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| "tagging" = marking with the signature of a graffiti artist. |
The City of Hoboken was in the process of planning a memorial event for George Floyd, showing solidarity with our black brothers and sisters. It was likely to be virtual; Hoboken's aggressive coronavirus mitigation policies have kept our total cases and fatalities the lowest of any Hudson County municipality.
Well, unknown activists on Twitter had other plans in mind. Hoboken found out on social media we were selected to host a June 5 protest at Maxwell Place Park starting at 1 PM. This protest was not organized here in Hoboken, by Hoboken residents, nor for Hoboken residents (though some have volunteered support, and of course we can attend.) Nor were Hoboken officials consulted, nor was our City's Health and Human Services consulted for our city's COVID-19 regulations for public assembly.
So, unknown organizers on Twitter decided that a small park in densely-populated Hoboken should host thousands of protesters from everywhere and practice social-distancing. It is unclear why a larger venue was not selected- like Liberty State Park.
It is even unclear why tiny Hoboken with a small Police Department- the mayor knows each officer by name- and with excellent community relationships and no police brutality complaints was selected for a protest where, in other cities, police cars and headquarters have been targets of vandalism.
Our cops are kind to the Hoboken community- they even read stories to quarantined Hoboken kids on their "Storytime with the Hoboken Police" YouTube Channel.
It is even unclear why tiny Hoboken with a small Police Department- the mayor knows each officer by name- and with excellent community relationships and no police brutality complaints was selected for a protest where, in other cities, police cars and headquarters have been targets of vandalism.
Our cops are kind to the Hoboken community- they even read stories to quarantined Hoboken kids on their "Storytime with the Hoboken Police" YouTube Channel.
So, why Hoboken?
Who knows. We are a young, progressive, liberal city. Our hearts are broken by the horrific murder of an innocent black man, a "Gentle Giant" as his family called him. Most Hoboken residents would embrace a protest that was peaceful.
But our already-suffering business community doesn't want to roll the dice, based upon what's happened in other cities. Hoboken residents do not want our buildings "tagged" as one New York City resident promised to do on Twitter. We don't want arson, we don't want violence.
Let's be clear: the perpetrators of arson, violence and tagging are not the peaceful protesters, they are groups and/or persons with a malevolent agenda. But they have hijacked enough peaceful protests around this country that it is reasonable for Hoboken residents to prepare for the worst while hoping for the best.
Some Washington Street businesses have begun preparing for the worst. Hoboken residents, so should you.
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| Gentle Giant |
The City should proceed with its online gathering, enabling citizens to continue to socially distance themselves and remain safe, even as we express our outrage, solidarity and demands for justice and change.
ReplyDeleteThe right to demonstrate is Constitutionally protected - but not without a permit. Hoboken's police should demand that the crazy commuting cretins disband and not return unless and until they secure the proper permit.
Swarms of people with extreme, anarchistic goals is not a demonstration, it's an unruly mob, prone to riot and destruction and changes the narrative from forcing cops to stop killing minorities and using two systems of law enforcement to "look at these rioters, antifa liberal extremists, tagging buildings with BLM and looting stores."
Cue: the Insurrection Act, invoked by the guy who received five draft deferments.
The POTUS, (Giattino's and Cunningham's favorite fascist), waddled across Lafayette Park yesterday, while peaceful protesters were pepper sprayed for his insanely giddy photo-op. The shit-show was conceived, it's been said, by his side-piece, Hope Hicks. He stood on the steps of St. John's, and after appearing to have thumbed through a few pages of just another book he's never read, held it up - upside down and backwards. A sign of the anti-Christ, as if we needed another.