Protest of #GeorgeFloyd death after police knelt on his neck is moving through downtown San Diego toward Little Italy

Chants of "Black lives matter" and "No justice, no peace" echoing up the street as we turn toward the water

After a brief circle up at Date and India where one man shared his story of growing up with fear of police and even of being able to go to the grocery store safely, the protest is moving north again on India

Started with around 100 people at 10am. Half hour later and the protest takes up a city block, with people fairly close together

The protest has turned. Now heading south on Kettner. More and more people joining. People at the few businesses that are open have been clapping and showing support for the cause

Now we're heading west on Hawthorne toward the water again. Chants remembering the lives of #GeorgeFloyd #BreonaTaylor and #AmaudArbery

Moment of silence at the intersection with N. Harbor Dr.

Heading south on Harbor drive chanting "no justice, no peace, no racist police"

Another march appears to be happening a block away. This one is now moving south to where the other one just passed. Now turning west on C St.

Noe the other march is coming to us. Everyone is cheering. Voices echoing in the trolley station this march just came out of

The two groups circle up. They chant "Black lives matter" together and move east on Broadway

The protest has paused at First and A for another moment of silence. Hundreds take a knee together, fists in the air.

The protest is now roughly 4 city blocks long. We're passing the @sdut building along A St. There were a large number of police waiting north of where the march was headed so it turned.

Now police are blockading A St at 10th. Chants of "Hands up, don't shoot"

Protesters kneel in front of the police, chanting the name of #GeorgeFloyd

Police lining up with batons as the motorcycle police pull away. Police in riot gear are lining up at the nearby gas station

Moving south on 10th. Cries of "hands up don't shoot". Looks like the front of the group is turning onto E as I type.

The protest has reached police headquarters. Organizers encourage the march to keep going.

The protest has made it past a police barricade onto the I5 South ramp at E St. They went through some bushes and then once enough were around, they walked by the officers as well.

I just passed a woman struggling with the heat. Several were helping her get water. A @sdut photographer has seen several people need medical attention

Police are stopping traffic on both sides of the 5 as protesters move to take up the highway

The police have stopped the protest from moving south right before the Imperial Ave exit. They are kneeling under a bridge.

Now moving south again. People cheering from bridge above

Police tried to get crowd to exit on Imperial. Organizers tried to lead that way but some members of the crowd weren't having it. Still moving south on the 5.

At first some wanted to exit to go to Chicano Park but then someone yelled to keep the march away from black and brown neighborhoods. It appears to be going up the Coronado Bridge.

Protest has split into 2 groups, some toward the bridge. Others wanting to turn back. I don't see where the original organizers are.

Found the organizers. They are not crossing the bridge. Meanwhile a smaller group is advancing along the bridge

People seem to be trickling back. Police have blockaded Coronado Bridge.

The last of the protesters are moving off the freeway. They're heading north back towards downtown from Barrio Logan

As this part of the protest moves back into downtown looking for the rest of the group, there are no police blocking traffic. Protesters are dodging cars.

We don't know where the group that got off the highway earlier went. This part of the protest is now by the library downtown. Anyone know where the other group is?

This part of the protest is moving north through gas lamp along 5th ave. I'm at the back trying to catch up

We are passing lots of people handing out water and snacks. Moving along Broadway now.

Returning to where it all started this morning in front of Halls of Justice. Starting to see police again. But not in every intersection like they were this morning.

The group has circled up in front of the Halls of Justice. I no longer see the original leaders. The protesters just noticed a group of police in the shade of the newer federal court building.

They have come over to the police and are calling on them to take a knee. So far they have not

Police sirens are echoing all around us now. Protesters turn to face the additional police on their knees

At the other end of the block, they walk toward the arriving sirens, hands up.

Those who came to the west end of the block have gone past the police barricade and are marching toward the water. Others are still on the block of the Hall of Justice.

