Hundreds of protestors rallied in downtown Gilroy Monday afternoon chanting and waving signs. The gathering was mostly peaceful as protestors marched up and down Monterey Road as vehicles honked their horns.
Tensions are high across the nation, where protests and riots have broken out over the death of George Floyd, an African American man who died in Minneapolis May 25 when a police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
Protestors walked over to the Gilroy police station and were there about half an hour before returning downtown.
Officers said they were trying to stay out of their way and let them peacefully protest while monitoring social media for potential problems. Walmart, Target and several of the stores in the Gilroy Premium Outlets closed as a precautionary measure.
In a statement, Gilroy Police Chief Scot Smithee said the peaceful actions of the protestors were appreciated.
“I am so very honored and proud of our community,” he said. “We continue to show the rest of the world how to deal with tragedy by creating positive outcomes and supporting one another.”
Credit: Rich Chavarria
