Protesters who started their day with a rally in Washington Square Park have made their way back there to end their day with a celebration.

They made their way up Fifth Avenue and stopped for a rally outside Trump Tower, former official home of the Trump family before they moved their residency to Florida. They walked as far north as Gracie Mansion, then headed south again.

For some, the protests are more than a means to an end. They are an emotional experience.

"Fifty years ago, white people weren’t here with us. Now they are," said one protester. "It’s clear white people see what we’re talking about, and they see our pain and see what we’re trying to protest."

One protester, holding a sign that read, "Support, Promote, Vote Black Women," told NY1’s Shannan Ferry why this march is so important to her.

"Black women are the strongest in the world," the protester said. "They survive everything, and they’re still dancing and singing. But it’s not good when you have a health care system that doesn’t help, an education system that doesn’t help and a housing system that doesn’t help. So we have to support them, vote for them and promote them.

It shows how much the marches, which started to protest the death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police, have broadened in scope.

Another protester said the marches are far from over.

"This has been remarkable and nerve wracking," he said. "I’m glad to be part of the change, but we have a long way to go and many rights to get."

Some said though the fight is not new, they feel hopeful that this time, it will be different.

"A lot more people are paying attention," one protester said. "A lot of corporations are making announcements. The crowds at the protests are more diverse. I feel like this time, we have more momentum, and I wanted to take part in it and I wanted my kids to be part of it."

"We are here to demand that we are heard, that we are seen," said another protester. "We have all these allies here. We want the world to know that we matter."

Marchers in Brooklyn started at Barclays Center, went to Saratoga Park for a rally, then marched across the neighborhood to Herbert von King park, where they listened to speeches, watched performances and talked about black culture.

One protester there said while she is happy the demonstrations are so diverse, she hopes her white counterparts take something away from this.

“A lot of them are saying they’re protecting their streets,” she said, “but these are actually my streets. I grew up here. So, if they’re taking it in and learning something, this will be good.”

There were more marches earlier Friday. A group of LGBT protestors rallied outside the iconic Stonewall Inn, considered the historic home of the LGBT rights movement, in solidarity with all the city’s other protests. Another march took place in Harlem. 

It is the third week New Yorkers are taking to the streets, marching to remember those who lost their lives to police violence, and to fight for reform.

Some of the demands of protesters have been enacted into law at warp-speed for Albany, with Gov. Andrew Cuomo signing into law several reforms Friday:

  • The repeal of law 50-A, which shields police disciplinary records from public view
  • A statewide ban on chokeholds
  • The automatic appointment of a special prosecutor
  • Making false race-based 911 calls a crime

Further police reforms, which have languished in the New York state legislature for years, are being considered, including:

Other protests are planned for later Friday throughout the city.