MIAMI – South Florida had several protests take place Sunday, from a silent protest to a call for police in one city to begin wearing body cameras.
A silent demonstration in Wilton Manors spoke louder than words as the group laid in the street on Wilton Drive without saying a word.
The Black Lives Matter protest began at 1 p.m. starting in at Hagen Park.
In Miami, organizers hosted what they called Compassion Caravan: Justice for George Floyd. The 2 p.m. event, which was joined by Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, stopped at police stations in Liberty City and Little Havana.
(See Glenna Milberg’s report about the Compassion Caravan below)
Also at 2 p.m., protesters gathered outside the Hollywood Police Station for a peaceful demonstration.
Residents in Miami Shores held a vigil for George Floyd at 3 p.m. Approximately 200 people marched from Village Hall to Miami Shores Village Bayfront Park, with law enforcement officials, including the chief of police, joining the march in a showing of solidarity.
At one point, the mixed group of protesters and police took to one knee together for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, the amount of time that a Minneapolis police officer kept his knee on the neck of unarmed black man George Floyd.
Several officers in the crowd were spotted taking a knee as well, showing their solidarity with the movement... #BlackLivesMatter #GeorgeFloydProtests @WPLGLocal10 pic.twitter.com/skb5X15Ql1
— Trent Kelly (@TrentKellyWPLG) June 7, 2020
In Homestead, a Black Lives Matter protest got started at 3 p.m. where around 200 people were on hand.
Protesters gathered on the steps of City Hall to demand an end to racial injustice.
[RELATED: Photo Gallery: SoFla Sunday Protests]
Their protest, while seeking justice for George Floyd, was also focused on a local case involving a man named Edward Foster. Foster was killed by Homestead Police Officer Anthony Green about five years ago.
His sister, Crystal, said Floyd’s death was like reliving the moment when she lost her brother. One change the Foster family is demanding is that officers at Homestead Police Department be outfitted with body cameras.
Deerfield Beach residents planned a protest along Sample Rd. and 3rd Ave. for 4 p.m.
[RELATED: Protesters Climb Fence To Get Onto Interstate 95]
Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood had the largest crowd and the most tense moments toward the end of their march when the climbed onto Interstate 95 and shut down traffic. They were off the streets before the 9 p.m. curfew.
Miami-Dade County started a 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew Saturday, moving the time up from 10 p.m. due to the ongoing demonstrations.