BOCA RATON, Fla. — About 200 loud and raucous protesters lined an intersection of Boca Raton on Monday to call for peace and denounce the death of George Floyd.
Protesters held signs that said "I can't breathe" and "America was never great" while standing at Glades and Butts roads.
The gathering then moved to the Glades Road interchange near Interstate 95 with chants of "we want peace."
At one moment, Florida Highway Patrol troopers knelt in solidarity with the protesters, including one trooper putting his arm around a man in a show of support.
Other protests were held Monday in Boynton Beach and outside the Treasure Coast Square mall in Jensen Beach.
The Town Center at Boca Raton closed early Monday ahead of the planned protest. Police blocked off entry to the mall.
Mall security confirmed to WPTV NewsChannel 5 that the Town Center would close at 2 p.m. because of "potential threats."
The decision to close early comes as a social media post encouraging participation in a "black lives matter" protest at the mall has been widely circulated. It called for protesters to show up at 5 p.m. "by any means necessary."
Several protests in response to the death of George Floyd were held Sunday throughout Palm Beach County, including in West Palm Beach, where demonstrations began peacefully but turned violent by nightfall.
The mall will reopen as scheduled Tuesday.
