A large crowd gathered at San Luis Obispo's Mission Plaza on Wednesday for a Black Lives Matter rally.
Community members who organized the rally said they want to spread the word about the Juneteenth holiday, which commemorates the date June 19, 1865, when word of the Emancipation Proclamation finally reached the state of Texas.
Organizers say they also want people to recognize racism as a public health crisis. Tuesday night, the San Luis Obispo City Council voted to adopt a resolution recommending public health officials declare racism a public health emergency.
Following the rally, which began at around 4 p.m., protesters planned to march around the downtown area of San Luis Obispo starting at 5:30 p.m. The San Luis Obispo Police Department said that motorists may encounter traffic delays as a result.
6/17/2020 5:30 The peaceful protest march is moving eastbound on Monterey Street. There may be traffic delays.
— Deanna Cantrell (@slopdchief) June 18, 2020
