DENVER — More than an hour after Denver's 9 p.m. curfew on day six of protests in response to the in-custody death of Minneapolis man George Floyd, police appeared to be blocking traffic for hundreds of peaceful protesters.
Before that curfew set in, thousands of protesters were chanting “peaceful protest” at Civic Center Park with no police in sight, according to 9NEWS reporters on the ground in downtown Denver.
Earlier Tuesday, a crowd had gathered outside of the state's Capitol around 5 p.m., and by 6:30 p.m. that crowd had grown to hundreds with more marching through the streets.
Leaders were preaching a message of peace and unity saying, "we’re out here to do the right things, not the wrong things.” Many others were calling out for people to “get out of their homes and into the streets.”
The niece of Michael Marshall spoke to the crowd outside the Capitol. Marshall died in 2015 while in custody at the Denver Jail.
“I hate to say it, but I know exactly how the family of George Floyd feels,” she said.
Just before 7:30 p.m., thousands of protestors fell silent and dropped to take a knee. Organizers again emphasized unity and asked everyone to stay peaceful.
Wednesday evening, DPD plans to host a virtual conversation with the community regarding how the department can improve. It will be the first in a series of listening opportunities with the goal to bring about change.
Chief Paul Pazen will meet with members of the community to hear their concerns from 6 to 7 p.m., Wednesday.
What to know right now:
- Denver Police Officer Thomas McClay was terminated following a social media post earlier this week that included the words, 'Let's start a riot."
- New legislation was introduced to “strip immunity” from law enforcement and prevent officers from transferring to another department after being fired.
- No one was injured after a truck drove through protesters at 14th Avenue and Broadway about 5:30 p.m., Denver Police said they are investigating the incident to see if there was any criminal violation.
- Denver Police said there were reports of shots fired late Tuesday near Colfax Avenue and Broadway. No injuries were reported.
- Minnesota Dept. of Human Rights plans to file a civil rights charge against Minneapolis police
- Limited RTD bus and rail service resumed Tuesday.
- Denver Mayor Michael Hancock on Monday announced a 9 p.m. curfew for the city and county that will run through Friday. The curfew lifts at 5 a.m. each day.
- A total of 338 arrests have been made in conjunction with the disturbances over the past five days. Of those arrests, at least 71% involve people live in Denver or elsewhere in Colorado, according to public records and data from the Denver Police Department. A total of 290 people were charged for violating curfew or disobeying police.
- A suspect was arrested after police said on Saturday night he deliberately drove into officers and a civilian, causing serious injuries.
Meanwhile, a few hundred people gathered in Castle Rock on Tuesday afternoon protesting Floyd's death. And in Aurora, Interim Police Chief Vanessa Wilson walked with community members to the city's Municipal Center.
Small protests have also happened over the last few days in Fort Collins and several mountain communities.
Follow tweets from 9NEWS reporters on the ground at Denver's protests:
Tuesday's protests follow a fifth day of protests on Monday, which also remained largely peaceful late into the night.
PHOTOS: Day 6 of George Floyd protests in Denver
Colorado Gov. Jared Polis said during a Tuesday news conference that he wants to work with protesters, and also urged them to get tested for COVID-19, saying he was worried the large gathering could lead to an outbreak of the coronavirus down the road.
On Monday, 20-year-old Colorado man Chevy McGee, who identifies with the "Boogaloo" anti-government that advocates for a violent uprising targeting liberal political opponents and law enforcement, according to NBC, said police “stole” several of his guns when he went to Friday’s protest in Denver.
McGee and his friend were not charged or cited and a DPD spokesperson would not explain why or how police seized the firearms during Friday’s protest. Police would also not explain why they did not charge the men after seizing the guns.
Protests in response to the death of Floyd started in Denver on Thursday. They're meant to make a statement on Floyd, who died May 25 after a Minneapolis police officer was seen kneeling on his neck in a video that has been widely shared to social media. His death has sparked rallies across the country.
That officer and other officers at the scene have been fired. On Friday, Minnesota Department of Public Safety Commissioner John Mark Harrington announced one former officer, Derek Chauvin, has been arrested in connection with Floyd's death and charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.
Protests on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday were peaceful during the day, but escalated to riots at night that included fires, vandalism, graffiti and looting, as well as confrontations with police in which tear gas, pepper balls and foam projectiles were deployed.
Prior Denver protests coverage
DAY 1: Tear gas deployed, windows shattered as crowd marches in Denver protesting death of George Floyd
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