For nearly two months, demonstrators led by Dana Nunes, Awet Woldegebriel, and Amy Schumer have met daily at Beetlebung Corner to kneel in solidarity with Black Lives Matter. Tomorrow’s demonstration, however, is expected to draw a larger crowd, as Island youth activists promote the event on social media.
According to Graysen Kirk, a BLM activist who has led various protests down-Island, anywhere from 200 to 300 demonstrators may participate in tomorrow’s event. Typically, the Beetlebung demonstrations have a crowd of 30 people.
To prepare for the increased crowd, Chilmark Police Chief Jonathan Klaren said officers will be placing “no parking” signs around the intersection to help with the flow of traffic. Street parking will not be available, but participants may park at various locations adjacent to the library. While Klaren does not expect many logistical issues, the police station is close enough to the event that officers will be readily available to help if necessary, Klaren said. “Dana’s been there since the very first day, going for two months now,” Klaren said. “We’ve had zero complaints from the public, zero issues with the police as far as the flow of traffic, and I anticipate this event will be along the same lines.”
While the daily demonstrations were previously held on the patch of grass in the intersection of Beetlebung Corner, they have since been moved to the fields of the Chilmark library after an incident with ground wasps. The new location will better accommodate the size of tomorrow’s demonstration, which starts at 10:30 am.
Youth activists Lisette Williams and Kiely Rigali, along with Kirk, decided to collaborate with Nunes to bring more attention to her work and maintain the movement’s momentum, Kirk said. The event has been promoted on Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat. “I think people want to get out again, so the numbers might be higher than we anticipate,” Kirk said.
I knew it would all trickle down to us one day! It will be interesting to see what happens in Oak Bluffs in August (CWS)
Apparently it’s ok to demonstrate in large crowds but not to worship. This country is doomed. What happened to covid? Is it on August break? Will it be back for the election? Bunch of hypocrites
Apparently it is OK to demonstrate your love of President Trump by gathering indoors to yell and scream in response to his vacus claims but not OK to gather outdoor,s in small groups, to express your disgust with his Presidency.
No, when Biden gets elected the pandemic will be gone or weakened substantially. This entire episode of Russia Russia and Ukraine Ukraine and the pandemic and lockdown and then thugs and vandals sacking our cities–the entire act is designed to let Biden win even though he is in his basement with dementia and is suggesting to everyone that not one white male or white female or black male has the qualifications to be VP. I know you folks believe ”anyone but Trump” but to put Biden out there as a puppet is giving opportunism a bad name.
Andrew– when Biden gets elected we will be at the same point where Winston Churchill famously said “Now this is not the end. It is not even the beginning of the end. But it is, perhaps, the end of the beginning.”
Your wilful ignorance , partisan opinions and total disregard for any factual information is not only astoundingly irrational, but extremely dangerous.
Do you really think that if the “liberal media” and health organizations around the world are so happy that Biden gets elected, they will stop giving the public real numbers about the death rates, and that will mean no one dies from this ?
REALLY ? You should skip the mask wearing and proudly wear your tin foil hat around town if you believe that.
Who has dementia ?
I’ll keep my colander, thanks
Hello! Masks, socially distanced and outside. Got it?
enough– I don’ know if you are listening to anything real about the virus, but the U.S has consistently recorded more than 1,000 deaths per day for the last week . Interestingly enough, since daily death tolls are going to the white house before the CDC we had 2 days in a row with exactly the same number of deaths, — 1465 on July 29 and 30– and then the next day , a decrease to 4,162.
I know a little bit about statistics and Bull S**T .
I hope there will not be any violence in Chilmark.
Certainly not good for tourism.
Tis, the glitterati will be virtue signaling, break out the foil hats…..
Was Trump not wearing a mask virtue signalling?
Is Trump now wearing a mask virtue signaling?
I just wish that I could figure out what virtue signalling is.
Have you?
Enough, I took part in a church service this morning through my television. Not the same but doable. I watched the news of sports groups playing with no distancing and hypocrisy reigns supreme. How about a million moms march into Chicago, Minneapolis, New York, where babies are getting shot? In cities with stringent gun laws; laws for the citizen but not the criminal? A Million Moms March against child murders would go down a treat, but perhaps not.
All actions, and inactions, have risk.
It is a matter of values.
Some of our cities do have stringent gun laws, most do not.
Most of our states do not have stringent gun laws.
Our criminals have so many guns because Americans have so many guns.
Most everyone knows someone who knows someone who is down on their luck who has more guns than they need.
Why is it only white “Christian” people who gripe about maintaining their supposed faith when it’s virtual or just between them as individuals and their god? A person can pray, meditate, read their bible, be inspired to do better by themselves and do it anywhere, especially during a pandemic. Why is this even a complaint and a comparison to activities that require a working-together team? Without realizing what they are saying, these “religious” people lack the faith and what their religion supposedly teaches. It’s between the Christian and her god. No groups are necessary to pray. It’s good and important to feel part of a community, and that’s why art, culture, schooling, religious services, etc have all gone virtual. Of course it’s not the same, but a relationship with one’s god is not impacted if faith is constant and pure. Talk about hypocrisy!
Also, people who feel the need to bring up crime in the cities every time Black Lives Matter is the subject, do not know the difference between pity and compassion. How easy to feel pity since it stems from feeling superior to the pitied. How difficult though, to feel compassion for the families in our own neighborhood. “Virtual signaling” was once a valid term. It has now been usurped by racists who are so devoid of compassion for the systemic racism our Black neighbors experience that they are incapable of understanding that there are white and Black people sincerely dedicated to educating the church goers who aren’t practicing their religion.
Wow, thanks to Andrew, I’m going to start wearing tinfoil underwear.
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