After thousands peacefully marched Saturday during the largest protest in the city yet over the death of George Floyd, the mural of former Philadelphia Mayor and Police Commissioner Frank Rizzo in the Italian Market was painted over early Sunday morning.

» LIVE UPDATES: The Rizzo mural is erased from the Italian Market; Philly gears up for another day of protests; archdiocese resumes in-person Masses

A powerful cry for justice rose from the streets of Philadelphia on Saturday, as thousands marched peacefully across a shut down Center City to demand an end to racism and to declare that Black Lives Matter.

Massive numbers of people converged on the streets, sidewalks, and lawns around the majestic Art Museum steps, then moved across the Benjamin Franklin Parkway to City Hall, the site of weeklong, pitched confrontations between police and protesters.

At one point, fists in the air and signs held high, people turned to one another and loudly pledged, I will fight for you.“From Michael Brown to George Floyd to Emmett Till, there’s a lineage of violence,” said one marcher, Elliott Webster, 28, of Philadelphia. “More than ever, people are starting to wake up.”

Read more of our coverage from today:

With police permission, protesters remained at City Hall after the 8 p.m. curfew went into effect, but save for a few minor incidents, the crowd eventually dispersed peacefully after about two hours.

One person threw a water bottle, and one person was arrested after she went beyond a police barrier, but no other instances were reported.

Police said that a woman who had been arrested earlier for giving flowers to police officers was released and was cited only for “failure to disperse.”

She identified herself as a kindergarten teacher and said she wanted to show her students what their rights are. Gave the officers flowers, daisies from Trader Joe’s. “Keep fighting Philadelphia,” she said.

—Vinny Vella

Police and protesters lingering at City Hall after Philadelphia’s 8 p.m. curfew went into effect had a few tense moments when one woman broke past a barrier and was placed in handcuffs, another person threw a water bottle, and additional groups of officers, some with in SWAT gear or with shields and zip ties, arrived at the site.

Dennis Wilson, deputy commissioner of special operations, said that the police weren’t there to arrest anyone.

“We just want them to be peaceful,” he said, saying officers came out after the tense moment where female protester was taken away. “For as long as they’re peaceful, they can stay."

— Vinny Vella

Philadelphia is again under curfew, in effect from 8 p.m. Saturday through 6 a.m. Sunday. As the curfew approached, a sizable group remained outside City Hall, including some holding anti-curfew signs.

— Vinny Vella

Six hours after the demonstrations against police brutality began in Philadelphia on Saturday, hundreds of protesters marched miles from City Hall to Cecil B. Moore Avenue, pumping their fists in the air as Beyoncé’s “Freedom” blasted from a speaker.

At Cecil B. Moore, the crowd knelt and silently raised their fists in the air for eight minutes, 46 seconds — the amount of time a Minnesota police officer knelt on George Floyd’s neck, killing him.

Over a megaphone, Christopher Bowman recited Floyd’s last words: “Please, I can’t breathe ... they’re going to kill me.”

He told the crowd to keep fighting for justice to make society take notice.

"If they don’t hear us, they’re gonna hear us,” he said. “If they don’t see us, they’re gonna see us.”

— Oona Goodin-Smith

Chefs from Abe Fisher, Dizengoff and River Twice delivered 120 meals to the protests.

Challah bread, Israeli salad, hummus and other small portions were served in containers. One of the chefs involved, who declined to give his name, said the restaurants had supplied food to protesters twice before this week.

But today was the first day they came out to deliver the food themselves. “We just wanted to help out any way we could,” he said. “We felt our energy was best directed at feeding people, which is what we’re good at.”

He said he hoped other chefs would follow suit, saying the load he passed out today didn’t take much time or money to put together.

—Vinny Vella

Hours after the march had officially ended protesters that remained on North Broad Street and around City Hall were peaceful, with singing and dancing breaking up the group’s chants.

One group formed a dance circle and waved their signs while chanting, “Black Lives Matter!” Others sang and danced to Tupac’s “Changes.”

