In Durham, there was two protests today with hundreds, if not over 1000 people, this afternoon and a later one tonight downtown. The protests were entirely peaceful, and the organizers emphasized that they weren't going to damage their own city. The primary involvement of the police and sheriff's office was to block traffic and give the protesters space to move and be heard. The organizers, protesters, and police all did an admirable job in managing the events.
It won't get the attention of cities where more damage and violence have occurred, but it's how both police and protesters should operate. Cops don't need to instigate confrontations with protesters who are peacefully marching or demonstrating just to assert control. Or driving huge armored vehicles around just as a show of force.