Vigil for George Floyd and ‘Black Lives Matter’ protest planned in Riverhead today

A vigil and a protest are planned in Riverhead today in response to the death of an African-American Minneapolis man during his arrest by police May 25.

There will be a vigil at 1 p.m. at Stotzky Park and a protest at 3 p.m. downtown. Organizers of the protest downtown are asking protesters to meet at 3 p.m. on the Peconic Riverfront.

An amateur video of the arrest and death of George Floyd in Minneapolis has sparked protests around the world. Some of them, including protests over two days in Brooklyn, have turned violent. The video shows a uniformed police officer kneeling on the neck of a handcuffed, prone man for nearly nine minutes, while the man pleaded, “I can’t breathe, please let me stand up.”

Floyd was arrested after allegedly attempting to use a counterfeit $20 bill in a deli. Police said Floyd “physically resisted” police but security camera video showed the man fall twice while being escorted by police, with his hands handcuffed behind his back.

The officer who knelt on Floyd’s neck, Derek Chauvin, was arrested on charges of third-degree murder and manslaughter. Three other officers who participated in the arrest — two of them held down his back and legs and one looked on — were terminated by the police department.

Organizers of both the vigil and the protest said today they are taking action because of the ongoing problem of unarmed African-Americans being killed by law enforcement in the United States.

The Stotzky Park vigil is organized by Riverhead resident Eric Williams, who is also an organizer of the annual “Stop the Violence” basketball tournament in Riverhead. It is being called “Enough is Enough” in honor of Floyd and “for all the fallen black victims to police brutality,” said Lawrence Street, of the Eastern Long Island Branch of the NAACP.

“We need calming right now. People are hurting. People want to be heard. These rallies hopefully will bring calm,” Street said. “It gives people a sense of hope. Because what affects one person directly affects all of us indirectly,” he said.

The downtown protest, called “Say Their Names,” is taking place “because too many black people are getting killed simply because of their race,” said one of the organizers. She said she’s witnessed her own brothers being treated in a “disgusting” way by police, “but luckily they didn’t die.” The protesters hope to “bring awareness to the fact that police brutality and modern day racism is very much alive,” she said.

The organizers of the 3 o’clock protest are sisters who are both Riverhead High School students.

“We don’t represent ‘Black Lives Matter,’ we represent ourselves, who want peace for those who have died,” said the older sister, Anubia.

Organizers of both of today’s events say they are intended to be peaceful. A Black Lives Matter protest in downtown Riverhead in July 2016, — one of hundreds of protests across the country following the shooting deaths of unarmed black men in Louisiana and Minnesota — drew about 110 people and took place without incident.

Riverhead Police Chief David Hegermiller said this morning he does not expect any other outcome today.

He said he understands and shares in the outrage over Floyd’s death. “I can’t even comprehend it,” Hegermiller said.

“Law enforcement officers across the U.S. do not support the events that occurred in Minneapolis,” said Riverhead Town Supervisor Yvette Aguiar, a retired New York City police officer. “The officers were rightfully terminated,” she said.

“Our paramount goal is to maintain the safety and security of everyone in the community,” Aguiar said, expressing confidence in the Riverhead Police Department to do so.

The organizers of the Stotzky Park vigil obtained an assembly permit from the police department, as required by town code.

“We became aware yesterday of a second non-permitted event,” Aguiar said. “We support constitutional safeguards. Community disruption or violence will not be tolerated,” she said.

“We hope that the (protesters’) message is sent peacefully,” the supervisor said. “We have appropriate contingency plans.”