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200 Protesters Arrested In Baltimore Rioting

Some 200 people have been arrested during a night of rioting in Baltimore that left 15 officers injured and some neighbourhoods in chaos.

Hundreds of rioters looted stores, burned buildings and vehicles and hurled stones and bricks at police following the funeral of Freddie Gray, a black man who died after being taken into police custody.

By Tuesday, the National Guard had fanned out across the city to restore order while firefighters doused still-simmering blazes and crews began the task of cleaning up.

Up to 5,000 Guard troops have been made available, and authorities also declared a state of emergency and ordered a week of overnight curfews in the city.

"We're not going to leave the city unprotected," Maryland Governor Larry Hogan said after arriving in West Baltimore on Tuesday.

New Jersey Governor Chris Christie announced he was sending 150 state police officers to help bring calm to the city.

The Baltimore mayor's office said there were 144 vehicle fires, 19 structure fires and nearly 200 arrests in the unrest.

Mr Gray's relatives condemned the violence that has engulfed the city, 40 miles (65km) from the US capital Washington, DC.

Gloria Darden, Mr Gray's mother, said: "I want y'all to get justice for my son, but don't do it like this here," she said at a press conference.

"Don't tear up the whole city just for him. That's wrong."

Violence broke out on Monday afternoon a short distance from the site of the funeral for Mr Gray, who died on 19 April of spinal injuries apparently suffered during his arrest.

The unrest spread through much of West Baltimore in the most violent US demonstrations since arson and gunfire in Ferguson, Missouri, last year .

One fire destroyed an old people's centre at a church in East Baltimore, while liquor stores, pharmacies, a shopping mall and a cheque-cashing store were ransacked.

Officers wearing helmets and wielding shields used pepper spray to keep the rioters back.

An Orioles baseball game was cancelled, schools were closed and businesses and train stations shut in the city of 620,000 people.

Before the violence, Mr Gray's death had prompted several days of peaceful protests.

Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake said those involved in the looting were "thugs" who had nothing to do with protests over police brutality.

"It's extremely heartbreaking for someone born and raised in Baltimore," she said.

Mr Gray, 25, was arrested on 12 April after he made eye contact with officers and then ran away, police said.

He was held down, handcuffed and loaded into a van without a seat belt. Leg irons were also put on him.

Mr Gray asked for medical help several times even before being put in the van, but paramedics were not called until after a 30-minute drive.

Baltimore's police commissioner admitted officers failed to provide Mr Gray with timely medical attention.

Authorities have not explained how or when Mr Gray's spine was injured.

He died after spending a week in a coma.

In video footage shot by bystanders, Mr Gray can be heard howling in pain as his body is dragged into the van during his arrest.

Six officers have been suspended with pay pending the outcome of a police investigation.

His death revived public anger over police treatment of black Americans, which was sparked last year by the killings of unarmed black men in Ferguson, New York City and elsewhere.

The crisis comes as recent killings of black men by police have heightened tensions across America.

On Tuesday, President Barack Obama said there have been too many troubling police interactions with black citizens.

"Some police aren't doing the right thing," the President said, calling the issue a "slow rolling crisis".

Mr Obama expressed optimism that work is being done, however, to improve relationships between police and members of the community.

"Rather than close ranks, what we've seen is a number of thoughtful police chiefs, commissioners and others recognise they got to get arms around this thing and work together with the community to solve the problem," he said.