Missouri Gov. Nixon cancels Ferguson curfew for Monday

WASHINGTON, Aug. 18 (UPI) -- As the Missouri National Guard rolls into Ferguson Monday, Gov. Jay Nixon said he had canceled the curfew for Monday night that had been in effect since Friday.

"The Guard's immediate and limited responsibilities under the direction of Colonel Ron Replogle of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, are to provide protection, and ensure the safety of our Unified Command Center, which was the target last night of a coordinated attack," Nixon said in a statement Monday afternoon. "The Guard will concentrate its resources on carrying out this limited mission."

"With these additional resources in place, the Missouri State Highway Patrol and local law enforcement will continue to respond appropriately to incidents of lawlessness and violence, and protect the civil rights of all peaceful citizens to make their voices heard," the statement continued. "We will not use a curfew tonight."

The streets of Ferguson returned to calm after an escalation of violence overnight that saw a return to looting and clashes with law enforcement.

The curfew, which went into effect at midnight each night and lasted until 5 a.m., seemed to do little to de-escalate tensions as officials blamed outsiders for deliberately provoking police into strong response, including the use of tear gas and rubber bullets.

Community leaders called for protesters to disperse early Monday night, more than a week after the shooting death of 18-year-old Michael Brown at the hands of police officer Darren Wilson sparked more than a week of protests.

The quiet teetered on an edge Monday afternoon after the release of a private autopsy requested by Brown's family, which found the teen had been shot six times.