MIAMI (WSVN) - What was to be peaceful marches in Downtown Fort Lauderdale and Downtown Miami, held for a second consecutive day in the call for justice in the death of George Floyd, gave way to tense confrontations with law enforcement, following a night of violent clashes with police and looting.

In Downtown Miami, protesters shut down Interstate 395 in both directions at around 6 p.m. Sunday.

7SkyForce HD captured demonstrators standing in front of a line of police officers dressed in protective gear, at around 6:15 p.m.

Authorities also closed I-195, the Julia Tuttle Causeway, in both directions following a confrontation between protesters and the Florida Highway Patrol off Biscayne Boulevard, near a ramp to the causeway.

As an 8 p.m. curfew went into effect in the City of Miami, Miami-Dade Police reported five arrests. That number has since gone up to 31.

“Starting last night, we activated a curfew to start a cool-off period,” said Miami Mayor Francis Suarez.

“People should be able to come out and protest and speak their mind, and when you have these very small groups of people that want to come in and be destructive, it really ruins it for all,” said Miami Police Chief Jorge Colina during a phone interview. “They’re the ones who are essentially suppressing people’s free speech.”

At 9 p.m., a countywide curfew went into effect in Miami-Dade until 6 a.m. Monday.

Coral Gables officials, meanwhile, declared a state of emergency and issued a curfew from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. until further notice.

Earlier on Sunday afternoon, hundreds of demonstrators met near the steps of the AmericanAirlines Arena and walked in a loop across a section of Downtown Miami in sweltering conditions. They stopped by the Federal Detention Center on Northeast Fourth Street, where inmates slammed their hands against the windows as marchers passed by before returning to Biscayne Boulevard.

Just after 5 p.m., they reached the Torch of Friendship. The crowd was so large that part of it spilled out onto the street.

About 10 minutes later, Miami Police officers were seen stopping a group of marchers near Bayside Marketplace. Several of them were seen running away while others remained in front of the officers. They began to turn around and walk back to Biscayne Boulevard.

The march culminated in a poignant moment, as dozens of protesters took a knee next to the Torch of Friendship. A U.S. flag was seen waving in the center of the crowd.

Eventually, the group made their way to the I-395.

As the day wore on, motorbikes joined the fray.

“There definitely has to be justice for George. There definitely has to be protests for what happened to George,” said Miami Heat player Udonis Haslem, “but I’d be lying if I said that it’s been gone about the right way. We have to move forward strategically. We have to move forward smart. We have to move forward tediously, and we have to be together. Man, how we doing it — we can’t keep going this way, I know that.”

Meanwhile, what began as a peaceful protest in Downtown Fort Lauderdale was disrupted when water bottles and rocks were thrown at police vehicles, just after 7 p.m.

7News cameras captured the tense moments, as officers used tear gas in order to de-escalate the situation.

Witnesses and city officials believe the people who threw the bottles were agitators who were not part of the original peaceful protest.

“They never wanted to be violence here in our city,” said Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis. “They never wanted destruction. That’s not what their intent was. Their intent was to have a peaceful demonstration.”

Just before 7:15 p.m., a SWAT team responded to the scene of the skirmish. Some demonstrators were seen gradually walking closer to a line of officers in protective gear.

Moments later, officers were seen deploying tear gas once again.

The tense scene stands in sharp contrast to a rally and march held nearby earlier in the day. About two hours earlier, cameras captured a large crowd in front of the Broward County Courthouse.

“We see you!” demonstrators chanted.

The march followed a rally that began around 3 p.m. at Bubier Park along East Las Olas Boulevard.

One of the speakers at the event advised protesters who are not South Florida residents to “respect here, respect our home,” a reference to clashes between Miami Police officers and demonstrators that unfolded on Saturday night following peaceful protests in Downtown Miami and Coral Gables.

Speakers also addressed past incidents in Fort Lauderdale where, they said, black men and women died during encounters with police officers.

Protesters then made their way to Fort Lauderdale Police headquarters on West Broward Boulevard, where they took down the U.S. flag at the entrance and replaced it with one of their own. Their flag had the words “Justice 4 Some” spray-painted on it.

Broward Mayor Dale Holness issued an emergency curfew order that went into effect at 9 p.m. Sunday and continued until 6 a.m. Monday.

“This curfew will continue day after day until we realize and believe the streets of Fort Lauderdale at night are going to be safe for everyone to walk,” said Trantalis.

Videos circulating on social media show a Fort Lauderdale Police officer pushing a protester who was already kneeling and, officials said, the officer has since been suspended and an investigation is now underway.

On Monday morning, the National Guard could still be seen patrolling Las Olas as shattered glass from several stores remained on the floor.

“There are broken windows at many of our storefronts, there are broken windows at our government center, there is constant evidence of vandalism,” said Trantalis.

At its height, organizers estimated about 2,000 people took part in the peaceful march.

Near Downtown Miami, Interstate 95 was shut down in both directions between State Road 836 and U.S. 1.

7SkyForce HD flew above Florida Highway Patrol and Miami Police cruisers off to the shoulder of the highway, apparently to help navigate crowds if they make it onto the highway.

Underneath the I-95 overpass, police removed vehicles that had been set on fire Saturday night. Several Miami Police officers were seen guarding the area and blocking it off with squad cars.

Sunday evening, a spokesperson for Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said they had activated the National Guard. There are currently 150 guardsmen in Miramar, 150 at Camp Blanding in Starke, and 100 have arrived in Tampa.

The spokesperson said these specially trained units are available to support local law enforcement in traffic and crowd control, in an effort to preserve the peace and public safety.

According to Miami Police, they made 57 arrests between Saturday night and early Sunday morning. Of those arrested, they said, only 13 were City of Miami residents.

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