Rallies Planned For Nutley, Belleville: George Floyd Protests

BELLEVILLE, NJ — Black Lives Matter rallies are reportedly being planned for Belleville and Nutley this weekend as people across the state – and nation – continue to express their outrage over the death of George Floyd.

Multiple social media sources have been reporting that peaceful protests are planned for the following dates (Patch wasn't immediately able to confirm the accuracy of these events):

• Belleville – Saturday, June 6 at Belleville Town Hall, 1 p.m.
• Nutley – Sunday, June 7 at Yanticaw Park near the Frank Cocchiola playground, 11:30 a.m. (with social distancing and masks)

Other actions to honor Floyd and denounce police brutality are reportedly slated to continue this week throughout the state.

Almost all of the protests in New Jersey so far have been overwhelmingly violence-free.

• See related article: George Floyd Protests In NJ Continue: 'Police Brutality Ends Now'

Ted Glick, an environmental activist with the Roseland Against the Compressor Station Coalition, recently recounted an inspiring experience he had while riding his bike in Nutley.

"I was feeling pretty good, still high after my participation in yesterday’s historic demonstration of many thousands in Newark against racist police violence and white supremacy," Glick wrote. "All of a sudden I started seeing Black Lives Matter messages on the pavement within a Nutley park that I was riding through. Then I started seeing young people, teenagers, mainly women and mainly white, stretching out for what became a quarter of a mile, chalking literally dozens of messages."

Glick continued:

"As I rode my bike by these wonderful, inspiring young people, I gave every one of them a thumbs up or said, 'good job,' or 'great work.' It was like a gift from God. As I continued my ride, I began thinking that I should go back and take some pictures, so after I got home, I got in our car and did just that. The young people were still there when I arrived, and after I took a number of pictures I spoke with one of them, an Asian American woman. I told her who I was, that I have been working on racial justice issues in NJ for 20 years, and that I was at the big demonstration yesterday in Newark. I asked her if their group was an organized thing, and she said no, that what had happened was that one of them who had gone to the Newark demonstration yesterday had texted to the others with this chalking idea. They were all Nutley residents. And like young people often do, they didn’t waste any time putting the idea into effect. These are the kinds of things that happen when a mass movement is alive and well, inspiring and moving new people to action."

‘OUR DEEPEST CONDOLENCES’

The Nutley Township Board of Commissioners released the following joint statement about Floyd’s death and the ongoing protests across the U.S. on Tuesday:

“On behalf of the Nutley Board of Commissioners and the Nutley Police Chief, we extend our deepest condolences to the family, loved ones and friends of George Floyd and to people everywhere who are aggrieved by his death. We, like so many others, have watched the disturbing video of George Floyd’s arrest in Minneapolis, which led to his untimely death. The entire Nutley community is greatly saddened by this event, as well as the tragic events currently striking our nation.”

The statement continued:

“The Nutley Board of Commissioners condemn, denounce, and reject the actions of the individuals responsible and join in the collective sense of national sorrow that the death of George Floyd has brought on our society as a whole. Police officers, like all public servants, are held to a high standard that has at it’s foundation empathy and the mutuality of respect. They have chosen a profession like no other and have sworn to uphold the law and protect and serve everyone – regardless of who they are, what they look like, or what they believe – at great personal risk for their own lives. The residents of Nutley should rest assured that we will never tolerate the behavior that resulted in Mr. Floyd’s death.”

The statement continued:

“The video is upsetting, disappointing, and infuriating. It does not show the policing standards we know and expect in this community. Policing is an honorable profession filled with honorable public servants who treat all citizens with fairness and equality. However, it is clear we can and will grow as a community and not be afraid to call out injustice. Our police department is committed to protecting life and serving the community, even at the cost of their own life. We reaffirm our commitment to all Nutley residents that we will continue to be a safe and welcoming township for all people regardless of their race, national origin, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation or religion.”

The commissioners concluded:

“Over the past several days, some peaceful demonstrations in cities across the country have turned violent. We respect everyone’s First Amendment rights, however, we are asking our citizens to do their part in helping us protect our communities by refraining from violence. Our community stands united to condemn the shameful acts exhibited on the video and to urge people to remain engaged in healthy, safe, and non-violent dialog and discourse. Racism and discrimination have no place in our society. We will continue to work to ensure a civil community where everyone is treated equal, the rule of law prevails, and fair and equal justice serves as a guiding principle. People across the country are rightfully demanding justice and accountability and we believe as American’s that injustice is unacceptable and that justice will be served. Finally, in the words of Martin Luther King Jr., ‘Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.’”

EDITOR'S NOTE: An earlier version of this article mistakenly stated the time for the Nutley rally was at 11:30 p.m. The correct time is 11:30 a.m., we apologize for any confusion.

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