Scenes from a Black Lives Matter protest

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Tyrell Whitted, 18, organized the Black Lives Matter rally at Veterans Park.
Tyrell Whitted, 18, organized the Black Lives Matter rally at Veterans Park.

MANCHESTER, NH – A Black Lives Matters rally drew more than 300 protestors to the downtown for what ultimately was a peaceful event – even after a group of “oath keepers” arrived with open-carry weapons.

Organizer Tyrell Whitted, 18, of Manchester, said the goal of the protests – this was the second of two – are to raise awareness. There are uneasy divides between the police department and, in particular, young black men, and Whitted hopes for meaningful conversations to ultimately lead to better understanding, and change.

John, center, and James, two "peace keepers" who said they attended the rally to protect the protestors and police officers.


RELATED STORY: Oath Keepers Q&A after #BLM protest: There are good and bad people on both sides of the fence.


 Whitted graduated from Central High School in June, and is heading to Plymouth State University in the fall. He has always been a quiet kid, said his mom, Shaunte Whitted, who joined in the Saturday evening protest.

Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein, center, who joined the march, with Tyrell Whitted, to her left.
Green Party presidential candidate Jill Stein, center, who joined the march, with Tyrell Whitted, to her left.

“The only conversation we really had about what was going on in the world was after Sandra Bland passed away. He is normally very reserved, but one night he was crying about it, really wailing. He said he was concerned for his younger brother and sister. He didn’t want them to grow up in this kind of environment,” Shaunte Whitted said.

Tyrell first met Manchester Police Chief Nick Willard at a February NAACP event. The two began a personal dialogue about life in the city, and Willard has pursued the conversation.

“You know, my grandfather is a decorated New York City police officer,” said Tyrell’s mom. “This is important to him. I was a little nervous about the first protest – it was later at night and I was worried about what might happen, with all the people that might be out on Elm Street, drinking.”

Tyrell says he would just like to make a difference.

Signs of the times.
Signs of the times.

“There are people living in fear, and who’ve experienced injustice,” said Whitted. “The police are willing to cooperate with us, and we’re willing to cooperate with the police. We just want to break down those barriers.”

Willard said he was immediately impressed with Whitted.

“As an organizer, Tyrell does so with peace in his heart, something Dr. Martin Luther King would have admired about him,” Willard said.

Working together, Willard believes it will be possible to overcome any lack of trust or division that exists within the community.

“I agree with the premise that we should never stand for police misconduct of any kind – be it through use of force or discrimination. I would add that full accountability of law enforcement and its leaders is paramount to ensure misconduct is appropriately dealt with – and my greatest hope,  prevented,” Willard said.

This was the second BLM protest in downtown Manchester. A protest held last weekend drew a smaller crowd. Both times protestors walked up and down Elm Street carrying signs and chanting. There was a visible police presence in the park and along Elm Street during the Saturday rally. In anticipation of the event, police decided to block off Elm Street between Lake Avenue and Bridge Street as a precaution, which allowed protestors to march in the street.

A similar protest in Portland, Maine, on July 18 ended with several arrests due to protestors blocking the road.

Mary and Cam Gosine want to be part of the change they believe is needed.
Mary and Cam Gosine want to be part of the change they believe is needed.

Mary and Cam Gosine, of Lowell, joined the protest because they believe it’s time to deal with the ongoing issues of race and police violence.

“We’re at a stage where we’re thinking about our future and kids’ future. We want to be part of the change,” said Mary Gosine. “There is bias on both sides, even among minorities. Nobody’s saying all police are racist. But it gets scary when you have public servants who are supposed to protect us, and they’re killing us.”

“People say ‘it’s just a few bad apples,’ when talking about the police. But a few bad apples spoil the bunch,” says Cam Gosine.

Keith Yergeau of Manchester said Saturday’s protest was powerful.

“We had several hundred people out here, and the police were backing us up – and I think maybe even some people learned some stuff,” Yergeau said.

He said the presence of the group carrying weapons was unsettling – especially because an explicit rule of the protest as outlined by Black Lives Matters included a “no weapons” policy.

Police to the right, 'oath keepers' to the left, armed with open carry weapons, and a Black Lives Matter protestor in the middle, asking why they needed to bring weapons to a peaceful protest.
Police to the right, ‘oath keepers’ to the left, armed with open carry weapons, and a Black Lives Matter protestor in the middle, asking why they needed to bring weapons to a peaceful protest.

“I thought they were there to protest us at first, but then they said they were acting as ‘peace keepers’ to protect both sides,” Yergeau said. “It was a little confusing at first – there was no way to know which side they were on.”

The armed protestors, most of them wearing black-and-red Hellside Boston T-shirts and vests, identified themselves and said they were there to protect the police and the protestors, and that they were prepared to use their weapons should violence erupt.

They engaged with some members of the Black Lives Matter group to express their opposition to their message, which they say translates to them as “only black lives matter.”


Michelle Matteau was among the group, a rifle slung across her chest, as she got into an extended conversation with some of the protestors about their ideology, and why she sees it as flawed.

In the end, Matteau exchanged information with BLM protestor Matt Lawrence, and they agreed to continue the conversation via social media, or in real-time at a later date.

Below are a few videos from the event – the third video features an interview with Allen Garlock, of Brookline, who said he was angry because he felt the protest – and the slogan, “Black Lives Matter” – are racist against white people.

 

About this Author

Carol Robidoux

PublisherManchester Ink Link

Longtime NH journalist and publisher of ManchesterInkLink.com. Loves R&B, German beer, and the Queen City!