Melrose Youth Organized Protest, Chose To Postpone

MELROSE, MA — A high school student who organized a protest for Sunday decided to postpone it in favor of a more organized, well-communicated version, and not because of any outside pressure from police or city officials, the student's father said.

The student, whose father asked not be identified, is one of two students who organized the protest following the death of George Floyd in police custody. The city found about the protest Saturday; A member of the police department spoke with the family that night and the student decided it was best to delay the protest.

The student was "100 percent on board" with postponing the protest, his father said. What had started between a couple high school students made its way through social media to some other people, but most in Melrose were unaware of it until a post on the city website Sunday saying it was canceled. It was scheduled for Gooch Park at 3.

The student, "a social justice warrior, for sure," according to his father, had safety in mind when deciding to postpone. The father supported his son's activism.

"I'm proud of him," he said.

Chief of Police Mike Lyle told Patch nobody attended the protest after it was canceled, and officers were gone from Gooch Park by 4.

Police called in standby resources from the the North Eastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council in case they were necessary, which they weren't.

Lyle said he will speak with the student this week.

There is no date set for the protest.

Related: Melrose Leaders Issue Statement On George Floyd's Death

"George Floyd should be alive today and the way he was treated by law enforcement is tragic and wrong," Lyle said in city's post. "I understand the frustration members of our community are feeling at a time like this because I share it. Ensuring that their right to safely and peacefully assemble is protected and supported remains my goal. This is at the heart of the community policing model practiced here in Melrose."

The city on Friday held a virtual vigil put on by Mayor Paul Brodeur and the Melrose Human Rights Commission.

"Friday’s vigil was a powerful statement about both the injustice that persists in cities and neighborhoods throughout the country and how committed Melrosians are to ensuring that we remain one community open to all," Brodeur said. "While this particular gathering has been cancelled, I want to ensure everyone’s safety as our community marks this unacceptable loss of life and the systemic injustices it represents. And to be crystal clear, the right of all our residents to gather peacefully to protest or rally for change is one that I will always defend and I encourage people to exercise."