Impromptu Rally Brings Community, Local Figures, to Court House.
By: Siobhan Donaldson
Tags: New Jersey, George Floyd, Community News, Hunterdon County

Kneeling in the shadow of the Hunterdon County Courthouse, protesters showed their support to get justice for George Floyd — the man who died in police custody in Minnesota and sparked dozens of protests across the nation.

Starting in the park behind the courthouse, the rally was organized via text messages and other private communication not connected to any specific organization. Participants gathered from across the county, with an appearance by a co-founder of Flemington DIY and running Democrat city councilman Malik Johnson.

Mayor Betsy Driver of Flemington issued a press release before the event, stating that the event had no permit and that police would be instructed to act in a de-escalating manner, and urged the organizers to contact her.

“Because no permit has been issued,” She wrote, “There is no insurance coverage in place […] The lack of permit exposes the decentralized leadership of this grassroots event to serious personal financial risk in the event of injury or property damage.”

At the protest, two organizers stepped forward and identified themselves, and passed out literature and bottled water to about hundred participants. Holding a megaphone, they thanked the community for being there, and implore for community change and support to those arrested by police for protesting.

“We are here to protest the killing of the people in Minneapolis, and to show that black lives matter,” one said into the megaphone. “This town is one of the most affluent in the country, and we have a list of bail lists- so get out your credit cards and put your money where your mouth is.”

They then handed the megaphone to the several community members that volunteered to speak.

Taking social distancing precautions, by keeping masks on distancing themselves from others, they shared their thoughts and experiences with racism, police violence, and government officials.

“I have a strong memory of being on the bus as a child,” One young man said into the microphone, “believing that with a black president, that racism was from a bygone era. I was innocent then. Now, as the years have gone by — that innocence has been chipped away.”

“I love my school, my friends, and Flemington — but the city does not guarantee my safety. They have not spoken out about what happened in Minnesota. So I cannot say that I truly love this place.”

Bradd Powell speaking to protestors behind the Courthouse.

Bradd Powell took the stand, and identified the young man as his son. Speaking with his mask over his face, he held a large sign that said ‘VOTE’ and thanked the organizers and led chants with the crowd- saying ‘Black lives matter’ and ‘George Floyd lives in all of us.’

“This is the future of America,” Powell said, “Multicultural, multi-ethnic, multi-racial — the population is gonna be the future of America. Were going forward […] we care about each other.”

Powell also said that he felt upset by the loss of the life of any individuals, and that life is precious, saying ‘that we have to change the system’ and get everyone involved. He later said that he was happy for the support from the community, and the singling out of black lives to protect.

Malik Johnson took the stand, who is running for Flemington City Council this year against Elizabeth Rosetti, and spoke of committing to change in Flemington.

Others who approached the stand spoke of taking the stand against racism, speaking out against relatives and co-workers who speak discriminatory language, and working hard against injustices.

One woman, who identified herself as Karen, spoke of taking this message home — and of white community members doing the work to protect those affected by racism.

“Don’t be a Karen!” she said into the megaphone, to cheers.

Protestors holding signs, shown from behind.

The group then moved to the front of the court house, and chanted out ‘No justice, no peace, no racist police,’ and organizers instructed the crowd to take a knee for nine minutes and 45 seconds, to show how long the officer, Derek Chavin, had his knee on George Floyd’s neck.

Motorists showed their support for the protestors by shouting, and honking horns, to the knelt silent crowd. Police officers kept their distance down the street, and Hunterdon County Sheriff Frederick W. Brown looked on across the street.

The Sheriff said at the protest that it was ‘more like a memorial.” and that the people of Flemington were fortunately, very well-disciplined. When asked about the de-escalation order, the Sheriff said that the police were there to show discipline, and keep the situation calm.

He later said in response to a question about other protests in the state, that he saw the actions taken by police officers in New York and Newark were necessary for the situations at hand.

Mayor Betsy Driver looked on from the street corner, and expressed that she was happy to see that the protest was peaceful, though said the organizers should have sought out a permit.

“We don’t say no to people asking for a permit,” she stressed, “We want to make sure that it was safe- and that someone, like white nationalists, who has bad intentions can be stopped.”

“You have to assume the worst in these situations, and make it clear that’s our intention.”

Driver had also relayed that the Hunterdon Democrats were planning a similar event, but gave no details about a date.

The event disbursed peacefully, with protestors walking away from the courthouse and deeper into the borough, masked up and still holding signs.