Hagen Martz Diaz, 7, of Center City, knelt on top of a trash can along with other protesters near City Hall. His father, Yoshi Cruz, 29, brought him to the protest.

“It’s important for him to learn about these things and to be able to speak up and fight for social injustice,” Cruz said.

—Bethany Ao, Vinny Vella, Tyger Williams

Former Eagle Malcolm Jenkins told demonstrators in Philadelphia Saturday that the voices of black communities “will no longer be ignored.”

“To the powers that be, I hope that we have your attention,” he said outside the African American Museum in Philadelphia.

“We’ve continued on our path toward normalcy with slow, small steps toward change,” said Jenkins, now with the New Orleans Saints. “But I think the people have made themselves clear that right now is when we want that change. Our voices will no longer be ignored.”

» READ MORE: Why I march: I don’t want police violence supported by my tax dollars | Malcolm Jenkins

—Andrew Seidman

After the museum protest ended, and people trickled down the parkway, several hundred protesters gathered outside City Hall.

Wielding signs, snacks and sunscreen while chanting “who do protect, who do you serve,” they gathered at the intersection of 15th Street and John F. Kennedy and kneeled in front of the National Guard members stationed at Philadelphia City Hall.

Some protesters chanted and faced the police while yelling “hey hey, ho ho, these racist cops have got to go." A group of boys from the youth rap group Young Flames gathered in the center of the kneeling and led a chant of “Say his name,” to which protestors responded “George Floyd!”

One man wrote “George Floyd” and “Breonna Taylor” in chalk as police and National Guard members looked on.

Some protesters passed out hand outs listing petitions and information on public discourse. “Take these if you want to do more than just protest,” a man yelled.

— Oona Goodin-Smith, Maddie Hanna, Ellie Rushing

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw took a knee with demonstrators Saturday and told them she needed to “hear from the people” as she charts a path forward for the department amid demands for reform.

“The only way for us in leadership, especially in the Police Department, to find out exactly what needs to be done, is to come to the people, and hear from the people what we’re supposed to be doing,” Outlaw told a gathering organized by black fraternities and sororities.

“I’m here not only in solidarity but in collaboration, in the spirit of partnership, in the spirit of fellowship,” she said outside City Hall. "...I appreciate the spirit of peace that you’re bringing here, and the spirit of positivity and collaboration. We will get through this together.”

—Andrew Seidman

Mayor Jim Kenney joined protesters Saturday outside City Hall, kneeling to honor the life of George Floyd and vowing to take action to reform the city’s police force and address racial inequities.

The gathering, which began at 3 p.m. as a larger protest that started at the Philadelphia Museum of Art was ending, was organized by black fraternal groups in Philadelphia.

Kenney knelt at the Octavius Catto statue outside City Hall, then marched with the group to the African American Museum at 7th and Arch Streets, according to spokesperson Deana Gamble.

“We are beginning to take action against officers we’ve seen acting inappropriately, and we will continue to do so. Excessive force will not be tolerated,” the mayor tweeted, as he remained among the protesters. “We’ll have more to share on our other commitments to address issues of police violence in the near future.”

Gamble said Kenney spoke to protesters, took photos with some, and “thanked them for being there.” He listened to a few speakers at the museum before departing, she said.

Kenney said he will “focus on reconciliation, understanding, listening — and yes, action," in a tweet that included a photo of himself speaking into a megaphone held by a protester. Gamble said Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw, as well as several other cabinet members and senior staff members, attended the march with the mayor.

Kenney has faced criticism in the past month for his budget proposal that eliminates the city’s funding for the African American Museum; museum officials said it would struggle to remain open without the city’s annual $231,000 contribution.

The cut was part of a revised budget Kenney proposed to fill a $649 million budget hole due to the coronavirus pandemic. But the mayor said this week that after “protests have changed the world,” he would reconsider his budget priorities.

— Laura McCrystal

The scene around City Hall Saturday afternoon was at once tense and celebratory.

