Forty-seven people faced arraignment this morning on charges that include disorderly conduct and disturbing the peace stemming from Tuesday night’s protests against the Ferguson grand jury outcome. While the protests were raging across from the Boston police station in Dudley Square, an ecumenical service was taking place three blocks away at the 12th Street Baptist Church in Roxbury attended by Boston Police Commissioner William Evans.
At a press conference Wednesday, Evans pointed to the church service and general relationships with communities of color to underscore the difference between the Boston and Ferguson, Missouri, police. He also outlined the steps his department took in advance of the grand jury decision hundreds of miles away.
“We worked all in the last couple of weeks with our clergy and community members. We met with the youth of the community, and we constantly had a dialog.
At the 12th Street Baptist Church, the Reverend Jeffrey Brown called for reconciliation and acknowledgement of growing anger over police killings of black and brown men and the impunity—many believe –that is provided for police:Dozens of political, religious and community leaders—including Mayor Marty Walsh and Governor-elect Baker-- signed a statement calling for unity and peaceful protests.
Mayor Walsh was summoned to the podium and gave several brief remarks.
During his turn at the pulpit, Charlie Baker spoke about the police killing of “DJ” Henry, the son of a friend, Dan Henry Sr. As he was leaving the church, I asked the Govenor-elect if he planned to intercede with the Justice Department, which has promised a full review of the DJ Henry case, but has been silent. Baker said he would, but only after consulting with the Henry family.
And while leaders of old guard civil rights groups –the Urban League and the NAACP—joined the Governor-Elect, the Commissioner and Boston political leaders at the 12th street church rally, members of a group of millennials called Black Lives Matter--rallied in front of the Area-B police station.
The forty seven protestors arrested Tuesday night were among as many as 1500 who temporarily took over Boston streets to condemn the Ferguson decision. The words of shooting victim, Michael Brown, allegedly uttered before he died, “Don’t Shoot”, echoed throughout the crowd Tuesday night.
Black Lives Matter activists said they have been training in peaceful civil disobedience for weeks, and they tested what they learned by marching to the Southbay Jail chanting “let them out”. The inmates cheered back.
Marchers then headed to the Massachusetts Avenue Connecter and the Southeast Expressway ramp where they tried to block traffic. But it was Boston Police who blocked them as some protestors tried to make their way onto the highway.
The demonstrators were ethnically and racially diverse. They were straight and LGBT, students and non-students, blue collar and professional. And they were angry.
Organizers said they may now call for demonstrations over the holiday season in Boston’s retail districts –Newbury Street, Boylston and Downtown Crossing— drive home their principal point: black lives matter.
Commissioner Evans says his department is ready if new protests erupt.
