June 19, 2003	Thursday	Rabi-us-Sani 18, 1424

DETROIT, June 18: Police on Wednesday ordered a curfew on the Michigan town of Benton Harbor after two nights of racially-charged rioting.

Tensions have erupted in the predominantly black town of 12,000 people since a black motor bike rider was killed in a high speed police chase.

A curfew starting was ordered after the latest night of disturbances. An extra 150 state police were also sent to the town, officials said.

Twelve people were stabbed and beaten, five buildings torched and five cars — including several police cars — set ablaze in Benton Harbor, according to Michigan state police.

At least 20 people were injured and there were seven or eight arrests, according to media reports quoting the county sheriff’s department.

One person was shot in the shoulder, and one crowd attacked firefighters who were called out to extinguish the building blazes overnight Tuesday, police spokesman Lieutenant Mike Risko said.

Firefighters were not being allowed through to at least three burning homes in the Pavone Street district of the town, according to police and witnesses quoted by the South Bend Tribune newspaper.

“It looks like a war zone. It’s terrible,” resident Dorothy King told the newspaper.

Firefighters were still dousing the smouldering debris of wrecked homes on Wednesday morning while police organised meetings with community leaders.

“We’re going to try not to give up what we’ve taken, and people are going to go to jail now,” Benton Harbor police chief Samuel Harris told reporters.

“They threatened to destroy the city, in essence — and so far they’ve made the attempt.”

“It’s gotten to the point now that they’re shooting,” said Harris.

The troubles started Monday night when a crowd of 300 people came out on the streets to protest the death of 28-year-old Terrance Shurn in the police chase through the streets of the town in the early hours of Monday.

One crowd set a vacant house on fire and threw bricks and bottles at police cars, severely damaging four of them.—AFP