At 15th Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard thousands of protesters walked up to metal barriers separating them from the Philadelphia police and National Guardsmen stationed between City Hall and the Municipal Services Building.

“Is the military allowed to use tear gas on the field of war?” a man with a bullhorn yelled around police to the National Guard. “No, they are not!”

Meanwhile, just 100 feet or so away, another large group of several hundred people broke out into dance, even performing the “Cupid Shuffle” together.

A protester with a megaphone stood against the barrier with police and National Guard in front of the Municipal Services Building.

“We are all the same, from the same source, from the same God,” he said, encouraging people to dance and have fun. Lasean Johnson, 25, supplied the music through a speaker tucked in a stroller on the back of his bike.

“The whole point of bringing the speaker out was to diffuse a lot of the tension in the air,” said Johnson, of North Philadelphia. “What we’re doing is the right thing, but a lot of people down here are angry.”

People thanked him as they dispersed after the speaker’s battery died. “You are awesome,” one woman said.

—Stephanie Farr, Ellie Rushing, Vinny Vella

Shortly before 3 p.m. protesters reached the Art Museum, where they had started their day, marking the end of the protest.

“When you go home tonight, keep the same energy,” a woman on the museum steps told the crowd. “No justice, no peace!”

Leaving the Art Museum Johnson Salley, 19, of North Philadelphia, said he came out because “we need justice."

“We need love,” he said. “We need a change.” It was his first day participating in the past week of protests, and called it “very peaceful.” He added that he hoped that message would be conveyed by the news media.

Salley wasn’t convinced the current protests would lead to immediate change — “it’s going to take years over years,” he said — but he still felt the protests were important.

While some parts of the crowd began to break up, other people kept up their chants from the museum steps. Many sought respite from the heat and sun in patches of shade on the grass.

—Maddie Hanna

Outside the U.S. Capitol, Eagles rookie wide receiver Manasseh Bailey held a cold water bottle in the air calling out “Free water! Free snacks!”

Bailey, from nearby Columbia Heights, Md., said he and a bunch of friends chipped in to put together a few thousand dollars and buy water and snacks for protesters. They set up at several locations along Constitution Avenue, which runs along the National Mall.

“It feels good to be out here to support the cause,” said Bailey, who recalled a high school classmate who died after he said he was slammed to the ground by police.

Bailey, an undrafted free agent from Morgan State University, wore an Eagles hat as he gave out the water. “I just want to be a part of the cause,” he said.

—Jonathan Tamari

As thousands of protesters filled the streets of Philadelphia on Saturday, smaller gatherings popped up surrounding counties.

Hundreds of protesters attended a rally in Bristol Township, Bucks County. In Delaware County, a few dozen protesters knelt in memory of George Floyd along West Chester Pike in Newtown Square.

And in Ardmore, protesters filled both sides of Lancaster Avenue outside the Lower Merion Township building. Among protests in New Jersey was a gathering in Atlantic City.

» READ MORE: Protests ripple across Philly suburbs, from the Main Line to Norristown. ‘It’s not a one-race problem. It’s a human problem.’

—Laura McCrystal

Protesters in Atlantic City demanded a complete reform of a police system they say is an “imminent danger to the American citizen.”

Beau Smith, the organizer of Saturday’s Black Lives Matter protest, issued the demands prior to the rally, which began at City Hall and ended at the Public Safety Building. At the rally, Smith called for no looting or rioting like occurred last Sunday in Atlantic City following hours of protesting and marching.

“Atlantic City has had enough of this,” she said. “They’ve been treated unfairly for decades. For you to come in here and destroy their town even more, you are against what we’re fighting for.”

Levar Messiah Davis, of Atlantic City, urged protesters to keep their fight going, to bring the energy to make a change. “This right here? This is ours,” Davis said at the steps of the Public Safety Building. “This is my street, and I’m willing to share it. This is my home, and I’m gonna change it.”

