West Islip Black Lives Matter Protesters Want 'Voice Heard'

WEST ISLIP, NY — Hundreds of people gathered to attend the Black Lives Matter protest in West Islip on Monday night to protest the death of George Floyd, who was killed in police custody in Minneapolis. The event took place on Higbie Lane between 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. The organizers asked participants to wear masks and bring non-perishable or dry food items and living essentials to donate to Helping Hands of West Islip.

The protest was peaceful. At one point, a man drove through the crowd, according to a video shared on social media by someone who asked to remain anonymous. It was not clear if anyone was injured. Suffolk police said no arrests were made.

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Among the protesters was Islip resident Jolene Gambino-Olds, who attended with her daughter, 12-year-old Joette Olds. The two decided to show their support after Olds begged her mother to go and "have her voice heard."

"She has been really bothered since the news broke out about George Floyd. She sat with me and explained that what happened isn’t right," Gambino-Olds told Patch. "She heard about Ahmaud Arbery and then shortly after George Floyd, and said why are black lives being taken like we don’t matter? I expressed to her sadly their are people who will not like solely based on your skin color and it’s up to you and your generation to change the way people look at you because your life matters just as equally as a young white girl life.

"She then said she was ready to join the protest because she needed to be heard. While it’s hard for her to explain the pain and hurt that is a turmoil in her she knows she wants to stand up and have her voice heard. She said if she even changes one persons outlook that’s one less person that she has to worry about treating black people unfairly."

One of the event organizers, Bridget Squitire, said they received a large amount of donations for Helping Hands of West Islip. The donations filled the bed of her father's truck and mother's minivan.

Video courtesy of Jolene Gambino-Olds