Waltham Black Lives Matter Protest Draws Crowd To Common

WALTHAM, MA — For the past several days on the Waltham Common people have gathered in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. On Friday between 1 p.m. and 2:30 more than a hundred gathered holding signs as cars drove past honking.

The student-run vigil comes in the wake of the death of George Floyd last week after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly 9 minutes. The death of Floyd sparked protests and rallies across the country, including several rallies across Boston that have brought out as many as 20,000 people.

For nearly 9 minutes, those gathered dropped to the ground in a silent "die-in" to honor Floyd.

"The protest was great. It was very peaceful and it really made me feel like people are ready for change," said Kevin Durand, who has lived in Waltham his entire life and not seen anything like this. "I feel like we have to keep our foot on the pedal. Today we saw A LOT of people who were not African American. And that tells you that people hear our message and want to make change."

The protest was meant to be a peaceful one, and organizers got permission from the city to hold the gathering, provided participants agreed to be respectful and not disturb the peace, practice safe distancing and wear a face covering.

Co Organizer Abigayle Versackas is a student at Framingham State University, a member of the LGBTQ+ community and an advocate for Vietnam War Veterans, specifically those suffering or who have suffered with PTSD or any war-related trauma. She told Patch she was compelled to organize by the pain and suffering that she saw happening around the world.

"I wanted to spark dialogue for change and ensure that history does not repeat itself," she said. "As a history major and fanatic, I wanted to make some of my own history with really great individuals and give a voice for those who don’t have one. I wanted to rally up allies, make change and bring justice to this horrible tragedy. "

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