The demands included defunding the police and reallocating the money into communities and essential city services such as libraries, parks, homeless services, adult education, and the arts. Protesters called for the end of the “military occupation of the Black community,” and a complete demilitarization of the police.

Police in riot gear massed in military formations in downtown Atlantic City and elsewhere a week ago. Last Sunday’s protest eventually gave way to hours of looting centered around Atlantic City’s Tanger Outlets, known locally as The Walk.

Most stores were boarded up Saturday, and police presence was heavy around town. About 200 protesters dispersed without incident Saturday afternoon. After several elected officials spoke, Smith took the microphone back.

“Understand this: The system that stands now must be torn down,” Smith told protesters. “Your life is valued less than merchandise.”

—Amy S. Rosenberg

Protesters circled City Hall at a relaxed pace, clapping and chanting, “Black Lives Matter!” before heading up North Broad to begin a path back to the Art Museum.

They cheered in response to residents of an apartment high rise, who were standing on their balconies holding signs that read “BLM” and “Keep Going, Philly.”

As they passed I-676 they saw officers on horseback. “What are they gonna do, trample people?” one protester said.

The march continued onto Spring Garden Street, toward the Art Museum, and cars honked their support. Qadir Sabur, 22, handed out water and snacks and held a sign that read “Don’t just say Black Lives Matter, show us.”

He said it’s important for black people in Philadelphia to be afforded the same opportunities in jobs and education, in addition to the fight against police brutality. “I’m not just seeing blacks come together today as one,” he said, “I’m seeing everyone coming together as one.”

A protester from South Philadelphia who identified himself as Jon B. stood on Spring Garden Street with a coffin containing the last words of people killed by police, including George Floyd. He said that it’s part of a national movement to hold symbolic funerals for the victims of police violence.

“We figured someone has to do it,” he said. “If not us, then who?”

—Maddie Hanna, Aubrey Whelan, Vinny Vella, Bethany Ao

Protesters chanted at police officers and National Guard members Saturday afternoon as the peaceful demonstration reached City Hall from the Art Museum.

“What do we want? Justice! When do we want it? Now!” they chanted at officers, who stood in formation and did not respond. Protesters also chanted at officers wearing riot gear.

“Why are you in riot gear? I don’t see no riot here,” they said. A truck blocked an on ramp Saturday to I-676, where police tear gassed demonstrators who marched into the highway on Monday.

Rows of state police officers, including some on horses, stood in formation on the ramp a distance behind the truck.

Protesters looked at the officers as they passed, but kept walking. “Oh my God,” some said. Others took photos. Officers largely kept a distance from protesters Saturday afternoon, standing behind barriers.

—Stephanie Farr, Vinny Vella, Aubrey Whelan, Bethany Ao

As protesters reached City Hall they were met by rows of police officers and National Guard outside the Municipal Services Building.

Most protesters kept moving, but some did not. “Over 60 people have died!” one protester yelled.

“No good cop in a racist system!” others chanted.

Still others paused to show their signs. The officers did not respond and stood their post as the protesters continued on.

—Bethany Ao

—Oona Goodin-Smith

Theodore Gay-Hall, age 7, marched in Philadelphia with his family Saturday, holding a sign that read: “When do I go from cute to dangerous?”

“We fear for him. With everything that’s going on with police we fear for his safety,” said his mom Tara Hall, 41, of West Hampton, N.J.

Nicholas Morrison marched down the parkway Saturday carrying a cardboard sign that read “In 1995 my parents were arrested on their honeymoon for being an interracial couple. 25 years later we are still fighting for equality #BLM.”

The incident happened in Myrtle Beach, said Morrison, 29, of Philadelphia. His parents were on their way home when they were pulled over by a police officer, he said.

“There’s going to be good things that come from it,” Morrison said of the current protests.

Cheryl Sesay, 24, buried her grandmother on Friday. Less than 24 hours later, she was marching on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, dancing in time to a drum corps that provided the soundtrack for the day’s massive protest.

“I came out here for her, she had a good life,” said Sesay, of Germantown. “I’m fighting for my people, and she would’ve loved that.”

