I’m here in @RedwoodCity where most downtown businesses have boarded up their storefronts as hundreds gather at the San Mateo County courthouse square for the #georgefloydprotest. Follow my thread here for live coverage of the protest. Via @mercnews 
Speakers are gathered at the top of the steps of a boarded up old San Mateo County courthouse in #redwoodcity. There are hundreds of people gathered attentively listening to speakers straining their voices to speak without speakers. Via @mercnews
Look at this crowd here for the #redwoodcityprotest! No huge police presence yet but there are some stationed next to the courthouse.
Protesters stopped for a brief moment of silence followed by a thunderous “say his name: George Floyd.” Then suddenly the sounds of an amber alert came over everybody’s phone telling everyone about the 8:30 p.m. curfew. “We got a cool three hours,” one speaker says.
“Words with no action mean nothing,” says a speaker. “You’re holding a sign that says Black Lives Matter. What are you doing about it? What are you going to do after this?”
Police are estimating over 2,000 people are gathered at California Square in Redwood City to protest the police killing of #Georgefloyd. I spoke with Maria Santos, 18, who told me that she is back protesting after being arrested in San Francisco on Sunday. Via @mercnews
“It was the most terrifying thing that’s ever happened to me,” Santos said. “I really felt for the first time that I had no rights.” #redwoodcityprotest #GeorgeFlyod @mercnews
Three police officers are stationed with what looks like two cameras up at the top of the historic Fox theatre in #Redwoodcity. One of them is holding binoculars. Otherwise there’s no police presence here. Via @mercnews
BREAKING: Redwood City Police have arrested a man who hid a machete inside of a sign that said "F*** the Police" during a protest downtown with over 2,000 people. Chief of Police Dan Mulholland said the man is in his 20s and was carrying a 2.5 foot serrated machete. via @mercnews
Mulholland said the incident is under investigation and did not give more details on the arrest. Other than that, Mulholland said police have been dealing mostly with cases of heat exhaustion as hundreds gather in sweltering temperatures. #redwoodcityprotest via @mercnews
Curiously missing from Tuesday’s protest is a heavy police presence. Mulholland said that is “by design.”The situation in Redwood City stands in stark contrast to police reaction to protesters across the #BayArea in the past several days.
Despite the lack of officers on the street, police are still stationed all over Redwood City and up and down the Peninsula in case protests once again become violent. #GeorgeFloydProtests #redwoodcity via @mercnews
I spoke with Tiffany Medrano-Martinez, the 14-year-old girl who organized today's #RedwoodCityprotest for #georgefloyd where now over 2,000 people are gathered. She said she came up with the idea to circulate a protest flyer during her graduation dinner on Friday. via @mercnews
Medrano-Martinez said in an interview that she was in her cap and gown having a celebratory dinner with her family when she asked her brother to help her design a protest flyer to excoriate the "horrible injustice" of the police killing of #GeorgeFloyd.
On Snapchat, Twitter and Instagram hundreds of people shared Medrano-Martinez' flyer and spread it.
"I was expecting 50 people," Medrano-Martinez said. "I feel so proud and I feel so much love."
"I was expecting 50 people," Medrano-Martinez said. "I feel so proud and I feel so much love."
Just as the clock struck 4 p.m. and the protest was to officially begin, Medrano-Martinez took to the steps of the old San Mateo County courthouse and in tears gave a rousing speech to protesters followed by chanting. #redwoodcityprotest
"I don't have a lot of friends, I'm only friends with about 10 people," Medrano-Martinez said. "I'm not a huge social butterfly so it's crazy that this many people came to support." #GeorgeFloydProtests
The crowd here in #RedwoodCity is disbanding. California square is clearing out and hundreds of people are moving in disarray into downtown sidewalks and streets. A big part of the crowd is headed Northwest toward El Camino. Others now joining in. Via @mercnews
Correction: Hundreds of people are now walking SOUTH on Broadway in #RedwoodCity toward Highway 101 as cars passing by honk and chants of “black lives matter” reverberate against boarded up downtown storefronts. Via @mercnews
BREAKING: About six people with pistols and shotguns are currently being arrested at the 76 gas station who were “going to defend their property” on Chestnut and Broadway, police say. Via @mercnews
Protesters are marching toward a line of police on Broadway near the 101 interchange. With just thirty minutes to go until curfew, the crowd shows no signs of dispersing. @mercnews
Protesters are now arm in arm walking toward the police. Others sitting in front of officers in riot gear. #GeorgeFloydprotests via @mercnews
Now a group of over 500 people, the Redwood City #GeorgeFloydProtest is just 14 minutes from violating curfew. The crowd is still not dispersing. Via @mercnews
Here’s a shot of the crowd in #redwoodcity. 12 minutes to go till curfew.
With 5 minutes to go till curfe there was a brief fight between protesters that was stopped by others around them. Some people have left but the crowd has not dispersed. Via @mercnews
With 1 minute till curfew riot police in heavy gear replace officers in front of them. Via @mercnews
A man got out of his wheelchair and is taking a. Knee in front of a black police officer. He says “show the whole world you care. We’re just trying to go home. Come on man. Do you see everybody’s man? Look how I am man, I’m in pain. Come on brother.” Via @mercnews
#redwoodcityprotest #BlackOutTuesday #georgefloydprotest Here’s the man who got out of his wheelchair here: Eduardo Deras, 26, of East Palo Alto.
An officer just took a knee in front of the crowd of protesters. The crowd is now dispersing. Many of them are shaking hands with the officer before walking away. I spoke with him and he said he is Officer Clay with @RedwoodCityPD via @mercnews
They’re all gone folks. That officer taking a knee led everyone to disperse. Traffic is about to resume shortly. There are a few stragglers but otherwise the #redwoodcityprotest is over. Via @mercnews
I spoke too soon. Two people are still protesting. Alejandro, 18, of North Fair Oaks and Drew, 18, Redwood City. “I go to college in Minnesota and I owe it to my friends to be here,” Alejandro said. Drew said he’s here to use his white privilege to defend Alejandro. Via @mercnews
An officer from @RedwoodCityPD just spoke with him and asked him what he wants. Alejandro said he would stay here another 10 minutes. “We need to keep bringing attention to this issue and we still need to vent. Much like these officers I feel a duty to stand for my friends.”
It’s just Alejandro now. From 2,000 people four hours ago to Alejandro, 18, of North Fair Oaks “Lil Mex.” I’m standing here to see if he will be arrested. Via @mercnews
As police started to disperse, Alejandro stood up and walked away. The #redwoodcityprotest is done. I’ll be heading down El Camino Real to check on lower Peninsula cities. To all my new followers, are you seeing anything else on the Peninsula? Via @mercnews
