MIAMI (WSVN) - Hundreds of protesters marched across parts of Downtown Miami as calls for justice in the death of George Floyd continued to spill out into the streets of South Florida.
Meanwhile, store owners in Miami picked up the pieces days after their stores were targeted by looters.
7News cameras captured demonstrators with their fists raised as they stood on the intersection of Northwest Eighth Street and Fifth Avenue in Miami’s Overtown section, just before 6 p.m., Monday.
What began as a gathering of about a dozen protesters on the sidewalk across from Bayside Marketplace, along Biscayne Boulevard, grew rapidly, and by 5 p.m., that number had risen to more than 100 people from various walks of life.
“This is an alliance of working class people. This is a movement spontaneous in nature,” said a demonstrator.
Several drivers honked their horns as they passed by the group.
The number of protesters continued to increase as they marched north on Biscayne Boulevard and stopped in front of the AmericanAirlines Arena.
Using a megaphone, march organizers urged demonstrators to remain peaceful and calm.
Demonstrators then made their way north, at one point singing in unison to Bob Marley songs in front of the Freedom Tower.
Once they reached the foot of the bridge to PortMiami, the peaceful but high-energy group headed west on Sixth Street into the Overtown section.
Organizers told demonstrators they needed to be especially respectful when crossing Overtown due to the neighborhood’s historic significance.
“That’s right, respected. It made me feel good that they came through, and they represented, and I appreciate them,” said a woman who lives in the area. “Thank you, guys.”
They also walked by Miami Police headquarters on Northwest Second Avenue, where officers stood with protective gear. Protesters did not stop and just marched past the building and continued to travel west.
Just after 6:30 p.m., the group stopped in front of the Miami-Dade State Attorney’s Office in the area of Northwest 13th Street and 12th Avenue.
“No justice, no peace!” demonstrators chanted.
Speakers from the group addressed the crowd in front of the E.R. Graham Building.
Officers with Miami-Dade Police’s Special Response Team monitored the march from a distance. A Miami-Dade Police helicopter also hovered above protesters at various intervals.
“We respect all businesses. We respect all our historical communities, and we keep our community safe,” said a protester. “We’re not out here to destroy our communities.”
Marchers also walked by the Metro Justice Building before they returned to the Freedom Tower, where they wrapped up the event without incident sometime after 8:30 p.m.
No arrests were made.
Monday’s smaller gathering comes after hundreds of people came together at the same location on Saturday and Sunday and marched in a loop around Downtown Miami.
But the peaceful assembly gave way to tense confrontations with police officers Saturday evening. Agitators threw rocks at police cruisers and set several vehicles on fire near Miami Police headquarters.
Authorities have blamed agitators for trying to taint the spirit of the peaceful demonstrators who are fighting for justice in honor of Floyd, the Minnesota man who died May 25 while being taken into custody by Minneapolis Police officers.
Cellphone video captured dozens of people running down Bayside Marketplace, breaking windows, going into stores and taking off with merchandise, Saturday night.
Monday afternoon, 7News cameras captured the storefront of Havana Nines at Bayside covered with plywood.
Henry Leace’s store was one of the businesses targeted by looters over the weekend.
“I don’t understand them, and they’re not part of our community,” said Leace.
Surveillance video captured looters backing a truck into a Bike Tech store in Midtown Miami. Once the vehicle broke the glass, five people broke into the business.
The looters grabbed between 15 and 20 bicycles valued at roughly $100,000.
As they were grabbing the bikes, the truck could be seen backing up into the business again.
“They had no regard. They didn’t care,” said store owner Joyce Freire. “I’m not mad at the protesters at all. I’m mad at the other ones, the other ones who take advantage.”
Miami Mayor Francis Suarez agreed with Freire. He said he’s thankful for peaceful protesters, but those who looted are not part of that group.
“There was a second group of people who came equipped to do damage,” he said.
Cleanup was also underway at a CVS Pharmacy along Biscayne Boulevard in Downtown Miami, one day after vandals threw bricks at the store in an attempt to break in.
Cameras captured protesters standing their ground in an attempt to block looters.
Police officers responded to the scene shortly after, and the subjects dispersed without further incident.
Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez honored those protesters on Monday.
“They prevented violence from destroying the good intentions of those protesters who are seeking justice,” he said.
“Ninety-nine-point-nine percent of the people that were there, were there for a peaceful, constructive protest,” said Benjamin Torrens, one of the protesters honored by Gimenez. “They were there to be heard and to do so peacefully.”
Thirty-five people were arrested over the weekend in Miami-Dade County. Police said the vast majority of those arrests were for breaking curfews, but a few looters were also taken into custody and charged.
An 8 p.m. citywide curfew that was enforced over the weekend in Miami has been lifted, but a countywide curfew between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. remains in effect.
The FBI is investigating the disruptive actions from agitators over the weekend. They are currently seeking any information or videos depicting violence during these demonstrations.
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