Area protests over the death of George Floyd continued over the weekend. Much of the attention has focused on large gatherings in big cities, but many small towns have also taken part, including a peace march Sunday in Thomasville.
The protests have gone on since late May. They have featured large chanting crowds and sometimes violence between police and demonstrators.
The tone was softer here, with hymns floating over the crowd. And instead of confronting the police, organizers invited them to take part.
Thomasville Police Chief Mark Kattner was among the speakers. He says that just like the protesters, he was bewildered by the actions that led to George Floyd's death in Minneapolis.
“Because apparently this person up there forgot the fundamental rights of law enforcement, forgot the fundamental rights of what it is to be a human being,” he says. “For some reason they didn't care, they didn't think, they didn't have an understanding.”
Kattner did not mention the policeman charged with Floyd's murder by name and told the crowd he wouldn't refer to him as an officer.
He says he recently the city council a revised departmental policy spelling out what the Thomasville police stands for and what its role in the city should be.
The peace march was organized by Ministers United For Christ. Pastor Kelvin Sellers says he wanted to bring people together to confront injustice.
“It's like having a pot on the stove and the water been boiling for years. And finally, with the George Floyd incident, the water finally boiled over,” he says.
About 100 people attended the Thomasville protest.