Downtown Elmhurst quiet after peaceful demonstration

Downtown Elmhurst appeared quiet Tuesday night after roughly 100 demonstrators gathered in the city that afternoon and early evening.

The bulk of the crowd began dispersing around 7:40 p.m. after eight minutes of silence in memory of George Floyd, the man who died at the hands of police in Minneapolis. And by 9 p.m., only a few people were out for walks or bike rides.

The demonstrators spent most of their time on each of the four corners at York Street and North Avenue chanting slogans as passing cars honked their horns. The protesters largely stayed in one spot and made no attempts to move or block traffic.

There was a heavy police presence and the city closed York Street from Church Street to North Avenue. All parking spaces in that area also were closed.

Businesses in the city's downtown area were asked to close Tuesday evening as a precautionary measure and many already had boarded up their windows.

Police said they had received numerous calls reporting suspicious activity and worked with surrounding communities and the DuPage County sheriff's office.

DuPage law enforcement officials say they have seen a rise in crime after dark this week and advised residents to stay home.