Riley Peoples, 39, came out to a protest for the first time on Saturday with his four friends. He said it was a new experience and is hopeful the group will inspire change.

“It’s a beautiful day to do something gorgeous,” said Peoples, of Mount Airy. “It’s a great day. It’s like the Eagles parade times 10.”

—Stephanie Farr, Maddie Hanna, Vinny Vella, Ellie Rushing

The protest along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway briefly turned into a wedding party Saturday afternoon, as Kerry Anne and Michael Gordon joined the march on their wedding day.

The newlyweds exited the Logan Hotel in their wedding attire, to a roar of applause and cheers from the crowd marching from the Philadelphia Museum of Art to City Hall.

The crowd parted for the couple, who held hands and kissed in the middle of the street.

—Laura McCrystal

—Stephanie Farr

Shortly after 1 p.m. Saturday thousands of protesters who gathered outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art began their march down Benjamin Franklin Parkway, toward City Hall. Speakers urged people to stay behind banners and to “stay unified.”

Wearing a white coat with “Doctors for Black Lives Matter” on the back, and carrying a gym bag, Kolby Kentnelson was offering to spray protesters with sunscreen as they descended the museum steps.

“This is a white problem. This is everybody’s problem,” said Kentnelson, 32, who has been protesting all week, and trying to help by handing out water.

Saturday was his first official day volunteering as a medic, though. Kentnelson, who graduated from the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine several weeks ago, said he’s been on the streets this week because “right now, we have an opportunity to make our voices heard."

“If you’re silent right now,” he said, "you’re part of the problem.”

Teacher Emily Spooner and her partner, lawyer and former teacher Pete McDaniels, came to the parkway from their West Philly home because they wanted to advocate for the children they have taught.

“I want to continue to make my voice heard so my students can grow up in a better country than the one I grew up in,” McDaniels said.

Spooner, who teaches at Freire Charter School, said most of her students are students of color. “It’s important to create space where their lives are honored and respected not just by teachers but by the world they live in. And the police who police their communities,” she said.

And she was here to support McDaniels, too: “I’m in love with this man," she said, smiling from behind her mask.

The couple said they were inspired by both the size of the crowd and its diversity. “It’s exciting to see the diversity of people coming out to stand up and say Black Lives Matter,” McDaniels said.

—Oona Goodin-Smith, Maddie Hanna, Aubrey Whelan

Demonstrators in Philadelphia on Saturday called for the city to improve policing and racial equity.

Their demands included reducing the police department budget and increasing funding for trauma-informed healthcare. Some advocated for abolishing the police and prisons.

Some protesters also called for the resignation of Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw after the “gassing of the peaceful” on Interstate 676 on Monday, and for District Attorney Larry Krasner to drop charges against all protesters who have been arrested.

Mayor Jim Kenney said this week that he would likely tweak his budget proposal for the next fiscal year, acknowledging that “protests have changed the world.”

He faced criticism from demonstrators this week for proposing a $19 million increase to the police budget while reducing other city services to fill a $649 million budget hole due to the impact of the coronavirus.

Kenney and Outlaw defended the use of tear gas on protesters on I-676 this week, calling it a “last-resort” measure after protesters filled the highway and surrounded a state trooper’s car. But observers and demonstrators have disputed that account.

» READ MORE: Philly City Council members call for police to stop using tear gas and rubber bullets

—Anna Orso, Oona Goodin-Smith, Laura McCrystal

Judy Space and Betsy Way, who both live near the museum, said they felt the urge to come down to attend the protest after watching some encouraging change this week in the city they grew up in.

But it isn’t enough, they said.

“I know I’m at risk coming out here, as an older person,” Space, 68, said. “But black people have been risking their lives on these streets for years.”

Both women said they were happy to see the statue of Mayor Frank Rizzo get removed. But they believe true, meaningful progress can’t happen until reforms come to the Fraternal Order of Police.

