The Somerville Police Employee’s Association, in conjunction with the Massachusetts Municipal Police Coalition, announced today that a rally will take place at Somerville City Hall on Thursday, July 28, to protest the continued display of the “Black Lives Banner” at the City Hall entrance area. The statement reads as follows:

The Massachusetts Municipal Police Coalition, in conjunction with the Somerville Police Employees Association, will hold a rally at the Somerville City Hall on Thursday, July 28, 2016 from 5:30 p.m.  to 7:30 p.m.  to protest the display of the Black Lives Matter banner by Mayor Joseph Curtatone above the entrance to the Hall. The rally will be peaceful and respectful, but will demonstrate the solidarity of police organizations in Massachusetts to the exclusionary message that the banner sends.   In the face of the continuing assassination of innocent police officers across the country as an apparent offshoot of the BLM movement, it is irresponsible of the City to publically declare support for the lives of one sector of our population to the exclusion of others, including police officers.  While we support the core goal of the BLM movement – equal treatment under law – we find the banner’s message disrespectful of police officers and potentially encouraging to individuals who pervert that message through the indiscriminate murder of our counterparts around the country.

Michael McGrath
President, Somerville Police Employees Association
Vice President, Massachusetts Municipal Police Coalition