Police disperse Black Lives Matter protestors in Palm Desert amid countywide curfew

The streets of Palm Desert were quiet Monday night after hundreds of Black Lives Matter protestors marched through the city.

Businesses across town were closed down and boarded up as fears grew that riots and looting would take place as a result of the protest, but they never came to fruition.

Instead, around 7:30 p.m., an hour and a half after the countywide curfew went into effect at 6 p.m., dozens of Riverside County Sheriff's deputies armed with non-lethal weapons strategically moved in, pushing crowds off the streets and threatening arrests if they didn't go home.

"I hereby declare this to be an unlawful assembly, and in the name of the people of the people of the state of California command all those assembled at Civic Center Park to immediately disperse," said an officer through a megaphone.

Videos on social media showed the scene growing smoky as officers moved in.

For more than three hours beforehand, protestors were eager to make their voices heard. "We can't change unless the country do nobody gonna change unless they does," one man said. "All lives are equal, black lives matter too, brown lives matter. We've got to come together."

The protests remained peaceful through the evening.

"I came here in peace, " Andrea Chavez said. "I believe in the First Amendement, that they should hear my voice. I don't believe in violence or looting."

"I'm just not okay with small businesses or local businesses getting burned down, because that's hard earned money," Samuel Gonzalez said.

Two hours into the protest, it had more than doubled in size. People took to the street, and many of them sat or kneeled in the middle of the intersection of Fred Waring Dr. and San Pablo Ave, chanting things like 'I can't breath' and 'George Floyd.'

Angel Moreno is one of the leaders a group calling themselves Coachella Valley Activists. He worked to organize the protest.

"They expected us to riot, burn buildings, loot, but as you can see, we're not doing anything," Moreno said. "We've just been peaceful all day."

And amid the pandemic, most protestors wore masks, though social distancing was difficult to practice in the crowd.

"The cases keep going up so there is a concern," Gonzalez said. "You can't just wash it off."

But still, he said relaying his message took priority over protecting himself from coronavirus. "It's bigger it's bigger than that."

You can reach Jake on Twitter, Facebook or email him at jake.ingrassia@kesq.com.