Seaside celebrates Juneteenth with march

SEASIDE, Calif. (KION) The celebration of Juneteenth took over Seaside streets this year.

Juneteenth is the oldest known celebration of the end of slavery in the United States. People of all backgrounds gathered to listen, learn and spark change.

"I think everything is a lot more relevant at this point. It's on social media. Everyone is more educated and they want to celebrate this," said participant, Teresa Hieb.

Marchers amplified the Black Lives Matter movement with signs and chants. "I think it's super important for all of us to be united together in this and be supportive of people even if you don't identify with them," said participant, Reagan Alby.

Many admit celebrations for the holiday weren't the same last year, but said the time to speak up about change is now. "It's important for everyone in this community to gather. My dad said he hadn't been to one of these since the 90s," said participant, Romeasha Smith.

Communities across the nation are calling for police reform following the death of George Floyd. Seaside joined in on that conversation by holding multiple rallies and urging the city to cut funding to the department.

Friday's event took a different tone as police and the community came together.

Deputy Chief, Nick Borges, stood alongside the community in removing a Black Lives Matter sign at Seaside City Hall. The sign was presented to the department as a symbol of unity.

"We're coming together here in Seaside. It was a beautiful moment for all of us, in particular our police department and community," said Borges.

Borges said the department plans to save the sign for years to come.