Chicago was one of more than 10 cities across the country holding vigils Thursday to remember Michael Brown, the unarmed black teenager who was shot by police last weekend in Ferguson, Missouri.
Hundreds of people gathered at Daley Plaza to observe a moment of silence at 6:20 p.m., many of whom were disturbed by the images being transmitted back from the St. Louis suburb.
"It was heartbreaking. They were shooting them with rubber bullets, they were tear gassing them, and it almost looked as if we were watching pictures from Iraq," Novena Gray said.
At dusk, protestors hit the streets marching and chanting.
Chicago police officer ramped up patrols, but the protest was peaceful, a stark contrast to the conditions just a few states away.
"A young, innocent person being shot on the street, unarmed, hand up -- it's just outrageous," protestor Kim Frederick said.
Organizers used the hashtag #NMOS14 to organize the nationwide protests.
Thousands also gathered in New York's Times Square and in Washington D.C. Eight people were arrested in Miami after entering a federal courthouse to confront a U.S. Attorney about police brutality in the city.
