ATLANTA _ Rallies for justice extended outside downtown Atlanta on Saturday, where events were held throughout the metro area, including in Cobb, Forsyth, Fayette and Gwinnett counties, and had thousands of participants.
The rallies _ organized to protest recent killings including George Floyd in Minneapolis _ extended to a ninth day in Atlanta. An 8 p.m. curfew originally in place in the city was lifted Saturday by Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms, according to a spokesman. The mayor has not yet made a determination for Sunday.
Events were held Saturday in Cumming, Marietta, Athens and Duluth, as well as numerous downtown locations, including the King Center and police headquarters.
Atlanta police have arrested 532 people since the protests began. But no arrests were reported Friday, police said.
Handfuls of National Guard troops were seen atop the parking deck at the CNN Center. Down on the ground, the crowd appeared to be thinning out, though some protesters were still waving signs and having dance-offs.
Hundreds of protesters remained at Centennial Olympic Park in downtown Atlanta. With a limited police presence, the scene looked vastly different than it has in recent days. As nightfall approached, some demonstrators were listening to music while others are handing out snacks and bottled water to fellow marchers.
A peaceful protest at the Governor's mansion ended at 7:37 p.m. The march from downtown Atlanta concluded at Piedmont Park. The demonstrators were playing chanting, dancing and sharing plans about Sunday's march.
Not everyone in downtown Atlanta was participating in rallies Saturday evening. Some motorists were getting caught in the march, unsure where to drive. Others were honking their horns in support. One black American motorist argued with a handful of demonstrators as they marched past on Ralph McGill Boulevard. He was forced to wait.
As many as 3,000 people descended on downtown Athens protest the recent death of Floyd and to advocate for racial justice.
Volunteers had drawn circles six feet apart.
Earlier, protesters sat in silence for eight minutes and 46 seconds in Freedom Park to honor the life of Floyd. A Minneapolis police officer had his knee on Floyd's neck for eight minutes and 46 seconds before Floyd died. "I need you to look at this like you lost a father, an uncle, or a brother, because the truth is, you did," organizer Sergio Tuberquia said.
Tuberquia, 22, helped organize Saturday's march in Freedom Park. It drew several hundred more protesters than expected. "The big goal today is to start branching out to other places," he said after almost a week of protests in Centennial Olympic Park. "The goal is to be very peaceful and keep protesting," he said. He and the other organizers hope protests will lead to a governing body for the police.
Late in the afternoon, the mood was festive near downtown Atlanta. A group of young black American men and women who are band members at various historically black colleges and universities gathered for a jam session atop a parking deck. Others yelled "No Justice, No Peace" as they played.
The group was organized on Facebook. Terrell Guerra, 20, a Bethune-Cookman University student, was one of the musicians, playing the tuba. "With all the police brutality and negativity, we wanted to do something positive," said Guerra, a graduate of Miller Grove High School in DeKalb County.
Earlier Saturday, shortly after 1 p.m., about 1,000 people were marching toward Atlanta's City Hall. And crowds continued to grow throughout the afternoon.
A largely young, multiracial crowd of hundreds began a march near Atlanta Police Headquarters and were headed to the state Capitol shortly after 3 p.m.
The march began with prayer. Organizer Ricky Fleming, 25, of Athens, told the crowd: "We're tired of it. These streets are our streets and we're taking them back." The crowd carried signs in English and Spanish demanding action. Fleming, who is white, said he got involved because he felt he wasn't doing enough to be part of the necessary changes, such as repealing laws he believes are harmful to non-whites. Several vehicles honked their horns in support of the marchers, who chanted "I Can't Breathe" and "Black Lives Matter" as they walked up Peachtree Street.
The crowd stopped in front of the Fulton County Government Center, where several speakers urged them to vote in Tuesday's elections. "This is where the change takes place," organizer Keith Strickland told the crowd. As organizer Dionisio Tabora, 27, of Stone Mountain spoke, a woman interrupted him to demand mental health reform. The crowd roared its approval. The protesters went to Atlanta City Hall, where they chanted George Floyd's name as law enforcement officers stood behind a barricade in front of the state Capitol.
Tabora was pleasantly surprised by the turnout. He expected about 75 protesters. Hundreds gathered. "It fills me with joy to see people not worry about the National Guard and stand up for what is right," he said. One African-American officer in an unmarked vehicle raised his fist in the air to cheers from marchers as Tabora walked by. Tabora's group screened people who said they wanted to participate to make sure they were non-violent demonstrators.
In Avondale Estates, hundreds of people lined a main thoroughfare Saturday morning holding homemade signs with messages condemning racism, injustice and police brutality.
