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The Justice for George Floyd protest attracted throngs of people to the center of Asbury Park, with rally speakers addressing the crowd from the steps of the post office next to the municipal complex.

Participants spilled out onto the adjacent streets. On the section of Main Street lined on both sides with protesters, vehicles that drove by honking their horns in support were met with a cheer from the crowd. 

George Floyd was killed on May 25 in Minneapolis by a police officer who’s now been charged with murder. The event has triggered protests around the world. 

The Asbury protesters were a multicultural and diverse group, with a large number of signs with messages seeking social and racial justice and an end to police brutality. It was an extraordinary event for the city of Asbury Park. 

Some streets in the downtown business district were blocked off from traffic. On Main Street some stores had boarded up windows, while in the downtown other businesses had signs of support for the protesters.

Earlier in the afternoon, Asbury Park police announced an 8 pm curfew for the city. 

“The City of Asbury Park, its Mayor and Council, and the Asbury Park Police Department stand in full solidarity with the Asbury Park community in promotion of a peaceful demonstration and denounce the actions of the officers involved in the murder of George Floyd and any acts of police misconduct,” read a statement by the mayor and council. 

In the statement, the officials said they are “expecting a peaceful protest,” but also want to “protect the safety of the organizers and attendees of the protest.”

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