Salinas police chief speaks at solidarity rally

SALINAS, Calif. (KION) Protests on the Central Coast continued into Monday evening. It was a quiet scene outside the Salinas Sports Complex as people gathered to stand in solidarity with the black community.

"To have a space where we’re like, we know this is wrong," speaker Kenya J. Burton said. "Black lives do matter. You matter. You deserve to be alive. It was just incredible."

Salinas Police were present this time. And Chief Adele Frese took to the mic to share her perspective.

She condemned the behavior of all four Minneapolis officers who engaged with George Floyd in the moments before his death.

"I thought the environment was good just by the fact that we were invited," Frese said.

“I hope that she keeps her word and that more training happens so that we will not be the next Minneapolis,” protester Tamisha Smith said.

And while the event was, in fact, calm, Chief Frese said she hopes things remain that way, unlike in many other cities around the country.

"We have to be prepared," Frese said. "We may hear from people we haven’t seen yet."

Most in attendance said they disagree with the kind of violence that has erupted in other cities.

“Even his brother has come out to say that things are shifting in a way that George would have not liked,” Burton said.

The League of United Latin American Citizens organized the event and participants reflected on the Latino community's role at this time.

"What happens to black people happens to brown people," protester Tamisha Smith said.

There are several more protests scheduled throughout the week on the Central Coast. Demonstrators on Monday said they hope they're all peaceful.