Next to me, I heard a white man narrating a livestream into his phone with a definite anti-protest perspective. He called it violent. It was not. Tensions do seem to be escalating though, particularly with one officer with a mustache who took an aggressive stance when he arrived

I saw 1 water bottle thrown directly in response to his behavior

Back at the federal courthouse, police have pushed out from where they were and moved the crowd back. Additional police in green that resembles military gear have joined them

Here's the current situation in front of the federal building

On the east side of the block, police have moved in and are pushing people back. People in crowd are starting to say the feel they are being caged in like animals

Some in crowd are pushing to stand where they are as the police walk forward to push them back. All of a sudden water bottles are being thrown. 2 shots (tear gas or smoke?) follow and people run off the street. The police advance up the block

1 man is being arrested. I'm on the east side of where the police have blockaded the street. Not sure what is happening on west side but they are chanting

Now another group is east of us and has been blocked by police from reaching us. Police from where I am are marching to the east end where other police have blocked protesters. Police in green with some kind of launcher run by me too

I am now behind the police on the east end. Protesters in the first rows are kneeling. They are chanting "Let us walk!"

Second arrest that I have seen is of a white woman after police fire more of whatever those explosions are. My eyes are ok so I don't think it's tear gas

I saw a white man get into a shoving match with officers. His shirt was ripped but he was not arrested as far as I know. A woman of color stood in front of him to protect him.

I'm being moved back. Officer told me "there's going to be some munitions going". They're saying all of Broadway is shut down

Now we're being pushed up Union Street. Officer is saying to clear the area

I can't see anymore but I can hear crowd yelling let us walk. 2 more big booms into the crowd of people by the Sofia Hotel. And then 2 more.

And another big boom.

10 shots in quick succession at First and Broadway

Police are pushing the crowd east down Broadway. I just met a woman on C with a GIANT welt on her forehead. She's not sure what she was struck with, possibly a rubber bullet

After the shots, people pulled back but are now walking forward to the line of police again where a smaller group remained chanting.

Protesters are chanting for police to let a car through that is at First and Broadway. I see an ambulance and an armored vehicle and some other staging tactical vehicle parked in the intersection.

People running. 5 more booms. It smells. My eyes are stinging a little with these

Talking with a couple of guys who saw someone try to go through the police before the bangs. A few more water bottles were thrown. As we talk, more running, more bangs.

More booms, and sirens come screaming down Broadway as more police arrive

Cheering from the crowd followed shortly by more bangs, bigger clouds of smoke. Pretty sure that was tear gas this time.

People who were in the gas are flushing their faces. Some are passing out milk

A couple of blocks down, I hear someone drumming hand percussion. That and the helicopters overhead are providing the soundtrack.

People have cautiously moved back to Broadway, chanting #GeorgeFloyd's name

A small group, mostly white people, walk forward with their hands up toward the police line. A larger, more diverse, group follows. Meanwhile a red sports car peels out at Second and Broadway in the middle of the crowd. Those who walked forward kneel in the street

Musicians playing come marching up Broadway led by two saxophonists

The crowd is clapping along to the music. I can't see the musicians anymore but I think they're by Spreckles

"I can't breathe" had become the lyrics to the musicians' song

Not sure where my tweet went: All of a sudden people were running. More bangs, more tear gas. Now police are at Second and Broadway

Third is blocked by police so protesters still on Broadway are being funneled as they are pushed back further.

Ambulance pulls by at Fourth and Broadway. EMT in passenger seat gives the protesters on the corner a peace sign.

Now a fire truck has pulled up with more sirens on the way. Looks like another ambulance

People are still in the street between Second and Third Avenues. The crowd stretches back down Broadway on the sidewalks.

People come running again from the direction of the police line. This time no bangs follow. I'm about a block away. I hear chanting but not clear enough to know what they're saying

People close to the police line have their hands in the air. An officer's head is visible in the top of the armored vehicle right behind the police line

Protesters have taken a knee. They are yelling "Justice now!" Definitely smaller crowd than before but still hundreds

Hard to get a good photo from here but if you look to the left of the pole, that's the top of the armored vehicle

It looks like the officer inside the armored vehicle is watching the crowd with binoculars

Everyone was kneeling but as more police came up, they are now back on their feet. Still chanting. We are facing straight into the sun as it starts to set now.

