A tale of two protests in Clayton

The peaceful Black Lives Matter rally in Clayton Friday was a radical departure from Tuesday’s protest. A handful of stubborn young demonstrators were tear-gassed on Tuesday. The group had refused to comply with a 6 p.m. curfew set by police the day before.

On Friday, several hundred supporters, the majority who were Clayton residents, gathered in the park to welcome the marchers as they entered The Grove. Counter to Tuesday, there was no curfew, no police greeters and no riot gear. Clayton mayor Julie Pierce and council members Cw Wolfe and Tuija Catalano greeted the protestors at the city limits and led the march into town. (Read the statements from city leaders prior to the Friday march.)

On Saturday, more protests were planned for Todos Santos Plaza in Concord. Mayor Tim McGallian expects another peaceful gathering.

The full story covering both city’s protests will be on The Pioneer website early in the week. (Photos and videos by Tamara Steiner and Jay Bedecarré )