Baltimore residents left to pick up the pieces after night of rioting

The city of Baltimore is trying to pick up the pieces after mass rioting followed the death of a black man in police custody.

On Monday night officials set a 10:00pm curfew and schools were closed, as thousands of police and military reinforcements descended on the city.

Shadowed by heavily-armed police, residents cleared the streets, transformed into a battle zone just hours earlier.

More than 202 people were arrested as buildings, vehicles and debris burned throughout the city after demonstrations following the funeral of 25-year-old Freddie Gray.

Gray died from severe spinal injuries on April 19, a week after he was arrested by police.

His lawyers said his death was caused after 80 percent of his spine was severed.

But after a night of violence, the streets of Baltimore have returned to a tense calm, as police and the National Guard line the streets.

"It just doesn't make sense to me that you would destroy your own neighbourhood, but right now I'm proud," said Cristal Renshaw, a radio promoter, down the street from a huge pharmacy that was set ablaze.

"I'm not proud of what happened last night but you see kids here with their parents and older people cleaning up. We're not animals, we didn't want this," Renshaw added.

Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake applauded the clean-up efforts, saying on Twitter: "I sincerely want to thank all those out there cleaning up streets and sharing their love for #OurCity."

Facebook groups were set up to aid the clean-up effort, urging people to bring garbage bags, gloves, brooms, dust pans and trash cans.

"I was coming out here to clean up because the world looks so abandoned," said 11-year-old Nireasha Kellum.

"I want to see it back the way it was before the riots started," Kellum said, who carried bags of trash with her mother and uncle.

Some said it was no surprise protests turned violent in the city, where tensions have long-simmered between police and the public.

"I think it was justified because they were not listening to the normal protests," said lifelong Baltimore resident Pierre Estep.

"I'm not saying it was right but I understand the frustration of how it escalated," he added, recalling his own violent confrontation with police at 16 when an officer pointed a gun at him.

Renshaw said she understands that people are angry, but hopes to show the world a different side of Baltimore.

"Some people are mad, like 'eff the police.' I get it, you're mad. We're all entitled to be pissed off, but destroy it? The world is watching us right now," she said.

"Our community will get better I hope this woke everybody up."