Protest supporters hold moment of silence
A crowd in support of the protest held at the Salisbury Christmas parade gathered in front of the government building Monday evening.
The group held a moment of silence to honor the lives of the young men who they believe were unjustly killed by police officers.
They also announced a statement directed at Mayor Jim Ireton. They believe his comments regarding the protest at the Christmas parade were insensitive, and his refusal of a community review board is not in the best interest of all of Salisbury’s citizens.
Natalie Whittingham says, “There have been other community leaders, other elected officials who have expressed interested in at least broaching the subject and talking about it and exploring it, we would ultimately like to be placed as a ballot measure.”
Below is the statement shared at the moment of silence:
“On Sunday December 8, 2014 several residents of Salisbury and other supporters assembled to engage in a peaceful protest. The objective of this demonstration was to express dissatisfaction with the recent investigations and court decisions involving the death of citizens at the hands of law enforcement in Ferguson, Missouri; New York City, New York, Cleveland, Ohio and even here in Salisbury, Maryland. Locally and nationally, citizens are tired of reports of law enforcement misconduct going unnoticed, being underreported and often unpunished. Changes to policies and procedures are necessary to move forward in repairing decades of tension between law enforcement and the communities they serve.”
“Contrary to what has been circulating on social media and posted in the comment sections of many of the news outlets, it was never our intention to ruin anything for anyone. We simply wanted to be heard. Many expressed outrage that the protest took place during the annual Christmas parade. To those so disturbed by the organization of the protest during the parade, please be mindful that there is no such thing as an appropriate time and place. Protests, marches and die-ins are occurring around the WORLD daily because the issues have been ignored for far too long. The time and place to address them is now. After attending countless community town hall forums, city council meetings and even sending concerns to officials on Capitol Hill, nothing has been done. “
“If you recall, our initial protest was held at Salisbury Police Department on November 30, 2014. While there were no disruptions to any community events, there were still individuals who made obscene gestures and offensive comments to protesters. It is time that supporters and critics begin to be honest. There will always be opposition to our protest despite the location. It’s this general opposition that has fueled many of the negative comments about last Sunday’s protest. The outrage over when and where the protest occurred is being used to avoid discussing and addressing the real issues.”
“The response from Mayor Ireton is unfortunately a perfect example of this. To suggest that protesters should have the NAACP address the demands locally is offensive and insulting. We are asking for measures to be put in place that will assist with holding law enforcement officials accountable for their actions. We are asking for this, not solely on behalf of the African American community, but on behalf of all residents. How is such a request solely the responsibility of an organization like the NAACP? The NAACP was not elected to govern the City of Salisbury.”
“The Mayor indicated he has already said no to the idea of a civilian citizen review board and refuses to entertain any further conversation about this request. Mayor Ireton stated that plans to enter a budget amendment for funding body cameras for law enforcement will take place in January. The body cameras are a welcomed measure that is currently not in place in all local law enforcement agencies. However, why must body cameras be the only solution when video evidence is not the only identifiable problem?”
“Mayor Ireton’s refusal to even engage in a dialog with protesters speaks volumes. It’s also another example of the long-standing sense of division here in Salisbury. To hear that the protest infringed on the peaceful gathering of citizens implies that the protesters are not citizens nor do their concerns matter. Being divisive and dismissive to constituents illustrates a serious disconnect from the community.”
“Every moment is a teachable moment. Last Sunday’s protest and what has transpired since,is no different. Instead of avoiding the uncomfortable and sensitive topic of how ones race, class and gender can impact their experience with law enforcement (and the overall criminal justice system), we are now in a position to broach these topics in an effort to work towards implementing practical solutions not convenient solutions.”
