Photos: Powerful Messages of Peace and Unity at Protests in Southern California

Peaceful protesters with powerful messages took to the streets of Los Angeles, Long Beach, Santa Monica, Pasadena and other communities, demanding to have their voices heard in a display of unity that could still be seen through a haze of violence.

Several large gatherings across the region served as protests and marches over the death of George Floyd, a handcuffed black man who died after he was pinned to the ground under the knee of a white Minneapolis police officer. Below are some of the photos that offer a glimpse of the peace and unity that can sometimes be missed in the surrounding chaos.