National Guard Deployed to Baltimore, But No Martial Law ‘… At This Point’
State of Emergency declared in Maryland as soldiers arrive in city to ‘restore order’ following day of clashes between police and those in the streets
By Jon Queally
Global Research
April 28, 2015
An official State of Emergency is now in effect in Maryland and the state’s National Guard has been dispatched to the city of Baltimore following a wave of violence that kicked off between police officers and individuals in the streets on Monday and continued overnight.
As several large fires burned in the city, Republican Gov. Larry Hogan, at a press conference just before 9 pm on Monday, said he signed the executive order (pdf) declaring the emergency just thirty seconds after it was requested by Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake. The purpose of the order, Hogan said, is “to address the growing violence and unrest in Baltimore City.”
Adjutant General Linda Singh, the commanding officer of Maryland’s National Guard, told reporters that up to 5,000 reservist soldiers could be deployed to Baltimore.
“We will be out in massive force,” Singh said, “and that just basically means that we are going to be patrolling the streets and out to ensure that we are protecting property.” She said troops would arrive in “up-armored humvees,” accompanied by other vehicles to move personnel and unspecified equipment. “I would recommend,” Singh continued, as she spoke directly to those in Baltimore, “that we all go in and take cover for the night, go to sleep, get some rest, and let things settle down so that we can restore order to the city.”
The Rest…HERE