“We have to support the young people in this movement,” Way said. “They have so much energy toward change and our generation needs to help push it forward.”

—Vinny Vella

Protesters packed the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Benjamin Franklin Parkway on Saturday afternoon as a Black Lives Matter protest began.

“The police thought if they gassed us, if they beat us, if they imprisoned us, that this movement would stop,” Eugene Puryear, of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, told the crowd. “This movement will not stop.”

Hundreds of protesters sought relief from sweltering temperatures in the shade, out of earshot of speakers but still impassioned by the crowds and message. The demonstrators held signs and chanted phrases such as “no justice, no peace, no racist police.”

More than 30 minutes after the protest began, people continued to pour onto the Parkway from other parts of the city. Medics moved through the crowd offering masks, sunscreen, and other supplies.

—Maddie Hanna, Oona Goodin-Smith, Stephanie Farr

The National Guard has blocked off the Spring Garden Bridge to vehicular traffic for safety purposes near the Art Museum.

Protest-goers trying to cross the bridge by foot reported being turned away this morning, but a city spokesperson said the bridge is open for pedestrians and that personnel on scene have been contacted “to make sure they are clear on directions."

Click here for a list of other road closures.

—Sarah Gantz

Batala Philadelphia, a samba reggae drum group, was performing on Eakins Oval ahead of the protest Saturday.

The style of music/performance was started in Salvador, Brazil when the government would not let black people participate in the festival known as Carnival, said director Cindy Penn. There are 40 such bands worldwide.

“Our group in general stands for celebrating freedom from oppression and freedom of expression,” she said.

—Stephanie Farr, Bethany Ao

Philadelphia will have a curfew Saturday night, beginning at 8 p.m. and continuing until 6 a.m. Sunday morning, city officials announced.

Saturday will mark the eighth straight day of curfews in the city as protests continue in the wake of the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Mayor Jim Kenney first put a curfew into effect last Saturday.

—Laura McCrystal

Four Philadelphia City Council members called Saturday for police to stop using tear gas and rubber bullets.

“As policymakers who help craft and approve the police department budget, we ask that the city and the police department prohibit the use of tear gas, rubber bullets, pepper spray and other weaponry during today and future demonstrations,” Council members Kendra Brooks, Jamie Gauthier, Helen Gym, and Isaiah Thomas said in a joint statement Saturday morning.

The statement, issued shortly before a large protest was set to begin on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, said instances of police using those tactics in the past week have been appalling and unnecessary.

“This brutality has brought shame to Philadelphia and thrust us into the national news cycle for the world to see,” they said. “It is unacceptable.”

The police department has faced criticism for using tear gas on protesters on Interstate 676 on Monday. And Staff Inspector Joseph Bologna Jr., a high-ranking police official, is facing charges after video surfaced of him beating a Temple University student with a baton.

Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw said Friday that police have launched several internal affairs investigations into use of force by officers during protests in the past week.

—Laura McCrystal

Elliott Webster, 28, of Philadelphia, has already been protesting for three days this week. But he came out again Saturday “just to keep the momentum going. It’s happened too many times before — we have police brutality,” then the national outrage wanes.

But for black people, said Webster, who is black, “there’s something that haunts them. From Michael Brown to George Floyd to Emmett Till, there’s a lineage of violence.”

As he eyed the gathering crowds near the museum, Webster said, “All of this brings more attention to the issues,” and gets people “to bring a closer eye to the reform we need in the criminal justice system."

“More than ever,” he said, “people are starting to wake up. The excuse — ‘I didn’t know it was like that’ — it’s no longer acceptable. You’re at a point where your silence is being complicit.”

Of the ongoing protests, he said, “I just really want people to be part of it, to see the movement. There’s a strength in numbers. It’s not one thing where it happens the first night and people go back to their regular lives. It’s really a revolution.”

—Maddie Hanna

—Stephanie Farr

City officials and fellow protesters worked to keep demonstrators safe on Saturday morning, handing out supplies and offering water.

