Skateboarders, religious worshippers, children and Juneteenth demonstrators all participated in separate events Saturday throughout San Diego County in the ongoing pursuit of racial equality.
Skateboarders participated in a "Rolling for Rights" protest at 1 p.m., starting near Balboa Park and ending at the Embarcadero Marina Park.
Organizer Tyrone Olson said the protest was for "all the black people that are being killed and murdered throughout the United States and even before that."
Olson said he and a friend made a flyer, decided on a date, and put it on Instagram.
"We had a couple thousand people today," Rod James told NBC 7. "One thing about skateboarders is we know unity, we come from all different walks of life. So we just wanted to get out and communicate with everybody the three L's: learn, listen and love."
Saturday morning, more than 7,000 people took part on street corners around the county in a "We Pray San Diego" hour-long event, organizers from the Rock Church said. The event included gatherings in San Marcos, Oceanside, Carmel Mountain Ranch, San Diego, Mission Bay, Chula Vista, San Carlos and Santee.
The event focused on both the coronavirus pandemic and racial division "that has threatened to tear our city apart,'' according to organizers.
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In Pacific Beach, Black Lives Matter protesters marched to call out racism, misogyny and anti-LGBTQ rhetoric, organizers said.
The "We March Against Hate" protest was scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. at the Crystal Pier, 4500 Ocean Blvd., organizer Armon Harvey said. After marching through the streets of Pacific Beach, the protesters ended up back at the Crystal Pier at noon.
A couple of hundred marchers demanded that the Pacific Beach community "become more of a diverse community and stop pushing out Blacks and browns and LGBTQ people,'' Harvey said. "We're finally getting people to rally together and to come together for a unity of change.''
In University Heights, more than 200 people gathered for a Black Lives Matter kids protest at the Trolley Barn Park.
The march was in a city park on the site of an old streetcar barn at 1943 Adams Ave. The group met near the entrance of a park kiosk and marched around the park a few times.
And protesters again gathered in Balboa Park after Friday's Juneteenth celebration to continue a march to the San Diego Civic Center. At least 500 protesters participated in the march and celebration.
