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Monday's protests across North Texas see both touching, tense moments with police

In Fort Worth, protesters and police prayed together and hugged each other.

As a curfew began on Monday night in Fort Worth, protesters continued to demonstrate over the death of George Floyd, racial injustice and police brutality. Police told them to leave multiple times, protesters told them to take a knee with them. 

So one officer did. 

He walked up to the middle of the crowd and knelt down. Other officers followed. The crowd of protesters gathered around them, with many hugging the officers.

Right afterward, though, someone launched a firework, people began to run and police armed with riot gear swarmed in shouting, “Go home." 

A short standoff ensued between protesters and police before Chief Ed Kraus showed up, took a knee and prayed with protesters. The crowd dispersed peacefully shortly thereafter. 

Kraus later said they sent tactical teams in too soon, and Mayor Betsy Price praised him for his actions during an interview on WFAA.  

"[Chief Kraus] is probably the most compassionate man I know, and he really wanted to do this right," she said. "He got down on his knees and prayed with them. And they said if SWAT would withdraw, they would leave. And he asked SWAT to withdraw and sure enough they left. Chief Kraus and all our officers were remarkable last night and I think it shows with the crowd."

It was a different story in Arlington, though, where police say a peaceful protest turned violent when a group of protesters came to the police department and burnt Memorial Day flags, damaged flag poles and spray-painted a police cruiser before standing off with police at a Walmart near AT&T Stadium.

In Dallas, about 300 peaceful protesters were blocked in by police and detained after blocking traffic on the Margaret Hunt Hill Bridge. Dallas County Judge Clay Jenkins later said that most of them would be released.

Those protesters joined thousands across the Dallas-Fort Worth area in peacefully demonstrating on what was the fourth consecutive day of protests. 

Monday's demonstrations were largely in contrast to civil unrest in Dallas on Friday and Saturday that turned violent and destructive or a clash on Sunday between a crowd in Fort Worth and police on the West 7th Street Bridge

Those tense moments led to curfews being implemented across Dallas, Fort Worth, Irving, University Park, Highland Park and Denton.

Gov. Greg Abbott will visit Dallas on Tuesday to address the protests and violence that have occurred in recent days and meet with a number of state and local leaders to discuss the state's response.

Abbott will join Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson, Fort Worth Mayor Betsy Price, their police chiefs, the Texas DPS Director and Adjutant General of the Texas National Guard at Dallas City Hall at 1 p.m. 

But before that begins, Dallas Chief of Police Renee Hall will hold a news conference at 11 a.m. at police headquarters to address the protests.

More protests are planned across North Texas for Tuesday, 

Those protests have been an encouraging sight to see for George Floyd's family, co-counsel Lee Merritt said during an interview with WFAA. Merritt, a lawyer from Dallas, is part of the team of civil rights lawyers representing the family. 

"The images coming out of Dallas of protesters peacefully marching, standing up and demanding equality not only for the Floyd family, but in the ample cases of police injustice in North Texas, the family is encouraged by that sight and we ask you all to continue," he said. "We are also asking law enforcement to avoid violence and any escalating, agitating protesters and righteous people who are standing up for their community."

Merritt also said that demonstrators should center their energy "on actions that actually impact the outcomes we're looking for" by placing pressure on the powers that be. 

RELATED: In Fort Worth, George Floyd protests also carry a long history of racial tension within city

In Fort Worth, Price said she's looking to engage in more dialogue with protesters and to hear what changes they want to see to move forward.

"We've done a lot of hard work in the past couple years on race relations in Fort Worth," she said. "We're just at the tip of the iceberg and it's beginning to pay off for us."  

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