The city’s Office of Emergency Management placed misting fans, portable toilets, and water bottle pallets along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and near City Hall.

Health Department officials were also handing out masks to demonstrators, a spokesperson said. Demonstrators were setting up their own snack and water stations Saturday morning. And some handed out supply packs to fellow protesters.

“The least I can do is find some PPE so protesters can protect themselves,” said 25-year-old Charlotte Morris, who helped make and hand out 200 supply packs for protesters Saturday. "The pandemic is already affecting black and brown people disproportionately, and they’re putting themselves in more danger at protests.”

Jaslyn McIntosh, 24, was with Morris on the Parkway. She said the packs included water, snacks, masks, gloves, and first aid supplies.

—Laura McCrystal and Bethany Ao

Center City was mostly empty Saturday morning, as police and protesters prepared for a demonstration expected to draw thousands of people to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

Portable toilets lined the Parkway, as did misters to offer relief from the heat. A city spokesperson said they were installed by Philadelphia officials.

Protest organizers readied signs, water bottles, and snacks to pass out to demonstrators. Others set up a table to help attendees register to vote.

Crystal Eley, 22, and Wallace Weaver, 28, with the Do More Campaign, stood at a table at the base of the Art Museum steps with voter registration information. They said they had 20 colleagues spanned across the city getting others to register today too.

“We’re setting the tone. You can’t just come out here and protest. You have to raise your voice and demand action too,” Eley said.

As people filtered up the Parkway toward the Art Museum, Michael Dwyer and Danielle Kanak, both of the Do More Campaign, were calling out: “Are you registered to vote?”

The issue is “especially important for the young people,” said Dwyer, who was holding a clipboard. “A lot of them are not registered.”

“In order to see the change that a lot of people want, we’ve got to vote on the issues that are important,” he said.

The protest is scheduled to begin at noon.

— Stephanie Farr, Bethany Ao, Maddie Hanna

Protesters gathered Saturday morning on Frankford and Allegheny Avenues in Kensington and marched down Allegheny, crossing under the El and passing the National Guard troops stationed in the neighborhood, chanting “Black Lives Matter” and the names of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor.

The protest had been scheduled as a peace and unity march for the neighborhood, where stores had been looted on May 31, but a city worker told about 20 protesters who arrived Saturday that city officials had asked organizers to cancel the protest because of a larger gathering planned at the Art Museum.

Still, protesters marched anyway, drawing cheers from residents hanging out rowhouse windows and approving honks from drivers on the avenue.

“I came out, one, because I’m an African American woman who has experienced racism. The earliest was at 8 years old,” said Francine Tucker, the dean of students at Deep Roots Charter School, a neighborhood school that brought out several teachers and children to march on Saturday. “I want my students to see I’m fighting for them. I want to ensure they have a brighter future.”

Jameara Austin, 24, a Kensington resident, marched Saturday because she said it was an opportunity to speak up for black lives — and show that residents of Kensington care about changing their community.

“Everyone is saying this year has been crazy — I think this year was more about change,” she said. “And sometimes things have to get destroyed for a change to happen. People are just tired.”

At F Street, the group paused in silence for 8 minutes and 46 seconds, the amount of time that a police officer pinned George Floyd’s neck under his knee. The Rev. Liam Murphy led the group in a prayer: “Bless this simple march,” he said. “Let it be one simple sign that leads to a little bit of change in our hearts, neighborhoods, and world.”

— Aubrey Whelan

Amid rumors that Philadelphia police officers would call out sick Saturday, Mayor Jim Kenney’s administration said the city expects to have enough officers working to staff Saturday’s demonstrations.

“We do not anticipate that staffing will be an issue,” city spokesperson Mike Dunn said in an email Saturday morning.

After District Attorney Larry Krasner said he would file charges Friday against Staff Inspector Joseph Bologna for allegedly beating a protester, talk circulated among officers of a “blue flu,” or organized movement to call out sick as a show of support for Bologna.

