George Floyd Protest Set For Hoboken; Jersey City's Is Peaceful

HOBOKEN, NJ — Protests are planned in Hoboken and several other cities in New Jersey this week after the death of George Floyd on Memorial Day at the hands of a Minneapolis police officer. The officer, whose actions were captured on video, has since been charged with murder.

[UPDATE: See the latest information on the Hoboken protest, including new locations, here.]

Several people on Twitter said there will be a protest in Hoboken on June 5 at 1 p.m. A prayer vigil has been planned for the evening before, at 5 p.m.

Nearby, a Jersey City protest on Monday was peaceful.

Other protests are planned throughout New Jersey this week.

On Saturday, Hoboken Mayor Ravi Bhalla wrote, "I join the rest of the national in mourning the tragic and brutal murder of George Floyd at the hands of four police officers in the Minneapolis Police Department. George's murder, along with Ahmaud Arbery and Breonna Taylor are just the latest examples of the lethal brutality against African-Americans."

He added, "Racism and racial bias are both conscious and unconscious. Many Americans across the country are protesting for good reason ... Peaceful protestors should be listened to, heard, and respected, and should not be dismissed because of the hostile actions of those who have misused protests to incite violence ... Unless we have honest conversations which translate into concrete action, racial disparities afflicting African-Americans will continue to persist."

He also commended the Hoboken Police Department, saying that Chief Kenneth Ferrante and other officers have done a good job of community policing and standing against racism.

More of his message can be found here.

The announcements of protests in Hoboken appeared in Tweets such as this one, which was retweeted 2,100 times over the weekend:

NEW JERSEY PROTESTS:

TODAY —- NEWARK, NJ
JUNE1 —- POINT PLEASANT, NJ
JUNE1 —- ASBURY PARK, NJ
JUNE5 —- HOBOKEN, NJ #BlackLivesMatter #protests
— J

Other Twitter users provided a flyer and gave additional details:

June 5, 2020 at Maxwell Park Place in Hoboken starting at 1 pm there will be a protest, I expect those who can attend to be there. #JusticeForGeorgeFloyd #BlackLivesMater
— Anaiise

That poster subsequently encouraged participants to wear masks, "maintain social distancing protocol," and bring first aid.

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