GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Over a hundred protesters gathered outside a shopping center off Hamilton Mill Parkway in Dacula on Thursday to demand an end to police brutality and institutional racism in the wake of the killing of George Floyd.
According to one of the organizers of the protest, Nayahnie Loveless, negative comments and threats started to circulate surrounding the event earlier in the week.
"There were people commenting online that we were going to loot and vandalism...People were saying they were going to bring their guns out here and hold them in front of us," said Loveless.
Loveless saying that she even received death threats while planning the protest.
"I questioned whether we should even have it. There were people just wishing hate on it," added Loveless.
The Gwinnett County Police Department posted to their social media pages on Tuesday that they would have a police presence at the event:
"We are aware of the planned protests scheduled for Thursday afternoon and evening on Hamilton Mill Rd near Interstate 85. Officers will be in the area throughout the duration of the event."
Hundreds come out for protest
Despite the cloud that followed the lead up to the day, a crowd of citizens wearing masks and holding signs stood out on the corner of Hamilton Mill Parkway for hours.
One of the attendees, Danielle Tuwano said she brought her children to the event because it's important for them to understand what's going on.
"I'm a mother to boys and girls and we decided together as we made our signs that this is something we all wanted to be apart of," explained Tuwano.
Tuwano's 15-year-old son, Omary Tuwano explained that he was "sick of white privilege."
"My dad will talk to me for hours about how I need to act and seem and my mannerisms so that I don't seem like a threat to white people," explained the teen.
Attendees remained on the side of the road for the entirety of the protest, however, there were some traffic delays caused by the event.
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