Demonstrators Assemble in Brewster for Peaceful Rally and March
By Gabriel Harrison
Hundreds demonstrated at Wells Park in Brewster Friday for a Black Lives Matter rally, followed by a march through the village. There was a heavy police presence throughout the proceedings, which were all non-violent.
At the rally, speakers of various ethnicities and ages spoke, including Kevin Joseph, a Mahopac resident.
When Joseph first learned of George Floyd’s death, he said he was just sad. “I was that way for days,” he said, “until I saw the protests.”
“And I saw that it wasn’t just black people, but I saw it was a majority of white people,” he said, adding he was moved to see people “of all races, of all ages, come out and stand with me and protest with me even when I couldn’t do it for myself.”
“I want to thank everyone who did that,” Joseph said. “It means so much to me, and so many other black men like me around this world.”
An elderly woman also addressed the crowd. Speaking through a face shield, she said, “My name is Jennifer Goosechilde, I’m 78 years old. I have lived as a white person in this society long enough.”
Goosechilde teared up as she discussed being on the “wrong side of history.”
“I think it’s terribly important that change begins by each of us looking inside of our own hearts,” Goosechilde said. “I’ve been a coward too many times in my life and all I can say is I’m sorry. For the last 10 years I’ve been trying very, very hard to read and learn as much as I can about Native American history and black history.”
Other speakers called for political action. One woman sang to the crowd and a man quoted a passage from Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” speech.
Putnam County Sheriff Robert L. Langley Jr. and Putnam County Legislator Nancy Montgomery of Philipstown attended the rally.
After the rally, some demonstrators marched to the Brewster train station from Wells Park before looping around Brewster via East Main Street, Peaceable Hill Road, Crosby Avenue, and North Main Street. The march was led by young people. Police escorted and cleared the roads.
As the crowd marched around Brewster, residents watched from yards, doorsteps and storefronts. Some waved, cheered, or honked horns.
Three times during the march demonstrators knelt or sat for eight minutes and 46 seconds, the length of time a Minneapolis officer knelt on George Floyd’s neck. There was also a moment of silence at the rally.
One of the silent commemorations occurred in middle of the three-way intersection of Route 6 and North Main Street by the Brewster Fire Department building, blocking traffic.
The march ended after 4 p.m., about four hours after the start of the rally. Before dispersing, marchers paused for a final eight minutes and 46 seconds of silence.
Rick has more than 40 years’ experience covering local news in Westchester and Putnam counties, running the gamut from politics and crime to sports and human interest. He has been an editor at Examiner Media since 2012. Read more from Rick’s editor-author bio here. Read Rick’s work here: https://www.theexaminernews.com/author/pezzullo_rick-writer/