The marches in Ferguson, Missouri, are carrying on with considerably less police resistance on Thursday than on Wednesday.

Ryan Reilly at the Huffington Post noted the stark differences:

Others noticed the low numbers of police out on Thursday:

Only police in sight right now at #ferguson pic.twitter.com/9ixx9VTUbK — Conetta (@BmoreConetta) August 14, 2014

Missouri Highway Patrol Captain Ron Johnson, who's been placed in charge of security at Ferguson, even hugged and walked alongside protesters:

Capt. Ron Johnson of the Missouri Highway Patrol walks along with the Ferguson march. Compare this to Wednesday. pic.twitter.com/Vtezu4MuHk — Jamil Smith (@JamilSmith) August 14, 2014

One protester took a selfie with St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson:

St. Louis Police Chief Sam Dotson taking a selfie with a protestor. This is a CHANGED atmosphere. #Ferguson pic.twitter.com/Jm51iZXdvz — Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) August 15, 2014

Protesters and reporters on the ground are praising the clear change in tone, brought on just a few hours after Missouri Governor Jay Nixon announced the Missouri Highway Patrol would be taking over security in Ferguson.

The better atmosphere doesn't fix the militarization of police or racial disparities in Ferguson and across the country, but, for protesters, being able to march in peace is being taken as a very good start.

To learn more about the protests in Ferguson, read Vox's full explainer, Vox's timeline, and watch the two-minute video below: