The Saturday Afternoon George Floyd Protest were largely peaceful in predominantly Orthodox Lakewood,NJ.
Police officers stood and walked shoulder to shoulder with demonstrators, unfurling a banner that read “We stand as one” across the insignia of the township police department.
“Hands up,” the marchers cried. “Don’t shoot.”
Roughly 10 minutes into the march, the demonstrators and police officers knelt in the road for another prayer before resuming their march, which continued to grow in both number and volume. Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley Billhimer and township police Chief Gregory Meyer knelt along with the crowd.
The standard repetitive chants of “no justice, no peace” ” black live matter” “hands up don’t shoot” were repeated in mantra like fashion by the several hundred peaceful activists. No issues occurred during the march whatsoever. The protesters easily walked up the streets as the community of observant Jews do not drive during Shabbat.
He protest drew a group of several hundred and by all accounts were not locals.
After the march thru Lakewood, the protesters listened to speakers organized from the NAACP. Most recited the standard social justice tropes about ” institutionalized racism” & “systematic oppression”, much like you would learn about from an undergrad sociology class. At one point when the NAACP speaker urged people to vote, a protester objected to voting because “it’s a lie and we need change” and a slight argument ensued. At another point during the speaking program a more radical protester declared that the NAACP is owned by Jews.
Local media in NJ seemed to find the fact that several business were boarding up their stores in preparation for the protests a newsworthy issue, even though the entire nation witnessed several days of violent protests. It would seem logical many shop keepers would want to prepare considering what had recently ensued. NJ public TV interviewed shop keepers some who boarded up and one shop keeper who didn’t. Luckily, this was a peaceful protest and did not attract looters, provocateurs or anarchists.
Below are some clips from the protest and the NJN report on locals on Friday preparing for the protests.
The protests end, the organizers encourage “no looting”
The protest has ended with the last speaker calling on the protesters to behave themselves — “no looting” — as they return back to the municipal parking lot a few blocks north. pic.twitter.com/O9j3bKk0sx
— Erik Larsen (@Erik_Larsen) June 6, 2020
The Jews Own the NAACP !!
Things getting a bit verbally heated here as someone in the crowd denounces a speaker from the NAACP and goes on an anti-Semitic rant. pic.twitter.com/8s7AFUzai8
— Erik Larsen (@Erik_Larsen) June 6, 2020
The march thru Lakewood NJ officially begins
And the march has begun. pic.twitter.com/ofzE5jWuNu
— Erik Larsen (@Erik_Larsen) June 6, 2020
NJN interviews mostly Jewish shopkeepers about the protests and if they were concerned with looting
