Cincinnati Mayor John Cranley on Wednesday pushed back the city's curfew from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., which will be in effect starting now through Monday, June 8, at 6 a.m.
"I don't want to extend the curfew," Cranley said. "And last night was a good night."
Cranley said if conditions worsen, "we reserve the right to move it back up. It is my great hope we won't have to do that."
He added that businesses in Over-the-Rhine have been grateful for the curfew, saying it helps keep their businesses safe from looting.
He says he believes members of the Cincinnati Police Department have shown "enormous restraint," and a beat later added officers have the right to defend themselves.
The threat against officers is real, he said, noting how an officer took a bullet to his helmet Saturday night and survived. "Secondly, we've had multiple officers shot at over the last several nights."
Still, he started his briefing saying he continues not to be interested in calling in the National Guard.
"We do not have a militarized police force," he said. "Unlike Cleveland and Columbus and dozens of other cities, we have not called in the National Guard. We don't want to call in the National Guard."
He said the risk is also real to protesters, who he acknowledged have largely been peaceful in their demonstrations.
