LYNN — Several black boys and hispanic boys, some not even 13 years old, stood in front of the gazebo at Lynn Common, holding signs decrying injustice. Calls echoed out from the crowd: “You are our future.”
A large rally took place on Lynn Common Friday evening, with crowds of people of all races standing and chanting in protest of racial violence and police brutality.
“It’s not a black movement, it’s not a white movement, it’s an us movement,” said Raven Coleman, of Lynn. “We’re in this together.”
Protests against police brutality and racism have been widespread across the U.S. in the last week, following the killing of George Floyd, an unarmed black man who was killed after a police officer in Minneapolis knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes on May 25.
But there have been other instances of racial police brutality recently — including Breonna Taylor, who was shot
and killed after police entered her apartment in the middle of the night in Kentucky in March — and those people of color who attended the demonstration on Friday sent a clear message that they experience discrimination from police officers regularly.
Anthony Coleman, Raven’s father, was another Lynn resident who spoke out at the demonstration.
“I’m 55 years old and I’ve been dealing with this crap all my life, in Lynn, in Swampscott, in Salem — the police, the good old boys, you know who you are,” he said.
Coleman said he wants to see further demonstrations, every day, even if “there are only five people out here.” He also said people need to register to vote, and continually “bug” their elected officials to fight for racial justice and hold up their promises — if they don’t pick up the phone, Coleman said people need to start going to congressional and local government offices in person.
“How many times on the news have you heard of a black cop shooting a white boy? When?” he said. “I’m not disrespecting anybody.”
Ebony White, of Lynn, said spoke of the injustice that black children must be taught how not to act “like a threat when the blue lights are flashing.” She said not enough has changed for people of color in the U.S. regarding equality.
“I guess we’re back to where we never left,” White said.
Several businesses in Lynn, including Walmart, Walgreens, Century Bank, and D’Imagen Beauty Salon, had boarded up their windows by Friday. Lynn Police said Friday afternoon they had received no reports of threats against local businesses or that demonstrations may turn riotous, but that it was the business’ individual decisions and rights to board up.
Another demonstration scheduled for Saturday outside Lynn Police headquarters was canceled, with organizers combining their demonstration with protesters on Friday.
Police chiefs in several local communities, including in Lynn and Swampscott, have come out denouncing racism and police brutality, and supporting people’s right to protest. On Friday, Saugus Interim Police Chief Ronald Giorgetti circulated a letter online and within the community, reading, “The horrific, tragic deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and many others before them has spurred a conversation nationwide which should have happened a long, long time ago.”
“Racism, in all its forms, is unacceptable, and there is no place for it here or anywhere,” Giorgetti said, adding that the tactics used in recently police brutality deaths “are not acceptable and are never used by our police department.”
