George Floyd Protest in Downtown Tyler
TYLER, Texas — For a second straight day, protesters are on the square of downtown Tyler to protest the death of George Floyd, while another protest has been organized in Longview.
The protest ended before midnight without any violence.
More than 100 people gathered at the Square Saturday night for a protest that last abut 90 minutes. The protest remained peaceful throughout.
On Sunday, a smaller number of people gathered on the Square for another protest. As of 5:45 p.m., there were between 10-12 people. The crowd swelled to more than 30 people as of 6:45 p.m. and peaked at about 60 people later in the evening.
Like Saturday, the crowd was diverse between race and generation, many of the them holding signs to show unity against the actions of the Minneapolis Police Department. Some of the signs read "I can't breathe," "Black Lives Matter" and "No Justice, No Peace."
The protesters chanted George Floyd's name as well as "I can't breathe! Get your knee off my neck!" and "We need change!"
Many of the crowd were also wearing protective face masks. Some of the marchers also distanced themselves, a stark reminder of the COVID-19 pandemic as the racial divide in the country moves to the forefront.
Mayor Martin Heines made a brief appearance at the protest. However, he did not address the crowd, according to the Tyler Morning Telegraph.
After marching through the square, some of the protesters continued their march past the courthouse and the jail, chanting "Black Lives Matter!"
A small group protesters marched to the Tyler Police Building, chanting George Floyd's name. Police did not confront the protesters, which numbered between 25 and 30 people, as they stood outside the building.
The protesters chanted in front of the police building for about half an hour before marching back toward the square. Before they left the police building, one of the protesters slipped a sign through the crack into the build. The sign read: "End Police Brutality Murder Now."
Later into the night, one of the protesters moved onto Broadway Avenue, near the Austin Bank Building. He stood between lines, holding a banner above his head while cars slowly drove by.
The demonstrator was later joined by others, who also held up signs chanted George Floyd's named.
Several vehicles honked their horns at the protesters, who were blocking traffic. However, none of the protesters were hit, and they soon moved back onto the sidewalk. The protest remains peaceful as speakers addressed the crowd.
Once back on the square, protesters made their way back onto the road, blocking traffic in both directions. In all, about 15 people blocked the road, chanting "Black Lives Matter."
At one point, a drive sped up through a hole in the crowd. A few of the protesters moved out of the way before the car drove away. No one was hurt.
Most of the protesters remained in the road for about eight minutes. Some of the cars honked their horns while others simply turned around and found a way around the protesters.
Police did block off Broadway to help protect the protesters. By midnight, the protesters returned home after roughly six hours. There was no reports of violence during the entirety of the protest.
Organizers say there is another protest at the Square in Downtown Tyler, which is planned for 7 p.m.
Broadway Square Mall abruptly closed at 3 p.m., after a post claiming a riot at the mall was happening started to receive several shares on social media. Police say any threats against the mall were unverified.
Another protest was held in outside police headquarters in Longview. Mayor Andy Mack said before the protest he welcomed the demonstration if it remained peaceful.
The Longview News-Journal reported that all Walmarts and the Sam's Club in Longview have closed in anticipation for the demonstration. The protesters first gathered at the Walmart on 4th Street before marching to police headquarters.
About 80 people showed up for the protest, again diverse in race and age. Speakers urged the crowd to write letters to local mayors and Gov. Abbott to clean up police departments.
The crowd held a moment of silence before chanting "I can't breathe."
There was no violence at the Longview protest.
CBS19 will update this story throughout the evening.