The forecast called for unsettled weather conditions, but the thunder and lightning held off. Instead, a group of about 300 people, mostly young, brought down their own kind of storm on Monday afternoon as they walked the streets from Elm Park in Wellesley Hills to Town Hall. The peaceful demonstrators were led by students and alumni of Wellesley High School and gathered for what they identified as an anti-racism protest. The event was organized by recent Wellesley High School graduates Keleyia Rochelle and Melchor Becker.

The group marched up Washington St. chanting, “Black Lives Matter,” until they got to Town Hall. There, a roster of speakers demanded justice; an end to the mental and emotional strain of of fighting against a system that devalues people based on the color of their skin; and above all, and end to police violence against Black people.

Wellesley police were on hand to ensure that traffic gave protesters plenty of space as they crossed the street at several intervals on their march across town.