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200 gather for Juneteenth observance in Naperville

Roughly 200 people marched peacefully through downtown Naperville Friday to raise awareness about police brutality, mass incarceration and the importance of Juneteenth.

The diverse crowd started gathering around 3 p.m. near the Millennium Carillon for the "Naperville Defend Black Lives" event, which was organized by a group of young people.

Zoe Day said she and other organizers wanted to have the protest on Friday, in part, so people who are unaware of Juneteenth could learn about the holiday, which marks the anniversary of the day when the last slaves learned of their emancipation - June 19, 1865.

And while Juneteenth was a significant step forward, the 17-year-old Naperville resident said: "We still want to show that justice has not been achieved. We want to continue to fight for justice."

Most of the attendees sat in a field to hear Day and others talk before the march. During the march, they carried homemade signs and chanted slogans.

Indya Smith-Johnson said she believes the protests will continue until progress is made. The 18-year-old Naperville resident said she wants to see police reform and community and cultural change.

"I want to see more voting happen in municipalities," Smith-Johnson said. "If we actually voted and got out to those elections, we would actually make genuine change."

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