CHICAGO — Despite the city bracing for potential civil unrest ahead of the Adam Toledo video release, smaller protests were held Thursday night around Chicago.

For days, Chicago police and city aldermen have planned for the possible unrest in the hopes of avoiding a repeat of last summer’s riots. 

Downtown, a small crowd held a press conference at Millennium Park before marching on Michigan Avenue. Further down on Michigan Avenue at Chicago Police Headquarters, activist Ja’Mal Green led a rally of around 30 people.

“Today, we stand in solidarity to say we have to protect our children all over this city, ” Green said. “They want to talk about all of these circumstances but the actually circumstance we need to talk about — this was a victim of police brutality.”

Some employees in the Central Business District said they were sent home earlier due to possible unrest.

In an afternoon press conference Lightfoot, who at times became emotional, said that everyone who views the video needs to proceed with peace, empathy and calmness.

“As more people see this footage, I want to ask that everyone tuning in right now to think first and foremost of Adam Toledo and what his family is enduring every single day since they’ve learned of his passing,” the mayor said.

Adam was shot and killed by a Chicago police officer in the early hours of March 29 in the Little Village neighborhood on the Southwest Side. Officers were called to the area after a ShotSpotter detected gunfire nearby.

In the bodycam footage, it appears Adam was holding a gun and dropped it behind a fence before slightly turning towards the officer with his hands raised. The officer, later identified as Eric Stillman, then discharges his firearm, striking Adam once in the chest. The boy was pronounced dead at the scene.