STOUGHTON, MASS. (WHDH) - At a peacfull rally in Stoughton on Wednesday night, demonstrators took a knee for nearly nine minutes in tribute to George Floyd.
The peaceful protest that drew a couple hundred people was one of many held in the area as residents demand change across the nation — saying inequality is as real here as it is anywhere else in America.
“We as residents, we needed some type of vehicle, some type of event, so we can mourn publicly,” organizer Debra Roberts said.
Among the speakers, Stoughton Police Chief Donna McNamara who said she is taking the opportunity to listen and learn.
“We have to look at our policies and procedures,” McNamara said. “And we also have to look at ourselves and have empathy and compassion.”
Those in attendance said that the massive protests around New England and around the country have given them hope that change is possible.
“You have to every day change the way you talk when you’re not in your own space, change the way you dress when you’re not in your own space. I have a durag on right now. I can’t normally wear this around because other people will perceive me as a threat. I’m not a threat, I’m a human, I’m a man,” demonstrator Alijah Rue said.
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