March Planned In Newark On Anniversary Of MLK Assassination

NEWARK, NJ — Activists are planning to hold a “March Against Injustice, Racism and Dictatorship” in Newark to commemorate the 57th anniversary of Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination.

According to the People’s Organization For Progress, the march will take place at 4:30 p.m. on Friday, April 4 at the Lincoln Statue, 12 Springfield Avenue in Newark (the statue is located near the intersection of Springfield Avenue and West Market Street).

For more information contact the People’s Organization For Progress (POP) at 973 801-0001.

The Newark-based advocacy group has celebrated the iconic civil rights leader’s birthday – and marked the anniversary of his assassination – since the organization was founded in 1982.

According to the POP:

“Dr. King was assassinated on April 4, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee. He was shot after 6 p.m. while standing on the balcony outside his room at the Lorraine Motel. King was pronounced dead at 7:05 p.m. at St Joseph Hospital. He was in Memphis to lend his support to the city’s striking sanitation workers who were trying to organize a union and negotiate for higher wages and safer working conditions. At the time of his death, he was also planning a Poor People’s March that was to take place in Washington D.C.”

“We believe that King was assassinated because he was trying to build a movement to end to poverty, racial and economic inequality and the war in Vietnam,” POP chair and former U.S. Senate candidate Lawrence Hamm said.

“He was expanding the scope of his movement from civil rights to human rights – and he became increasingly critical of the capitalist economic system,” Hamm opined.

“We are having this march not only to commemorate the life of Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement, but more importantly to relate their past struggles to our current fight for justice, equality and peace,” Hamm said.

“Our march will not only focus on the ongoing struggles against racism, economic injustice and war that have been going on since King was assassinated nearly 60 years ago, but will also focus on the attacks of the Trump administration on civil rights protections, social progress and democracy,” Hamm said.

“We urge people to join us to protest against the Trump and Musk regime budget cuts, firings, unjust policies, and tax cuts for billionaires,” he added.

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