In what has been an emotional week of civil unrest in Detroit, Mayor Mike Duggan and Police Chief James Craig held a press conference to explain why they decided to implement a curfew in the city of Detroit following the protests that have taken place in Detroit over the last 6 days.
Mayor Duggan recalled that Friday evening the initial organizers of the earlier peaceful protests were nowhere to be found and instead police officers were met with agitators carrying bullhorns, directing traffic, and “stirring up trouble” with police.
After the climax of the protests on Saturday night, where there were accounts of railroad spikes and other projectiles being used as weapons and being thrown at police officers, Mayor Duggan and Chief Craig also learned that 28 cities across the US had already called in the National Guard for assistance.
Detroit Mayor Duggan expressed this was the exact thought he shared with Chief Craig that lead to the implementation of the curfew.
Mayor Duggan further explained that they did not want to call in the National Guard because they opted to lean on the trust established between the residents of Detroit and the Detroit Police Department.