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MILWAUKEE, the United States, Aug. 16 (Xinhua) -- Protests continued here Monday, but in a peaceful way, after police shot and killed a local black man Saturday.
Protesters gathered at the Sherman Park neighborhood in the northern suburbs of Milwaukee in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, holding a cookout for both protesters and bystanders and accepting donations for the victim's family.
Local church groups also joined the protesters in holding a prayer for the neighborhood, where police shot and killed 23-year-old Sylville Smith, who was trying to flee from two police officers that had stopped his car.
"Hopefully they can voice their problems and their opinions to us," local chaplain Marcy Spoke told Xinhua.
"We have unrest happening in the city and we want peace. We need to unite the community and love one another," another local chaplain, Melvin Reese, said.
Levon Reid, a local teenager, said he had decided to come to the protest with his church group after hearing about the shooting.
"I think having the church groups out here is important to show they care and support and try to do things in a non-violent way, because reacting with violence doesn't solve anything," Reid told Xinhua.
A dozen protesters left the Sherman Park neighborhood by car for a shopping center parking lot later Monday night, but were dispersed by police.
Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett imposed a one-week curfew in the city starting on Monday after two nights of violence between protesters and police over the fatal police shooting.
A confrontation between police and protesters turned violent Saturday night in Milwaukee, with gunshots heard, businesses set ablaze and police vehicles damaged.
