Peace and Unity Defeat Fear and Anger in Rio Grande

RIO GRANDE – It happens so often that it barely merits a mention: Someone passes a counterfeit $10 or $20 at a boardwalk store, usually when business is busy, and often in July, when some young staff members are still learning their jobs.
In 2009, three people were arrested in North Wildwood and charged with producing $50 bills, as well as passing them, including a mother and a daughter. The daughter was a former Miss North Wildwood, and even with that, the incident received little more than a brief mention in the Cape May County Herald and some regional media outlets.
All three were soon released, two on bail, and the youngest with a promise to show up for the court date.
If the situation went differently on a Minneapolis street May 25, George Floyd would not have received anywhere near even that much attention after a deli employee called the police, reporting he purchased cigarettes with a bogus $20.
Instead, Floyd is dead, and much of America is on fire.
Video from the scene shows police officer Derek Chauvin with his knee on the back of Floyd’s neck long after the suspect was handcuffed and showing no visible resistance, even though he and bystanders told the officer that Floyd could not breathe. His death seemed strikingly similar to the death of Eric Garner, another unarmed black man accused of a petty crime, who also told the officer in New York who had him in a chokehold that he could not breathe.
For Alexander Bland, a Woodbine resident, watching the video brought up memories of too many similar situations.
“It was very disturbing,” he said. “I don’t think the crime warranted that.”
Under American justice, officers should not be in a position of judging or punishing the accused, Bland said. Bland is the president of the Cape May County chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), but he said the organization has not released a statement on the matter, so he spoke only for himself.
Chauvin was charged with third-degree murder May 29. He and three other officers at the scene were fired from the department.
Protests began in Minneapolis and quickly spread, taking place around the country and beyond, including in London and Berlin. As the protests grew, they also grew more violent, with blazes and destruction.
In Philadelphia and Atlantic City, events followed a similar pattern over the weekend, although at a much different scale, with a peaceful protest followed later by smashed windows and stolen property. In Cape May County, plans for a protest the afternoon of June 1 were abruptly canceled that morning, but some people arrived with signs at the corner of Routes 9 and 47, in Rio Grande, and the crowd grew throughout the day.
“You’re either standing with or against racism. It’s very clear the choices people are making. It isn’t black versus white. It’s everyone versus racism,” said protestor Daphany DeWolf, of Rio Grande.
By afternoon, there appeared to be more Middle Township police officers on the scene than there were protesters. The few interactions between police and protesters were friendly and relaxed.
“We plan for everything. We hope it’s just a peaceful protest. We’re all for peaceful protests,” said Police Capt. William Adams. “It’s their right. That’s basically what we’re here for.”
Social media and news footage from around the nation have shown angry crowds, burning cars, and police using tear gas, batons and pepper spray, sometimes without apparent provocation. In other places, including in Camden, uniformed officers joined protesters, expressing outrage at what happened to Floyd and trying to rebuild broken bridges.
Adams said officers were behind what the Rio Grande protesters were doing and would protect their right to gather.
“What happened, it hurts all of us. It makes us all look bad. We’re all for them being able to protest, as long as it’s in a safe manner. We don’t want them in the road or having issues with people driving by either. They have the right to protest; that’s what we’re here for.”
In New Jersey, condemnation of Floyd’s death came from multiple levels of law enforcement. Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said New Jersey would not tolerate the practices that led to Floyd’s death, and Middle Township Police Chief Christopher Leusner called his death tragic and deeply disturbing.
“For many years, we have worked diligently to build deep and meaningful relationships with all of the communities that we serve. We are committed to continuing this important work, and to build upon the foundation of building trust with our community,” Leusner wrote. “On behalf of the members of the Middle Township Police Department, we again offer our sincere sympathy and condolences to the Floyd family.”
Bland, and other sources, said African Americans in Cape May County do not feel singled out by police. Bland said he has a good rapport with Leusner and other police chiefs, but he acknowledged that others may have had a different experience and that situations may have been far different in the past.
“They’re working on these relationships. We have to work on these relationships, as well. We need to speak to police officers,” he said. “We’ve got to remain calm and do what we can to make sure that something like that doesn’t happen again.”
The protests are about more than Floyd’s death, he said. They’re also about continued racism and unequal opportunity, but the picture is more complicated than it once was.
Most urban departments have black officers, as do many local departments, and there were many white faces to be seen both at peaceful protests and in the destructive rampages. Video of an Atlantic City store showed a white man climb through a broken store window, his arms laden with sneaker boxes.
Bland is still trying to understand the complex interconnections of race and other issues in America now and through history. He understands the anger and frustration expressed around the nation.
“Nothing gets solved that way. You make a difference by leading with love,” he said.
He added that he sees improvement over when Martin Luther King Jr., John Lewis and others were beaten in the streets, as they peacefully campaigned for civil rights.
“It’s a long history between the police and black people,” Bland said. “In Cape May County, we’re trying to improve that relationship.”
On the morning of June 1, Middle Township Mayor Timothy Donohue announced that the organizer had canceled the Rio Grande event. Identifying her only as Erin, he said police would remain on high alert. He said he has been in constant contact with the organizer.
“I don’t think either of us slept very well last night,” Donohue wrote. “We both agreed that our primary concerns are the safety and welfare of the people of Middle Township and the protection of private property.”
Stories in the community alleged that agitators from out of state would participate in the protest, including members of Antifa, a loose affiliation that takes its name from “anti-fascists.” President Donald Trump blamed Antifa for violence at the protests, although other sources suggest some of the property damage came from members of white supremacist groups seeking to inflame conflict.
In a statement relayed by Donohue, Erin said she intended a peaceful protest, but before it began, things got out of hand on social media.
“I have never condoned violence or hate whatsoever, nor am I a part of Antifa,” she wrote. She wanted instead to show love. “I’m sorry if I caused any fear for this county.”
In withholding her name, Donohue said she came under what he described as a vile and unfair attack. Attempts to contact her independently were unsuccessful.
In a statement posted in conjunction with the Prosecutor’s Association of New Jersey, Cape May County Prosecutor Jeffrey J. Sutherland expressed outrage at Floyd’s death.
“I would also like to assure all residents of Cape May County that all the men and women that serve in the Cape May County Prosecutor’s Office and all of the law enforcement agencies in this county work to ensure that justice is served fairly and without bias,” he wrote. “If any member of our law enforcement community fails to abide by their oath and the strict standards of all of our law enforcement agencies, they will have to answer for their actions like any other member of our community who breaks the law.”
As of about 6 p.m. June 1, Donohue said that the crowd grew to about 60 people. At one point, the protesters closed the intersection.
“We don’t know what the night will bring. I don’t have the answer. I am worried. The chief is worried,” Donohue said, at the Middle Township Committee meeting.
“There are people who are angry. They have a right to be angry,” Donohue said.
He added there was nothing out of hand at the protest through the course of the day. “We all pray for a peaceful night.”
To contact Bill Barlow, email bbarlow@cmcherald.com.
Shay Roddy contributed to this report.
Ed. Note: As this article hit deadline, events in Rio Grande continued to unfold. The anger and fear which was evident in Rio Grande at the time the article was penned were subsequently overcome by a sense of peace and unity among the demonstrators and police officers on scene – as displayed in the photo now attached to this article. In tribute to those present, we have amended the headline.