“We are not about violence”: Pocomoke City plans march, vigil in honor of George Floyd
POCOMOKE CITY, Md. – The Pocomoke City community plans to take to the streets to honor George Floyd with a peaceful march and vigil alongside members of the Police Department.
“We want to show the world we have changed the status quo in Pocomoke City,” says Councilmember Todd Nock, who said he is participating as a member of the community and not in an official capacity.
Members of the Pocomoke City community are hosting a march and vigil on Wednesday night in honor of George Floyd. Community leader Todd Nock approached the town’s police chief to help organize the event. “We’re letting our voices be known and saying this isn’t right and we want to be the town that shows you all how you can fix it,” says Nock.
They believe the organized event shows just how far the town has come in recent years. “Just a couple of years ago we were embedded in racial scandal in the city. We had groups of people divided,” says Nock.
Chief Lee Brumley believes it’s important that members of the Pocomoke Police Department participate alongside the citizens they serve and protect. “It’s terrible what’s going on in this nation and I hope this small march here in the small town of Pocomoke will help heal not only the people in this area but over the nation itself,” says Chief Brumley.
Chief Brumley says his department does have plans if things get out of hand but leaders say they want this event to be the standard and have no doubt that it will be peaceful. “There will be no looting, no rioting. It is going to be completely nonviolent because we are not about violence in the city of Pocomoke City,” says Nock.
Nock tells 47 ABC he believes change will happen as people educate themselves and children about diversity. Police Chief Brumley says he’ll continue to build trust between his department and residents by requiring officers to attend diversity training and following community policing methods.
According to police, the march will start at 6:30 PM on Wednesday, June 3, at the Pocomoke City Police Department. Participants will walk in the northbound lane on Market Street and end at Pocomoke City Cypress Park. A prayer will be held at the end of the march for, “the healing for Mr. Floyd’s family and the people of this nation.”
Indivisible Worcester Maryland announced on Tuesday that it is also joining the march and vigil. “We applaud Chief Brumley’s announcement of this rally,” says Toby Perkins, a co-founder and coordinator of Indivisible Worcester Maryland. “Of course, the people of the United States need the fairness, support, and understanding of their police officers, but the police also need the fairness, support, and understanding of the people, as Chief Brumley appears to know.”
