Resources for Supporting the Movement
This is a resource guide to help people in New Jersey support the movement for Black Lives by attending an event, donating, supporting policy change, and connecting with advocacy and activist organizations.
Table of Contents
- Demand Justice for Maurice Gordon’s Family
- Resources for Undocumented Immigrants
- Protests Around NJ
- How to Protest Safely
- Other Ways to Take Action
Demand Justice For Maurice Gordon’s Family
Maurice Gordon, a black 28 year-old man, was shot and killed on May 23rd on the Garden State Parkway in Bass River. He was pulled over by a New Jersey State Police trooper for speeding. When his car would not start up again, Gordon was told to sit in the police cruiser. He attempted to exit the vehicle and the episode escalated until the trooper shot him.
Learn what you can do at JusticeForMauriceGordon.com
Read his story
- “New Jersey officials to release dash-cam video in police killing of unarmed black man”
- “Family of Maurice Gordon demands answers in fatal New Jersey shooting”
Resources for Undocumented Immigrants
United We Dream: For UndocuLeaders Participating in Protest
United We Dream: Know Your Power
Take Precautions:
- Create a route ahead of time for the location of the event. Locate emergency exits.
- Create a plan in advance. Designate some family and friends to be in charge of your case and others to support in different ways.
- Stay close to your group at all times.
- Download Notifica if bringing your phone. Designate someone to alert if you are detained.
- Make sure your photos and videos are being synced to an online account such as iCloud. If you record your interaction with ICE, other people will be able to access it.
- Share with a loved one where you are heading. Have their number written down on a place besides your phone.
- Identity local organizations and bail bonds providing support.
- Identify a trusted Immigration Attorney ready to respond.
- Do not bring your passport. It can help ICE deport you faster.
- Don’t bring a foreign ID.
What To Do if Arrested or Stopped by an ICE Official:
- Know you have a right to protest. The First Amendment protects the rights of all people, regardless of immigration status, to attend protests.
- Ask them to identify themselves.
- Provide your name only.
- Remember you have the right to remain silent.
- Stay calm and don’t run.
- Don’t take ICE to your house to pick up your ID.
- Don’t sign anything.
- Don’t consent to being searched. You have a right to refuse being searched.
- Record and report the incident.
- Don’t lie or provide false documents.
Protests around New Jersey
The events listed were found through fliers, social media posts, and traditional news outlets. Please verify the information with local organizations and activists before attending.
Thursday, June 4th, 2020
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Clark Township - Organized by Mayor
- 12:00 PM Clark Commons 1244 Raritan Road, Clark, NJ 07066
- Flyer
-
Old Bridge
- 1:00 PM Lombardi Field, Carl Sandburg Middle School 3439 Highway 516, Old Bridge New Jersey
- Flyer
-
Carteret
- 1:45 PM Carteret Middle School 300 Carteret Ave, Carteret, NJ 07008
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Somerset - Organized by Jordan Browne with Franklin Township PD
- 3:00 PM Middlebush Park 421 DeMott LN, Somerset, NJ 08873 (Marching to Police Station)
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Garfield
- 3:30PM AppleBees Parking Lot, 186 Passaic Street, Garfield, NJ 0706
-
Hackensack
- 5:30 Black Lives Matter Rally-Hackensack Courthouse, 228 Park St, Hackensack, NJ 07601, USA
-
Piscataway
- 7:00PM (Vigil) Green Acres - 450 Sydney Road, Piscataway, NJ 08854
Friday, June 5th, 2020
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Teaneck
- 12:00 PM Bryant School - (To Bottom of Cedar Lane) 1 E Tryon Ave, Teaneck, NJ 07666
-
West Orange
- 12:30 PM Town Hall 66 Main St, West Orange, NJ 07052
- Flyer
-
Union
- 1:00 PM Union High School, 2350 N 3rd Street, Union, NJ, 07083
-
Hasbrouck Heights
- 2:30PM Hasbrouck Heights High School, 365 Boulevard, Hasbrouck Heights, NJ 07604
