Juneteenth, also known as Liberation Day and Emancipation Day, commemorates June 19, 1865, the day when the Union army reached Galveston, Texas, and pronounced that all enslaved peoples in the United States were finally free. This year, as George Floyd protests continue across the country, Juneteenth reached a new level of prominence in the ongoing struggle for justice and equality for African Americans.

Among the many Bay Area protests was a march from the San Francisco Embarcadero building to a rally at City Hall. After speeches and 8 minutes and 46 seconds of silence, nearly a thousand marchers proceeded down Market Street to City Hall.

In Oakland, the ILWU shut down the port along with others up and down the West Coast. Thousands marched from the port to Oakland police headquarters and then rallied in front of City Hall. Numerous other marches and rallies were held in Oakland. Santa Cruz and other Northern California cities marched in large numbers as well. In Palo Alto and Fresno, protesters painted "BLM" and "Black Lives Matter" in huge letters in the street in front of their City Halls.

San Francisco: Juneteenth March and Rally at San Francisco City Hall | Ferry Building to City Hall and Beyond: March for Freedom and Justice in San Francisco

Oakland: Time To Shut It Down! A Day Of Action & ILWU Juneteenth At Port Of Oakland |
Shut The World Down! Boots Riley At 2020 Juneteenth At Oakland Oscar Grant Plaza | Juneteenth: West Coast Port Shutdown | ILWU Shutting Down W.C. Ports On Juneteenth STOP Police Terror & Systemic Racism | Black Youth Led Oakland Juneteenth Protest

Santa Cruz: Juneteenth March Santa Cruz photos 6-19-2020 | Juneteenth in Santa Cruz | Juneteenth to Allegiance: March with us to City Hall!

Palo Alto: Two Protests Occupy Streets on Juneteenth in Palo Alto | Defend Black Lives Event in Palo Alto

Fresno: Street in Front of Fresno City Hall painted with "Black Lives Matter"

See Also: NAACP Juneteenth Black Family Reuinon & Virtual Town Hall | #SixNineteen: M4BL Juneteenth Livestream to Defend Black Lives | Juneteenth Film Discussion of 'Suppressed: The Fight To Vote'

Related Features: Oakland Youths Protest to Rid Schools of Police | Uprisings Explode Across the Country After Murder of George Floyd | Juneteenth Rally For Immigrant Rights (2006)