The protest, which is taking place outside the City Hall at 5:30pm local time, will involve police officers from across the state.
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Worcester police were absent from a Somerville Police rally condemning a Black Lives Matter banner flying over Somerville City Hall Thursday, but they supported the rally nonetheless.
In a July 19 open letter to the mayor, McGrath said the Black Lives Matter movement has evolved from the grassroots advocacy group that emerged in 2014 following the deaths of young black men like 18-year-old Michael Brown of Ferguson, Missouri.
Nevertheless, a statewide organization of local police unions planned to join the Somerville Police union at a rally last night at City Hall to protest the Black Lives Matter banner.
“While we support the core goal of the BLM movement-equal treatment under the law-we find the banner’s message disrespectful of police officers and potentially encouraging to individuals who pervert that message through the indiscriminate murder of our counterparts from around the country”, McGrath said.
As the police rally was breaking up, some Black Lives Matter supporters held signs saying “All lives can’t matter until black lives matter” or thanking the mayor for his stand.
The letter was written unbeknownst to Somerville Police Chief David Fallon, who said he’d prefer to keep politics out of policing. Recently, after the killing of police officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge, an “In Honor and Remembrance” banner also was hung from the police station. “Both banners will remain hanging”.
Curtatone refused, and ordered a banner honoring slain members of law enforcement to be displayed alongside the “Black Lives Matter” sign.
There will be counter protests, as well, according to a statement from Curtatone. Standing up for our minority populations and supporting the police officers who protect and serve our communities should go hand-in-hand. “Promoting our police, and praising our police, and fighting against racism go hand in hand”, Curtatone said.
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Both of those banners are hanging for the same reason: too many people have died in a cycle of violence that needs to be stopped. He also said he’s “proud” of the response from residents, community leaders, faith-based leaders and activists, and he rejected the notion officers would face reprisals if they attended the opposition rally.