More protesters are filling in on the back part of the block. Everyone is chanting "Hands up, don't shoot!"

The police on Third have pulled back.

And now the armored vehicle is pulling away. The crowd is cheering

Ok it doesn't appear to have gone very far but it moved back some. The officer is still watching people through the top

The crowd has renewed its request, chanting "Let us walk!"

The police inched backward to cheers from the protesters. The protesters are moving forward into the intersection. They are kneeling again.

Now they are chanting "Walk with us!" at the police

Police line is still at Second and Broadway though some on the sidewalk are behind it. Officers are holding positions to keep that part of the crowd on the sidewalk.

All of a sudden, people running, and shots chasing them up the street.

It was a mixture of the big booms and smaller crackles. Not sure exactly what it was

I took this shortly before the latest shots from police. You can see a black woman's fist in the sunlight in the front line of protesters.

People are running. More shots. Two cars that are not part of the protest and for some reason tried to pull into the intersection are being guided out by protesters.

A little while ago, a woman shared with me the way the group has been self-correcting anyone who acts out. She showed me how protesters protected a building and sent away a man who was causing trouble.

A man has climbed up on a dumpster with a megaphone. He says he's here to preach the gospel to provide hope for those who are hurting.

Most of the crowd is ignoring the man with the megaphone and has gone back to the intersection

The protest turned down Second and is now walking away from police

It's moving west on C Street. An Orange Line trolley is trying to advance through it. Protesters are guiding each other to make space for the trolley

A car stopped at C and State honks support for the protest. Protesters cheer back

A motorcycle stopped on the next block blasts "Fuck the Police" by NWA. As we pass another building, two young children stand in the doorway. The little girl raises her first to cheers

*her fist

The protest is curving over to B Street now. San Diegans cheer their support from balconies

Now we're moving up Kettner. Sun is going down and the breeze is cooler than its been all day. Cowbells echo up the street from nearby highrises

We're on Ash, split by the passing trolleys now. Almost to the water

We're by the county building now. People are handing out water. We're moving up Pacific Highway

The protest is circling the county building. A man just started playing hand percussion. Another man is holding the drum for him to play

As we come around the corner, the crowd is kneeled in a moment of silence on the side of the county building

There's probably 1000 plus people here but it's so quiet you can hear the wind in the palm trees and the birds chirping

A short police siren breaks the silence. The people around me tense up as they look for where it came from

A woman is passing out small candles to people near me. The silence is still holding.

Someone cries out "What's his name?" The crowd responds "George Floyd". They cheer and rise.

Someone is speaking, but the voice is not amplified much and I can't see who it is. Trying to get closer. Periodically, people cheer to what the voice is saying

The person speaking now says it's the first time speaking at something like this. Now there's a helicopter and I can't hear again

"Let us work together," the person says.

More sirens are approaching now from the north.

"Black lives matter now and forever," the speaker says to much applause.

Another man is talking now. "Was freedom ever given?" he asks the crowd. "No!" the crowd responds.

Another man gets up. He criticizes people who threw bottles today. He is saying they put the people on the front line in danger when they were themselves in a safe place in the back of the crowd when they threw. He is saying it's not the time for violence

Now a woman is singing and playing guitar. She is singing "Let me stand, I cannot breathe"

A woman is now performing a spoken word piece

Now everyone is told to take out a candle to start a vigil. Most are holding up cellphone lights

A new speaker is telling a story about a murdered family member.

"We need to get out there and make our voices heard!" he says

In the crowd, someone is burning sage

A new speaker: "We've been getting our blood shed long enough"

He calls for black people to organize and unite. "Stop listening to these fairy tales," he says. He says peaceful protests haven't been enough to stop police from killing black people

Musicians are playing again. Horn section and hand percussion. Some are saying this will wrap before curfew. But for now my colleague @andrealopezvil will be taking over for me. Follow her for more! This journalist is signing out for the day. Thanks for reading!

In case you haven't seen it, here is the story that @LAWinkley and I put together based on what I saw today: https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/public-safety/story/2020-05-31/peaceful-protest-prompts-closure-of-san-diego-freeway