Two hundred people were arrested Monday night in Baltimore as protests and riots continued following the death of Freddie Gray, a black man who died in police custody.

National Guard Called To Baltimore

The destruction seen in Baltimore, particularly West Baltimore, included 144 reports of vehicle fires and 15 structural fires – the construction of a senior center was completely destroyed. Nineteen police officers are reportedly injured, and around 230 people were arrested. The number of protestors or civilians injured has not been released.

Following the chaos of Monday night, Baltimore City Public Schools were closed Tuesday, the Baltimore Orioles cancelled their game and Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake has called for a 10 p.m. curfew.

Furthermore, Rawlings-Blake asked Gov. Larry Hogan to declare a state of emergency and request aid from the National Guard. “Criminal activity will not be tolerated… We’re going to be sure to bring in whatever resources are necessary,” Hogan said at a press conference on Tuesday.

Were The Riots Inspired By The Purge?

The intense rioting has sparked many comparisons to The Purge, a 2013 horror film about a dystopian future where one night a year, all crime is legal.

Comparisons between the civil unrest in Baltimore and a commercial film may seem irresponsible, but Baltimore City Police reportedly shut down the city after hearing rumors of a student-planned, Purge-inspired riot to take place at Mondawmin Mall Monday afternoon. A flier calling for a Baltimore Purge circulated on social media early Monday, which encouraged police to take preventative measures, sending a large number of officers in riot gear before potential protestors had even gathered.

Police arrived in full riot gear, and a confrontation with a reported 75-100 students, or young people, occurred, sparking extreme riots and violence throughout the city.

Despite reports of an organized Purge-like protest, various narratives have emerged surrounding the eventual looting and rioting that took place at Mondawmin Mall on Monday night. While a popular theory remains that young protestors set out with the intention of creating illegal chaos, other theories suggest that the students were simply there to protest peacefully, but were agitated by the presence of police in riot gear.

“The thing is, if the cops never came up here, they weren’t going to [mess] up Mondawmin…. What are they going to [mess] up Mondawmin for? They shop here. This is their home,” a bystander told Baltimore Sun.

Calls For Peace

Purge or no purge, both political leaders, and the family of Freddie Gray have called for a stop to the violence. On Sunday, Fredricka Gray, Freddie’s twin sister, pleaded, “My family wants to say, can you all please, please stop the violence? Freddie Gray would not want this.”

“It’s regrettable, what’s happening now. What you’re looking at is the end result of mutual distrust between the people, the police, and something needs to happen to contain and stop the rioting … You’re looking at the actions of cynicism and hopelessness,” said Rev. Jesse Jackson.

President Obama also called to end the violence and condemned the rioters.

Article by Olivia Truffaut-Wong

Olivia Truffaut-Wong was born and raised in Berkeley, California, where she developed her love of all things entertainment. After moving to New York City to earn her degree in Film Studies, she stayed on the East Coast to follow her passion and become an entertainment writer. She lives on a diet of television, movies and food.