City officials heaved a sigh of relief early on Friday after the first night of a dusk-to-dawn curfew restored a measure of calm in Cincinnati after three days of racially-charged mob violence. Police made more than 100 arrests on Thursday, primarily for curfew violations, but there were none of the ugly scenes that marked the early part of this week when gangs of black youths went on the rampage in the wake of the fatal shooting of an unarmed black teenager by a white police officer. "We're very relieved that last night was a peaceful night compared to the violence of the last three nights. We think it's a significant step forward," said assistant police chief Richard Biehl. The streets of this southern Ohio town were virtually deserted between 8:00 pm (0630 IST) and 6:00 am (1630 IST), as citizens heeded the call to stay home unless they were going to and from work. Only a few motorists ventured out, as some 500 police, bolstered by recruits from the Ohio highway patrol, patrolled the downtown area and neighbourhoods such as over-the-Rhine and West End, the sites of some of the worst disturbances. Officials expected the lockdown to continue through the weekend to prevent any recurrence of the unrest. The curfew was imposed after three days of clashes between scores of rioters and police firing rubber bullets, bean bag ammunition and tear gas. Broken windshields and looted stores were not the only casualties in the chaos - some 300 people were arrested and dozens injured, including one white woman who was yanked from her car and beaten to a Pulp, Police said.
Bureau Report