After A Tense July, Ridgewood Activists Will Rally Again

RIDGEWOOD, NJ — When video began circulating of Ridgewood Police arresting a teenaged bicyclist, calls for an explanation — and even the officer's jobs — rang out.

Now, Ridgewood for Black Liberation, a local activist group, has organized a march which will see demonstrators take to the streets "in response to police brutality in Ridgewood."

Scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday at Van Neste Square, the demonstration will also include a teach-in, in which organizers will discuss what it would mean to defund the police both nationally, and in Ridgewood.

Calls for expanded transparency and accountability into the department began on July 4, when Ridgewood for Black Liberation co-founder Thria Barnabe was arrested while protesting.

A video of the arrest was circulated widely on social media, and a petition to have her charges dropped has been signed by over 5,000 people.

Then, during a July 18 protest, the American Civil Liberties Union of New Jersey said Ridgewood Police "cherry-picked" pieces of the organization's statements as rationalization for their protest conduct.

"Don’t try to use us to criminalize your community." the organization said.

So when another arrest video from Ridgewood began on the track to virality, the chorus of voices reached a fever pitch.

"We keep saying: 'not in our town...' 'not our police...' but living while black or brown is dangerous everywhere in America," said Glen Rock council member Arati Kreibich, in a tweet.

The department said the arrest came after police responded to a large group of bicyclists "obstructing traffic and causing safety hazards to passing motorists and to themselves."

"Patrol units stopped the group to speak with the group about bicycle safety and about the groups conduct. One bicyclist disregarded the safety of others and began to pass the Officer as the Officer was speaking with the group," read a news release.

According to the department, at this time the bicyclist was informed he would be issued a summons, and "began to pull his bicycle away from the Officer" in an attempt to flee, and resist arrest.

Police Chief Jacqueline Luthcke said both officers seen on video were placed on administrative duty, and the department was investigating, as it does in all instances of use-of-force arrests.

Ridgewood for Black Liberation co-founder Emily Rizzo said the group is seeking more than desk duty, and told Patch in July that the group wants to see the officers fired.