-
Asbury Park
- 4:00 PM Convention Hall (To Asbury Park Police Station), 1300 Ocean Ave., Asbury Park, NJ, 07712
Saturday, June 6th, 2020
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Englewood
- 9:30 AM Mackay Park, Englewood, NJ, 07631
-
Belleville
- 1:00 PM Belleville Town Hall, 152 Washington Ave Belleville, NJ
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Edison
- 1:00 PM, 925 Amboy Ave, Edison, NJ, 08837
-
Jersey City
- 4:00 PM City Hall, 280 Grove Street, Jersey City, NJ
- Flyer
Sunday, June 7th, 2020
-
Woodbridge
- 1:00 PM Parker Press Park, Woodbridge, NJ, 07095
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Westfield
- 2:45 PM Mindowaskin Park on 385 East Broad Street in Westfield, NJ
-
Elizabeth
- 11:00 AM Jefferson Park - 487 Jefferson Ave. Elizabeth, NJ
Monday, June 8th, 2020
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Ridgefield Park
- 11:00 AM Main Street By Webster Place
-
Union
- 1:00 PM Boys and Girls Club, 1050 Jeanette Ave, Union, NJ 07083
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Hazlet
- 1:00 PM Veterans Park, 1776 Union Ave, Hazlet, NJ 07730
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Edison
- 2:00 PM Sam’s Club to Edison High School, 883 US-1, Edison, NJ 08817
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Edison
- 2:00 PM Paterniti Park, Vineyard Rd, Edison, NJ 08817
-
Newark - hosted by People’s Organization for Progress
- 3:00 PM 970 Broad St., Newark, NJ 07102
-
Brick, NJ
- 3:00 PM Windward Beach Park, 265 Princeton Ave, Brick Township, NJ 08724
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Collingswood
- 4:00 PM Haddon Ave & E Cuthbert BlvdHaddon Township, NJ 08108
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Ewing
- 5:00 PM Moody Park, Parkside Ave & Buttonwood Drive, Ewing Township, NJ 08638
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Denville
- 6:00 PM Lower Bloomfield Ave Parking Lot
-
Hackensack
- 6:30 PM 91 Anderson St (City Office), Hackensack, NJ
Tuesday, June 9th, 2020
-
Bogota
- 1:00 PM Bogota HS to Borough Hall, 2 Henry C Luthin Pl, Bogota, NJ 07603
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Madison
- 2:00 PM Madison HS Senior Lot to Holy Family Parish, 170 Ridgedale Ave, Madison, NJ 07940
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Red Bank
- 3:00 PM Top of Marine Park, Red Bank, NJ
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Jersey City
- 4:00 PM City Hall, 280 Grove St, Jersey City, NJ 07302
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Paramus
- 4:00 PM Paramus HS Down Fairview Ave, 99 E Century Rd, Paramus, NJ 07652
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Dumont
- 4:30PM 2 Park Ave (Sorosis Park), Dumont, NJ
Wednesday, June 10th, 2020
-
East Orange
- 12:00 PM Sussex Avenue Mall to East Orange City Hall, 44 City Hall Plaza, East Orange, NJ 07018
-
Eatontown
- 5:00 PM Wampum Memorial Park, 35 West St, Eatontown, NJ 07724
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Hamilton
- 5:00 PM Sayen House and Gardens, 155 Hughes Dr, Hamilton Square, NJ 08690
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Lumberton
- 5:00 PM The Village Green Park, 75 Chestnut St, Lumberton, NJ 08048
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Tenafly
- 5:30 PM Stillman Elementary School to Huyler Park, 75 Tenafly Rd, Tenafly, NJ 07670
Friday, June 12th, 2020
-
Princeton
- 2:00 PM Community South Park, 380 Witherspoon St, Princeton, NJ 08542
-
East Brunswick
- 2:00 PM Municipal Building, 1 Jean Walling Civic Center, East Brunswick, NJ 08816
-
Wall Township
- 4:00 PM Wall Township Municipal Complex, 2700 Allaire Road, Wall, NJ 07719
Saturday, June 13th, 2020
-
Bridgewater
- 2:00 PM Somerset County Library, 1 Vogt Dr, Bridgewater Township, NJ 08807
- Flyer
-
Mount Holly
- 2:00 PM Rancocas Valley Regional HS, 520 Hedding Jacksonville Rd, Mt Holly, NJ 08060
How to Protest Safely
(NYC) Protest Guide [Legal/Medical/Safety/Surveillance]
Protest Safely & Know Your Rights
- The right to protest is a fundamental human right guaranteed by the First Amendment.
