Maryland Governor Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency and called in the National Guard yesterday evening after rioting escalated in Baltimore.

The Baltimore Sun described the scene in parts of the city as “chaos” after hundreds of mostly school-aged juveniles began rioting in the late afternoon throughout West Baltimore. At least 15 police officers were injured—six seriously—during the violent encounters, as rioters “heaved bottles and rocks at riot-gear-clad police,” the Post reports. Numerous police vehicles were also set on fire and rioters looted a CVS, a mall, and other businesses in West Baltimore.

Yesterday’s riots come after a week of peaceful protests in the city in response to the death of Freddie Gray, who suffered a fatal spine injury while in police custody. At this point, it’s not exactly clear how Gray sustained the injuries while police subdued him on April 12, but both federal and local authorities are investigating to figure out exactly what happened and how the injury occurred.

The violence sparked on Saturday night when, as the Baltimore City Paper reports, some protestors clashed with drunk sports fans coming out of Camden Yards. But yesterday’s events, according to Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, were caused by “thugs who only want to incite violence and destroy our city.”

Speaking with Fox News, Baltimore City Councilman Nick Mosby said the events are “bigger than Freddie Gray,” adding that “this is about the social economics of poor urban America.”

Hundreds of National Guard troops descended into Baltimore just before midnight last night to help ease the situation between local police and the rioters. Nearby areas—including D.C.—sent first responders to Baltimore to help assist police in trying to control the rioters. All Baltimore City schools are closed today out of concern that more violence might break out.

Amid the chaos in the city, many residents are banding together, calling for peace and calm to be restored. Members of notorious rival gangs the Crips and Bloods have even formed an alliance to get rioters to stop causing chaos and destruction in the city. In a video shot by the Sun, a member of the Crips and a member of the Bloods are arm in arm, asking for the violence to stop.

“We not here for nobody to get hurt,” a man named Charles, who is in the Crips gang says. “We don’t want nobody to get hurt. All that about the police getting hurt by certain gangs, that’s false. We not here for that. We here to protect our community, and that’s it. We don’t want no trouble. We’re doing this because we don’t want trouble.”

In a powerful piece in The Atlantic, Ta-Nehisi Coates writes that “when nonviolence begins halfway through the war with the aggressor calling time out, it exposes itself as a ruse.” More from Coates:

When nonviolence is preached as an attempt to evade the repercussions of political brutality, it betrays itself. When nonviolence begins halfway through the war with the aggressor calling time out, it exposes itself as a ruse. When nonviolence is preached by the representatives of the state, while the state doles out heaps of violence to its citizens, it reveals itself to be a con. And none of this can mean that rioting or violence is “correct” or “wise,” any more than a forest fire can be “correct” or “wise.” Wisdom isn’t the point tonight. Disrespect is. In this case, disrespect for the hollow law and failed order that so regularly disrespects the community.

Right now, things have died down as hundreds of National Guard soldiers patrol areas around central Baltimore, “lending a feeling of tense calm to downtown on a cool morning after a night of rioting throughout the city,” the Sun says. In a press conference today, Hogan said that at least another 1,000 members will be on the streets tonight to ensure there’s no more violence in the city.