Protesters Demanding Cemetery Site Protection Arrested

KENSINGTON, MD — Four members and supporters of the Macedonia Baptist Church were arrested at a public forum in Kensington on Wednesday after they refused to stop protesting future development at a historically black cemetery.

Dozens of residents gathered at 4 p.m. for the Montgomery County Housing Opportunities Commission's monthly meeting. The protesters were part of a group of about 30 people who came to urge the seven-member board to memorialize River Road Moses Cemetery in Bethesda's Westbard neighborhood, Montgomery Community Media reported.

"During the community forum, 12 individuals spoke in support of the Macedonia Baptist Church extending the community forum to more than one hour of the two hours allotted for the Commission's full agenda," the HOC said in a statement. "Chair (Jackie) Simon read a statement requesting community members respect the need to conduct the business of the Commission during the meeting and the parameters of the community forum segment."

During the meeting, protesters chanted and sang songs such as "We Shall Overcome." A Montgomery County Police officer monitoring the meeting told the crowd they'd be arrested if didn't stop. When protestors didn't comply, police removed them from the meeting, multiple outlets reported.

Montgomery Community Media published a video — embedded at the bottom of this post — that shows the officer warning and then escorting the singing protestors out of the room.

They were issued citations for disorderly conduct and trespassing, Bethesda Beat reported.

"What happened here today was really important," Marsha Coleman-Adebayo, one of the protestors, told the outlet. "This was an act of conscience. We can no longer come to HOC month after month and be ignored. This was our opportunity to really convey the fact that we are not going to allow business to continue as usual."

Since 2017, Macedonia Baptist Church members and activists have testified at HOC meetings, urging officials to make the burial ground a historical site. Making River Road Moses Cemetery a historical site would mean Montgomery County couldn't legally plan for more development there, according to Bethesda Beat.

In the late 19th century, Bethesda's Westbard neighborhood was home to African Americans who had worked on farms and plantations since before the Civil War, The Washington Post reported. The burial ground protestors are trying to protect was originally bought in 1911 by a black fraternal society called the Ancient Order of the Sons and Daughters, Brothers and Sisters of Moses, the outlet said. The site reportedly served as a graveyard.

According to The Post, the land was sold again in 1959. Much of the site was turned into a parking lot for the Westbard Tower apartments. In 2017, the HOC purchased the property for $20 million, Bethesda Beat reported.

In January, the HOC issued a report on its support for the site, saying it's "committed to making responsible decisions" to best serve residents and honor the history of the Westbard neighborhood.

"As the owners of the Westwood Tower property and as a member of the Westbard community,
HOC is committed to making responsible decisions about how to serve the people of
Montgomery County as well as honoring the history of the neighborhood. The Commission
understands the sensitivity surrounding the history of this area and has studied David
Rotenstein's 'The River Road Moses Cemetery: A Historic Preservation Evaluation,' who shared
highlights of his research at HOC’s October, 2018 public meeting. Moving forward, HOC will
continue to listen to the concerns of the Westbard community and work with all stakeholders to
reach resolution for memorialization," the report read.

IMAGE: Screen grab from Montgomery Community Media's YouTube video

VIDEO: Montgomery Community Media