- If you get stopped by police, ask if you are free to go. If they say yes, walk away. Do not run.
- The right to protest includes the right to record, including recording police.
- The police can order people to stop interfering with legitimate police operations but video recording from a safe distance is not interfering.
- Police cannot confiscate any videos or photos you take without a warrant. The police’s main job in a protest is to protect your right to protest and de-escalate any threat of violence.
- If you get arrested, don’t say anything. Ask for a lawyer, immediately. Don’t sign anything and don’t agree to anything.
- If you get arrested, demand your right to a local phone call.
- Police cannot delete data from your device under any circumstances.
- If you stay on the street past a curfew or if you protest on private property, then you may be cited or arrested.
- At a public protest in the United States, you consent to a photo just by being there.
- If you are arrested, police may be permitted to know your name if they ask but they don't have the right to know where you're from or your citizenship status.
What To Bring To A Protest
- A small bag or backpack
- Water
- A face mask or bandana
- A hat or sunglasses (To protect your identity and as a shield from the sun)
- Snacks
- Suitable clothing: Wear all black to blend in with the crowd. To further conceal your identity, hide easily identifiable parts of your appearance such as any tattoos or dyed hair. Wear sneakers or other comfortable shoes.
- A change of clothes: In case, you are exposed to any harmful substances
- Hand sanitizer
- Phone: If you do bring your phone, keep it turned off which will make it harder for law enforcement to track your movements. Disable Touch ID or Face ID on your phone before you attend a protest. Make sure you have a numeric or pattern password.
- Cash: This is to avoid law enforcement tracking your movement via credit or debit cards.
- Washcloth: To soak in cold water if you are sprayed with tear gas or pepper spray.
Sources:
American Civil Liberties Union. “Know Your Rights While Protesting Police Brutality.” Accessed June 3, 2020. https://www.aclu.org/news/free-speech/know-your-rights-while-protesting-police-brutality/
CNN, Scottie Andrew. “If You’re Planning to Take Part in Protests, Know Your Rights. Read This.” CNN. Accessed June 3, 2020. https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/02/us/how-to-protest-safely-know-your-rights-wellness-trnd/index.html.
“How to Protest Safely: What to Bring, What to Do, and What to Avoid.” Wired. Accessed June 3, 2020. https://www.wired.com/story/how-to-protest-safely-gear-tips/.
Other Ways to Take Action
Online Actions
- Donate:
- Sign Petitions
-
Educate
- Anti-Racism Resources with Books to Read
- Spanish language resources for Lantino/a community
-
Asian American Resources
- South Asians committed to ending state violence against Black people must also work to undo anti-Blackness within by Deepa Iyer
- An introduction to shared Black Desi history
- More shared history stories we were never taught
- A community letter you can copy from
- How to respond to "but why should I care?"
- Conversation Starter #1: The California Desis who kneeled for George Floyd
- Conversation Starter #2: The Bangladeshi restaurant owners who valued life
- Conversation Starter #3: The Indian man who opened his home
- What happened when four Desis asked their parents about #BlackLivesMatter?
- The script for a training on anti-Blackness in South Asian communities
- South Asians for Black Lives newsletter and Instagram:
- South Asians in Defense of Black Lives event
- Other Resources
Connect with these organizations and groups in New Jersey:
New Jersey Institute of Social Justice
Black Lives Matter - New Jersey
Black Alliance for Justice Immigration
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