CURFEW LIFTED – AT 11:16 A.M. ET:  The scholarly mayor of Baltimore has lifted the curfew in effect most of the week.  Now we'll see how the population behaves.  From The New York Times: 

BALTIMORE — The Baltimore authorities announced on Sunday that they had lifted the citywide curfew that the police said helped to curb violent protests here, but that had also come under mounting criticism as days passed without new bouts of widespread rioting and looting.

“Effective immediately, I have rescinded my order instituting a citywide curfew,” Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said in a statement on Sunday morning. “My goal has always been to not have the curfew in place a single day longer than was necessary.”

It's amazing how this "mayor" always states her goal after the event is over.

The curfew, which ran from 10 p.m. to 5 a.m., had been, with few exceptions, enforced since Tuesday night. Many businesses shut down hours before the curfew began each night to allow employees to return to their homes, and workers throughout the city complained of lost wages.

Maybe the city fathers can fine the rioters so some of those lost wages can be made up.

In addition to the concerns about the economic impact of the curfew, many demonstrators accused the police and the National Guard of rigorously enforcing it in predominantly black neighborhoods while white residents were allowed to flout it without fear of arrest for a misdemeanor.

COMMENT:  Now the real damage will be felt.  This is tourist season in Washington, D.C., and nearby Baltimore.  Know anyone who's enthusiastic about going to Baltimore?  It has the fifth highest crime rate in the country. 

And how enthusiastic will the police be to enforce the law?

May 3,  2015