealings with African Americans.
“The findings of our comprehensive, thorough and independent investigation, coupled with the medical examiner’s determination that Mr Gray’s death was a homicide… have led us to believe that we have probable cause to file criminal charges,” Mosby said.
Mosby said Gray “suffered a severe and critical neck injury as a result of being handcuffed, shackled by his feet and unrestrained” inside a moving police van following his arrest on April 12.
Cheers broke out when Mosby unveiled the charges on the steps of Baltimore’s war memorial, across the street from City Hall, a focal point of protests demanding justice and change.
Baltimore’s police union condemned what it called “an egregious rush to judgment” as it defended the officers and expressed confidence they would be vindicated.
“We believe that these officers will be vindicated as they have done nothing wrong,” said Michael Davey, a lawyer for the city’s Fraternal Order of Police, suggesting that prosecutors had succumbed to pressure from days of demonstrations.
But if authorities had hoped the announcement would ease tensions on the streets, the daytime march and night protests proved them wrong.
Several thousand people rallied from City Hall through downtown streets lined with riot police, demanding justice and an end to alleged racism and police brutality.
Numerous protesters were arrested for defying a curfew in Baltimore, hours after six police were charged over the death of an African-American man who was in their custody.
The protesters struck a defiant chord with police, even after the six officers were charged earlier in the day over the death of 25-year-old Freddie Gray.
The scene contrasted with Thursday night, when protesters largely cleared the street as the 10 pm curfew set in.
The curfew was imposed following mass protests and riots earlier in the week in the city about an hour’s drive north of Washington.
“Officers are arresting protesters who refused to leave after the curfew went into effect,” the Baltimore Police Department said on Twitter.
One of the protesters told CNN he felt he was “being arrested unjustly. This is my city. These police don’t live here, I do.”
Thousands of demonstrators had hit the street earlier in the day, despite the charges against the six officers.The charges ranged from second-degree murder and manslaughter to misconduct and were announced in a surprise statement by Maryland state prosecutor Marilyn Mosby.
All six officers — three of them black and three white, according to mugshots broadcast by CNN — were taken into custody and later posted bond, reports said.
The death of Gray, 25, who is the latest African American to lose his life at the hands of police, has reignited simmering resentment in the United States over law enforcement tactics, particularly in their dealings with African Americans.
“The findings of our comprehensive, thorough and independent investigation, coupled with the medical examiner’s determination that Mr Gray’s death was a homicide… have led us to believe that we have probable cause to file criminal charges,” Mosby said.
Mosby said Gray “suffered a severe and critical neck injury as a result of being handcuffed, shackled by his feet and unrestrained” inside a moving police van following his arrest on April 12.
Cheers broke out when Mosby unveiled the charges on the steps of Baltimore’s war memorial, across the street from City Hall, a focal point of protests demanding justice and change.
Baltimore’s police union condemned what it called “an egregious rush to judgment” as it defended the officers and expressed confidence they would be vindicated.
“We believe that these officers will be vindicated as they have done nothing wrong,” said Michael Davey, a lawyer for the city’s Fraternal Order of Police, suggesting that prosecutors had succumbed to pressure from days of demonstrations.
But if authorities had hoped the announcement would ease tensions on the streets, the daytime march and night protests proved them wrong.
Several thousand people rallied from City Hall through downtown streets lined with riot police, demanding justice and an end to alleged racism and police brutality.
