BUFFALO, N.Y. — Saturday evening's protest started out peaceful in downtown Buffalo.
"They really conducted themselves very well," said James Giles, with the Buffalo Peacemakers.
Then it turned into something more violent after a few hours.
"We had some individuals who I like to call 'plants.' They come from other towns and their whole mission is whatever the rally is about, they're a disruption to it," Giles said.
He worries all the chaos that ensued in the Queen City and around the country is taking away from a very important message about George Floyd's final moments on Earth.
"We were just as offended what took place with George Floyd. We were just as angry," Giles said. "I would encourage young people and whoever is doing all this and say you're not helping the cause, you're not helping the Floyd family, you're not helping at all and I wish you would stop."
"That's the key part about this here. To march and then people just destroy our city or our neighborhoods and then go back to where they live, that can't be tolerated," said Murray Holman, with the Buffalo Peacemakers.
They say the message about George Floyd's death can't get overshadowed through all the destruction.
Instead, they want to see a conversation followed by some peaceful action.
"Don't vent. Start your own organization. The message has got to be clear that you have to have a solution and a plan and sit at the table and figure out what is going to be your future," Holman said.