With Johannes Mehserle scheduled to be sentenced in a Los Angeles court Friday morning at 8:30, downtown Oakland is preparing for the possibility of protests.

After the former BART cop was convicted of involuntary manslaughter for the shooting death of Oscar Grant, more than 1,000 people protested in Oakland. While most were peaceful, there was some looting, vandalism and 78 arrests.

Oakland police do not anticipate a large-scale protest following the sentencing on Friday. However, there is an event planned dubbed “A Day to Honor Oscar Grant,” which will take place at Oakland City Hall in the afternoon and will include performances and speeches.

“Given the likely scenario that Mehserle will receive a light sentence, people are going to need a place to come together and be supported in their process,” Rachel Jackson, an organizer with the New Year’s Movement wrote in Oakland Local.

On Thursday, many downtown merchants were boarding up their windows, while others had decorated their shops with photos of Oscar Grant, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Some offices will close for some – or all – of Friday, while a number of retailers said that they plan to close up shop for the day, including a Foot Locker, which was looted during the July protests.