» READ MORE: Philadelphia Police Inspector Joseph Bologna will face assault charges in the beating of a Temple student at a protest

Command staff warned against it.

“While it may feel good and provide satisfaction in the moment, [it] will only lead to the potential of other officers and supervisors being seriously injured,” Capt. Christine McShea of the 16th District in West Philadelphia wrote in an email to her staff. “While it may feel like punishment to the administration, it really only punishes other officers.”

— Laura McCrystal, Mike Newall

A Delaware County man was charged Friday with ethnic intimidation after District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer said he shouted racial slurs and threats at participants in a peaceful rally in Aston Township last Sunday.

Brian Setnick, 60, of Aston, was captured on video driving by the rally at the intersection of Pennell and Concord Roads, shouting racial slurs and saying “you better watch out,” police said.

Aston police also spoke with seven witnesses who reported feeling personally threatened by Setnick’s words and actions, according to a news release. Setnick “nearly caused a collision with another vehicle" as a result of his shouting, police said.

“We hope that this prosecution makes clear that this community has no room for such hateful and threatening behavior,” Aston Police Chief Dan Ruggieri said in a statement. “I hope that the victims of this crime know that we take these allegations very seriously, and that we will work every day to ensure their safety.”

Setnick is charged with one felony count of ethnic intimidation, as well as misdemeanor charges of terroristic threats, recklessly endangering another person, and harassment.

He was arraigned Friday, according to court records, and released on $75,000 unsecured bail. Attempts to reach Setnick for comment Saturday morning were unsuccessful.

— Laura McCrystal

The city has announced street closures and mass transit plans in anticipation of large crowds converging on Philadelphia for protests on Saturday.

The largest of the demonstrations is expected to be a “Justice for George Floyd” march against police brutality, starting at noon at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Starting 11 a.m., most of Center City will be closed to traffic, from river to river and from South Street to Callowhill Street.

The Vine Street Expressway will closed in both direction from I-76 to I-95.

Starting at 5 a.m., the Benjamin Franklin Parkway will be closed from 22nd Street to the Art Museum.

SEPTA buses will be detoured from Center City and the Parkway. Check septa.org for affected bus routes. The Broad Street Line and Market Frankford Line will continue to run.

The Ben Franklin Bridge is expected to remain open and PATCO will run a normal schedule.

For updates, follow the city’s Office of Emergency Management on Twitter at @PhilaOEM.

— Robert Moran

The controversial and currently defaced Frank Rizzo mural in the Italian Market will be removed overnight this weekend.

David Neukirch, the owner of the pizzeria on the Ninth Street property that is home to the mural, said late Friday afternoon that the mural will be removed around 1 a.m. Sunday.

The mural of Rizzo, the city’s former mayor and police commissioner, has stood in the Italian Market for nearly 25 years.

Neukirch said local artists at some point will be working on a replacement “that best represents us as a whole.”

» READ MORE: The Rizzo statue disappeared early Wednesday. Philadelphia is still unpacking its legacy.

— Wendy Ruderman

Thousands are expected to turn out at the Philadelphia Museum of Art on Saturday in what will likely be the city’s largest demonstration yet against police brutality and racial injustice after the death of George Floyd.

Despite Friday’s rain, which postponed a planned demonstration at LOVE Park and brought hundreds rather than thousands to the streets, protesters traversed the city for a seventh day. Groups marched in Mount Airy, along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, through South Philadelphia, and to Independence Mall.

“The people benefiting from white supremacy are terrified,” Jordan Holbert, 28, told a crowd of about 250 on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. “We have to come out here day in and day out and we have to continue to protest.”

Major protests are planned for the weekend across the United States, including one in Washington, D.C. expected to be the biggest march in the nation’s capital since Floyd’s death. In dozens of cities, protests over his death in Minneapolis after a police officer knelt on his neck have lasted for days.

» READ MORE: In spite of rain, protesters march for George Floyd; massive Philadelphia march planned for Saturday

— Justine McDaniel, Stephanie Farr, Laura McCrystal, Wendy Ruderman