by Jackie Pollack
Irvington held its first Black Lives Matter rally on Sunday, June 7 at the Town Hall. The peaceful protest was organized by Nathan and Peter Bernstein and Arlene Burgos after nearly two weeks of national unrest following the death of George Floyd. At its peak, about 500 protesters, supplied with masks and posters, filled Main Street.
The three-hour protest began with the reading of the names of black men, women, and children who have been killed by the police. Afterwards, there were nine minutes of silence in tribute to the amount of time George Floyd was pinned to the ground by a Minneapolis policeman.
Senior Adama Ahmed said, “I think the protest has a better turnout than I expected. It was amazing to see everyone there to support the movement and to know I have allies in this town. However, we can’t stop here as we need to keep moving forward and continually put our efforts into changing the system and voting for leaders who support the ideals we believe in. It’s a long way to go but it’s essential the fight does not stop now.”
In an open-mic fashion, many orators delivered compelling speeches by sharing injustices they have endured while in Irvington or elsewhere. Speakers included current and former IHS students, Irvington Mayor Brian Smith, and New York’s 17th District Congress candidate Mondaire Jones.
