Stephanie Rawlings-Blake

Baltimore lifted a curfew May 3 that was imposed across the US East Coast city following widespread riots, as thousands of National Guard troops began to pull out.

Thousands of police in riot gear and National Guard troops patrolled Baltimore to enforce a curfew at night, dispersing protesters with pepper spray a day after the city was shaken by the worst rioting in the United States in years. 

The city of Baltimore in the US state of Maryland has issued a state of emergency on account of the riots taking place.

Upon the Monday night protests a number of private and business properties have been looted, police cars set on fire and several police officers have suffered severe injuries, as reported by the BBC.

Protesters rampaged through downtown Baltimore on April 25 as the city's biggest demonstration yet over the death of a young African-American man in police custody turned violent.