Roughly 2,000 protestors marched through downtown Jersey City on Tuesday in memory of George Floyd, who died at the hands of Minnesota police. The rally, which was organized by Pamela Johnson, executive director of the Jersey City Anti-Violence coalition, marks the second day of peaceful protests in Jersey City.
Tuesday’s rally started at City Hall and marched through the Jersey City Pedestrian Plaza before returning to 280 Grove. Numerous Jersey City police officers joined protestors by kneeling for 8 minutes — the amount of time Minneapolis officer, Derek Chauvin, kneeled on Floyd’s neck before killing him.
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New committee to review policing in Jersey City
In light of the protests occurring nationwide, City Council President Joyce E. Watterman is calling for an ad hoc committee to review police training and procedures in Jersey City.
“Due to the situation at hand, both the violence that occurred and the protests that have emerged from it, I believed this would be a good opportunity for us to examine how our police department handles various situation and make changes where needed,” said Watterman. “This is a time for Jersey City to examine its police procedures and have open dialogue with the community to bring reform.”
Joyce Watterman is the first African American woman to hold the seat as City Council President in the city’s 300-plus year history. Should her resolution pass, the committee would consist of a cross-section of the community, between 9 and 12 members with representation for all six municipal wards, clergy, educators, a retired police officer or a judge, and at least three sitting City Council members.
Anyone interested in joining the committee can submit their resume by emailing your councilperson by June 19, 2020. (You’ll find a list of City Council here).
