GREENSBORO, N.C. — Editor's note: *WARNING: Live coverage could contain offensive language or images*
Hundreds of people protested in downtown Greensboro.
It comes following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, who died in police custody. It’s part of a nationwide response with protests occurring in major cities across the country.
People started gathering Saturday afternoon and later in the evening along Elm Street near the Civil Rights Museum.
Protests were mostly peaceful for much of the day. However, there were intense moments in the late evening hours.
Greensboro police said they were forced to use pepper spray.
“Individuals were throwing rocks at officers and pepper spray was used to get the individuals to stop throwing rocks," the Greensboro Police Department said.
They also deployed pepper spray after a person jumped on a parked car breaking a windshield. A group of protesters tried to get the person down from the car telling them, "This is not the way we protest in Greensboro."
WFMY News 2 reporter Adaure Achumba reported tear gas was also used as rocks were thrown.
A business owner cleaned up a broken window after a rock was thrown through it.
Protesters gathered on the steps of the courthouse in the evening and chanted, "No justice, no peace."
At one point an SUV rode through the crowd and our reporter saw it hit demonstrators. It's not clear the extent of the person's injuries.
Demonstrators were seen holding "Black Lives Matter" and "No justice, no peace, no racist police" signs. Another sign read, "Racism is the real virus."
Earlier Saturday night, a group made it's way along Gate City Boulevard and was chanting, “We have nothing to lose but our chains.” Organizers said the protest was meant to be peaceful. The group also chanted George Floyd's name.
Greensboro police blocked off a number of the roads for the protest.
Police closed off I-40 to allow a group of protesters to convene along a bridge near West Gate City Blvd. Protesters also sat down in the middle of the highway while shutting it down.
The North Carolina Department of Transportation sent out an alert about the closing. People gathered both on the bridge and under it to protest. A bus carried the group back to downtown Greensboro as the peaceful protest continued.
A window was broken at the International Civil Rights Center & Museum. However, a group of protesters gathered around it chanted they did not break it. It's unconfirmed at this time about how the window was broken and who's responsible.
Organizers obtained two permits to hold the protest in downtown Greensboro.
A protest was also held in Winston-Salem.
PHOTOS: Protesters gather in the City of Greensboro in the wake of George Floyd's death
Protests were held and organized Saturday in Durham and in Fayetteville.
On Friday, three Charlotte Mecklenburg police officers were injured and 15 arrests were made after following a protest. The gathering started around 6:30 p.m. outside CMPD's metro division headquarters on Beatties Ford Road.
Shortly after 9 p.m., the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department deemed the gathering "unlawful" and ordered the demonstrators to disperse.
Police said a crowd of approximately 100 demonstrators began to march in the roadway on Beatties Ford Road and grew to approximately 250 demonstrators. Some of the demonstrators began to damage property and threaten the safety of officers and the community.