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Detroit curfew extended after protesters armed with railroad spikes, fireworks concealed in boxes target officers

110 people arrested Sunday in Detroit during protest

Railroad spikes were among the items hurled at officers during the protest. (WDIV)

DETROIT – Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan issued a new executive order extending the city’s curfew.

The announcement was made at a press conference Monday afternoon while a rally for justice against police killings was held in Detroit.

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The curfew Duggan ordered Saturday was in effect from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. and allowed people to go home, to and from work or out for an emergency.

The new executive order has one change for the business community. People can be out after 8 p.m. to go to or from a commercial business for the purpose of buying goods and services.

“I wanted to say to the businesses in this town that we are going to support you,” said Duggan.

Duggan says the new order will be enforced just as vigorously.

The curfew was extended after a group of people came armed with railroad spikes, and fireworks concealed in boxes labeled as food to a George Floyd protest Sunday night.

“If we allow these groups to gather after dark we will suffer the same fate as other cities,” said Duggan.

Detroit Police Chief James Craig says 110 people were arrested Sunday night. Most of the arrests were made for violating the curfew, he added.

He says officers could sustain significant injuries if they are struck by the railroad spikes. Some of the railroad spikes were hurled at officers Sunday night during the protest.

Almost 80 percent of the arrests made last night were of people who do not live in Detroit.

Duggan says protestors were from cities including Harrison Township, Macomb Township, Clinton Township, Ann Arbor and Port Huron. People all the way from Tennessee, and Washington DC were also arrested.

There were still many protestors who followed the curfew and demonstrated peacefully.

Craig says on Sunday night during the protest there was an assault on a Detroit officer after someone lit up a firecracker and tossed it at a police vehicle. The person was taken into custody, Craig says.

He added that this has been a common practice in other cities.

Monday’s rally was held after three days of unrest in the city.

On Friday night 60 people were arrested while protesting in Downtown Detroit. That number increased to 84 arrests Saturday night.

Police were forced to use tear gas on protestors who defied the curfew Sunday.

On Saturday, a video was posted on Facebook. It shows DPD moving toward a crowd near the People Mover at Randolph and Macomb streets.

Read: Detroit police investigating after video of violent police interaction goes viral

There were also rallies against police brutality held in Lansing and Grand Rapids this weekend.

Read more: 3 days of protests in Michigan: Here’s what happened


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