Worcester Acts Like Black Lives Not As Important as Dogs.

Worcester Acts Like Black Lives Not As Important As Dogs

On July 9, 2015, the Worcester 4 Black Lives Matter demonstrators went before a judge in Worcester District Court to face the single count of disturbing the peace on Martin Luther King Jr. Day 2015. Their lawyers had filed Motions to Dismiss the complaints based on the wording of the City ordinance which states that when there is a “legitimate purpose” there is no disturbance of the peace. The Constitution of the United States guarantees that a protest against racist police killing of unarmed people, especially young Black men is a legitimate purpose.

I suppose there will be an attempt at some point by the City Councillor to remove or redefine the phrase “ legitimate purpose”.

There will be oral arguments on the Motions to Dismiss on September 4, 2015. After that hearing on the merits of the Motions, the Judge will make a determination to either allow or deny the Motions to Dismiss. The Worcester 4 Black Lives Matter protesters said that they wanted public support before the September 4, 2015 hearing to show the maliciousness of the prosecution by the City of Worcester and its Manager.

Compare this malicious prosecution of people opposing racist police killings to the lack of City of Worcester’s actions against the admitted violators of Worcester City ordinances regarding dogs in City parks.  The violators of the dog ordinances have been doing this for years and recently they led to a possible criminal disturbance of the peace at the Boynton Park. The City of Worcester has not taken any action to fine the admitted violators of the dog ordinance nor has it sought an application for a Clerk Magistrate hearing for probable cause finding of disturbance of the peace.

A supporter at the Court House said that the reality is that dogs are held to be more important that Black Lives Matter people by some in the City. Some in City government are supporting the dog ordinance violators by seeking to make Boynton Park a dog park. The irony of this is sad and frustrating. The dogs and their owners have been engaged in what can only be called civil disobedience for years and nothing was done to them. When a park employee tries to advise the dog owners that they are violating the law, the park employee was attacked at the park, in the media, and by some City officials.

There is only one conclusion that can be drawn; the City of Worcester, some of its officials, and some in the media consider the “civil rights” of dogs to be more important than the civil rights of Black people and our friends.

This racism has not stopped the Black Lives Matter new civil rights movement. A new chapter of “Black Lives Matter” is being formed in Worcester. The Community United Collective and other groups such as the Progressive Labor Party are planning more demonstrations and actions around racist police killings and other forms of racism.

Let us see who in the City government or running for City office will have the courage to fight for the police accountability that was the central demand of the Worcester 4 protesters. Let us also see who will support the issue of dog parks instead.