Boston prays for peace, justice in wake of police killing of George Floyd
Thousands of people from across the region gathered Sunday as protests continued in the wake of the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis — including a massive crowd in Boston that prayed for peace and called for justice and unity.
Former New England Patriots tight end Benjamin Watson led the prayer gathering in front of approximately 1,000 people on Boston Common.
“We’re here because we want justice. What we’ve seen has made us upset, and rightly so,” Watson told the crowd. “We want those who have been marginalized to be treated correctly. We want justice.
“We have an opportunity to change the future,” he said. “We have an opportunity to change what it’s going to look like.”
The police killing of Floyd has sparked protests across the country and world in the last three weeks. Derek Chauvin, the white Minneapolis police officer charged in the killing, held his knee on the black man’s neck for more than 8 minutes. Floyd told the officer, “I can’t breathe,” as the officer kept his knee on Floyd’s neck.
Watson said it’s vital to advocate for change, and also to “encourage one another in a time that’s very emotional and has been very hard, where we’ve lost loved ones to COVID, where we’ve seen people with knees on the back of their necks.
“When we’ve been reminded of injustice that happens over and over again,” he said. “And we are tired. And we want things to change.”
Pastor Barry Kang of Boston’s Symphony Church asked people to pray for peace.
“There is no peace without justice,” Kang said.
He also noted the major economic, educational and health care disparities in Boston — including that black residents have a median net worth of only $8, a figure identified by researchers in a 2017 Federal Reserve Bank of Boston report.
“There are still unacceptable realities,” Kang said.
“When there are people and segments of our city that are not flourishing, the people of God must take notice and must take action,” he said.
Real change is needed in the city, said Kelly Fassett of Unite Boston.
“God’s dream for Boston is not being reflected in our city right now,” she said. “There is racism all over the place, and we need to change our city.”
“We need everyone in this together,” Fassett said. “Everyone needs to fight for change, and hope and pray and work for a better city.”
The gathering brought together people from all different races and backgrounds, noted Fred Allen, a member of Morning Star Baptist Church in Mattapan.
“This absolutely has to happen more,” he said. “No matter what religion you follow, everyone has one thing in common and that’s the love of humanity. That will outlast all the evil. Love always conquers evil.”
Other Boston area gatherings on Sunday included physicians protesting in Copley Square, a protest at Powderhouse Park in Somerville, and people marching in Concord.
Protesters have been marching for more than two weeks, and that’s going to continue “until all the systemic racism ends all over the country,” Allen said, adding, “When you put a knee on their neck and don’t allow someone to grow and carry out their dream, you’re destroying this country. You have to let people be themselves.”
from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/2BcvDT6
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