Republican legislative leaders call for stronger enforcement, criticize Cooper's response to riots

Although the National Guard was called in to assist law enforcement, several state buildings and monuments were damaged. Some leaders have criticized the way Governor Cooper and Mayor Baldwin have managed the riots.

Raleigh curfew begins at 8p, includes groceries, restaurants, parks

Already this morning, Senate Leader Phil Berger has had harsh words for Raleigh Mayor Mary Ann Baldwin.

Berger issued a statement calling last night's destruction "a failure of executive leadership at every level," saying a curfew should have already been in place.

"Only a fool would think that permitting lawlessness on night one would result in different behavior on night two," Berger said.

House Speaker Tim Moore said peaceful demonstrators are not to blame for the destruction that followed the protests, but after two nights of riots in the capital city, lawlessness can no longer be tolerated.

Moore said he watched the riots from the balcony of his downtown Raleigh apartment, smelling tear gas and hearing gun shots from below.

"It's one thing to see it on TV. But it's an entirely different experience to be there literally watching it unfold in front of you, as a citizen, powerless to do anything to stop it," he said.

Moore advised Governor Cooper to call in the national guard earlier Saturday after seeing riots in Charlotte on Friday, but Cooper didn't bring them in until the following night.

He also thinks Cooper has not communicated forcefully enough that rioting and looting will not be tolerated.

He's calling on the governor to fully mobilize the national guard in Raleigh and other cities tonight.

"When there are soldiers there with weapons, those rioters and looters think twice," he said.

Rioters broke windows at the State Archives building with a handicapped sign.

The Department of Transportation building must replace five of its six large windows, which were shattered during the riot.

Power washing crews were removing graffiti from buildings and Confederate statues on the Capitol grounds.

The State Supreme Court and Court of Appeals buildings had broken windows as well.

Capitol Square was the central focus of last night’s riots. Just about every monument on the Capitol Square had graffiti, including a statue of governor Vance with paint on his face.

Hundreds of volunteers clean up downtown Raleigh after looting, fires

On Sunday night, riot police lined up to protect the State Capitol.

Some members of the protest were throwing fireworks at police, and the police were throwing smoke bombs and tear gas.

You can see one protestor just sitting in the middle of it.

The national guard came in to protect important government buildings.