Dueling Black Lives Matter, pro-police rallies take place in Boston

The Holy Name rotary in West Roxbury played host to dueling protests Wednesday evening as hundreds showed up to chant “Black Lives Matter” — and even more came to say “Back the Blue.”

Simultaneous rallies — the “Stand for the Blue” gathering in support of police and the “Black Lives Matter Vigil for all victims of police brutality” both started shortly after 5 p.m. Wednesday, and, for the most part, the two rapidly swelling groups stayed slightly separated by a neutral zone where several police officers kept watch.

Protests have continued for the past three weeks following several high-profile police killings of black people, and activists push for more oversight over police, changes in use-of-force rules and, most recently, defunding departments — though the amount of funds demonstrators say should be cut and moved to social services varies.

Several people at the Blue Lives Matter rally said they support most of the causes protesters are calling for — just not the heat of their rhetoric.

“Their pain is real,” said Kristina Maye of West Roxbury, who had a sign that said “I back the blue and stand against racism — yes, you can do both.”

Maye, who has a police officer in her family, said,” The majority of people, I think, support both — the line for us is just abuse of these officers.”

And Dennis MacDougal, also of West Roxbury, said of the Black Lives Matter protesters, “We aren’t here against them. … We just can’t treat police officers this way.”

But Yaritza Dudley, one of the Black Lives Matter rally organizers, dismissed that kind of message as a platitude.

“You can’t stand for Black Lives Matter and support the institution that continues to murder,” she told reporters. “What it comes off to for those people who look like me is blatant disregard for what we have been doing in the city.”

Earnest Jacques of Roxbury, another Black Lives Matter demonstrator, said he has no issue with people out in good-faith supporting cops, but, “There just needs to be some accountability. If I did some of these things, I’m in jail. If you do them and have a badge, you should be, too.”

Mayor Martin Walsh — though he’s pushed back against the “defund police” slogan — says he plans reforms for the department and is moving to reallocate $12 million of the BPD’s $60 million overtime budget toward social programs.

West Roxbury is one of liberal Boston’s more conservative and white neighborhoods, and is a popular place for the city’s first responders to live.

The rotary on Wednesday boomed with noise, with exchanges of chants, with many drivers — including two Boston fire trucks — honking in apparent support of the pro-police demonstrators. The rotary remained very largely conflict-free.

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/37FnHGv