In front of Norfolk City Hall, hundreds of white Christians kneeled to ask for forgiveness.

Jim Wood of First Presbyterian in Norfolk asked whites in the crowd to repent on behalf of white Christian churches. The pastor, who is white, said white Christian churches have a history of racism and upholding racist systems, such as slavery, segregation and discrimination.

They obliged, and many in the crowd still standing were moved to tears.

“A lot of people felt healing to see that repenting in action,” said Cathy Martinez of Norfolk, who wiped tears as she saw people near her drop to their knees. “Honestly, I’ll still be processing that when I get home. We’re hurting, and we need healing.”

The prayer march was one of two demonstrations on Sunday afternoon, with protests for Black Lives Matter in Hampton Roads showing no signs of slowing after a week and a half. Hundreds of people marched through downtown Norfolk and the city’s Colonial Place neighborhood, the latest local protests sparked by the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis. Floyd, a black man, pleaded for help as an officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.

The prayer march, organized by the Hampton Roads City Collective of local churches, promoted faith and unity and decried racism and policies that harm communities of color — at different points, the crowd chanted, “Jesus. Justice.” The event drew a massive crowd that filled the area in front of City Hall and later Waterside Drive and a segment of Town Point Park.

Shana Smith-Coleman of Virginia Beach said it was overwhelming to see such a diverse crowd come together for justice. She was glad to see that in such a difficult time, Christians of various backgrounds were having real discussions about racism and justice.

“As Christians, we are connected through Jesus, and we should all be unified to seek justice, to stand up for justice and to stand up for what’s right,” Martinez said.

The crowd proceeded with a police escort to Town Point Park and gathered for an event akin to a church service, with many prayers and preachers.

Norfolk Police Chief Larry Boone spoke at the event and received a warmer reception than he has at some other demonstrations in the city.

He spoke of attempts by police to reform and prevent deaths like Floyd’s, but police forces have come up short. He pledged the department would search for solutions and engage with the community. He encouraged residents to bring specific reform ideas to the department.

Bishop Courtney McBath of Calvary Revival Church urged whites in the crowd to be empathetic to struggles in black communities, recounting the difficulties of the coronavirus pandemic in recent months and the 400 years of injustices that contribute to the inequities African Americans still suffer today.

He asked the crowd to seek out perspectives from people of different backgrounds and said that exposure could help people realize that they and the church have to reckon with an ugly history.

“Sometimes, complicit is a compliment because many times the church in America has not been the officers standing around while George Floyd was murdered in the street,” McBath said. “They’ve been the knee in the neck of George Floyd as they took him down and took down people of color.”

In Norfolk’s Colonial Place, a march for children began at 2 p.m. near the Greenspace circle at the intersection of Colonial Avenue and Delaware Avenue. The demonstration drew large numbers of first-time protesters, many who are parents wary of bringing their children to other marches that drew bigger crowds.

The chants were largely the same as at other protests, though some were toned down to a PG-version for the young audience.

“Let’s raise some heck for social justice,” said Jen Detlefsen, who helped organize the event.

At the Sunday march, protesters sold baked goods for $2 and $4 a pop, planning to donate the proceeds to the Equal Justice Initiative. Under some shade in a park, children drew at a sign-decorating station.

“Black Lives Matter.”

“No Justice, No Peace.”

Organizers required people to wear masks and encouraged them to practice social distancing, which the crowd generally tried to do.

Adrian Green, 37, attended the march with his wife and 7-year-old son, the family’s first protest since the demonstrations started nearly two weeks ago.

Green’s message: Keep it peaceful. Elon, his son, said he wants people to know that “everyone is equal and no one should be treated differently because of their appearance.”

“When he looks back, he can say he was a part of history,” Green said of his son.

As the crowd walked to Lafayette Park in Norfolk, where the march ended, police blocked several intersections for the protest and many people stuck in traffic honked in support. On an apartment balcony, three women returned the chants of “no peace” to the marchers’ “no justice” as the crowd walked by.

Some wanted to make sure their kids were ready to be an advocate on these issues when schools reopened. Others highlighted the importance of teaching children about racism at a young age, before harmful habits are ingrained. Many stressed that it is key to show up to these events, both to speak up and to see that others supported them.

“It lets them know early on that they have a voice,” said Taryn McLean, who was with his two kids and wife.