Upwards of 100 people gathered on Bridge Street Friday, from 5 to 7 p.m. in John Day for a peaceful protest and march in solidarity with Black Lives Matter, which made its way down to Third Street and past Chester’s Thriftway, turned around at Timbers Bistro and back down to Highway 395, past Canyon City Food Cart.

The protesters waved signs, mostly addressing racial inequality, police brutality and the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis, which four police officers have been charged for.

Armed citizens, concerned about rioting and looting, lined the streets in front of businesses throughout downtown John Day.

The group met in front of the Chamber of Commerce ahead of the demonstration. Organizer Samni Bell said the purpose of the group’s presence was to serve as peacekeepers and support law enforcement.

“We are here as peacekeepers only,” said Bell. “We support anybody who wants to protest, that is their constitutional right, and it is our constitutional right to bear arms.”

Bell had specific guidelines for the group that included not engaging in discussions with protesters, staying in groups of two, none were to point their weapons at, or towards any of the demonstrators whatsoever.

For their part, the protesters chose to remain mostly quiet as they marched through John Day.

Ahead of the march, co-organizer Ashley Stevick asked the protesters to “do their part to de-escalate anything that needs de-escalating.”

Stevick, a yoga instructor, led the group through a deep-breathing exercise before the march.

Stevick also took a “roll call,” a show of hands of the demonstrators’ place of origin to dispel the rumor that the protesters were bused in from elsewhere. Indeed almost everyone in the crowd raised their hands.

As the march winded down, Grant County Sheriff Glenn Palmer said the protest overall had been “quiet.”

Stevick said after the demonstration had been peaceful, and the group shined a light on the racial inequality across the country.

John Day resident Justin Davis, who is black, said while he does not speak for all African Americans, he felt compelled to participate.

“I’m not going to try and speak for all black people because I don’t,” Davis said. “But I am the only one here, and if these people are here doing this for me, I could show up.”