Passaic County Black Lives Matter Vigil Planned For Wednesday

WOODLAND PARK, NJ — Garrett Mountain Reservation's Great Meadow will host a Black Lives Matter candlelight vigil on Wednesday.

According to an event flyer, posted by the Twitter account Clifton Waves, the vigil is open to all Passaic County residents.

"In remembrance of those lost to racism and violence, we invite you to a county-wide community healing event," it read.

The vigil is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

According to the flyer, social distancing measures will be enforced, and the organizers are asking that masks be worn.

Passaic County has been home to protests since the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, including in Paterson and Wayne Township.

In Paterson, the life and death of Jameek Lowery has localized the efforts to combat police violence, and fight for systemic changes in policing. Lowery, a Paterson man, died in 2019 after he livestreamed an encounter with police in which he asked for water, and for officers not to shoot him. He died at St. Joeseph's Regional Medical Center two days later.

Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh announced on June 16 that the city would be the first in the state to commit to the release of 20 years of police misconduct information. Names of current or former officers who in the past twenty years have been fired, demoted, or suspended for more than five days due to a disciplinary violation will be published, as will a summary of the violations, according to a release from the Mayor's Office.

The list will be released no later than July 15, similar to the commitment put forth by Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal and New Jersey State Police Superintendent Patrick Callahan, who announced a list would be published for all state troopers.

Wayne has hosted protests, but has also seen young people fight for change within their school system, seeking both a more diverse curriculum and a change to the Wayne Valley High School Indians mascot.