Cincinnati City Councilman Phil Heimlich on Monday criticized Mayor Charlie Luken and other city leaders for “appeasing those who looted and rioted last week.”

        Following a City Hall news conference where Mr. Luken lifted the citywide curfew and called for a blue-ribbon commission to study race re lations, Mr. Heimlich blasted the effort.

        The first priority should be rebuilding businesses destroyed or looted, he said.

        “There was talk up here today that this was caused by social problems,” Mr. Heimlich said. “To me, that suggests excusing that kind of violence.”

        Mr. Heimlich stood to the side as Mr. Luken and several City Council members were flanked by dozens of business and community leaders.

        As the news conference started, his office distributed a statement saying that Mr. Heimlich had not been invited to the news conference and that he would have an “alternative view” after it was completed.

        Mr. Heimlich has complained several times that he has not been kept updated by the mayor's office during the city's state of emergency.

        He was the only council member not to attend the funeral of Timothy Thomas on Saturday.

        Mr. Heimlich said an unfriendly attitude toward business is one reason the city has been losing its middle-class population at what he called an alarming rate.

        “These people in the business community, they've got the resources to help rebuild these (affected) communities,” he said.

        One of the changes Mr. Luken proposed was changes to the city charter that would allow consideration of a broader base of candidates to become police chief.

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