Waltham Black Lives Matter Rally To March Down Lexington Street

WALTHAM, MA — Saturday hundreds are expected to attend a Black Lives Matter march and rally from the high school all the way to Leary Field, prompting road closures between 4 p.m. and 4:30 p.m.

“Our goal is to unify the community in a time of despair, call attention to racist police brutality nationwide, and seek demilitarization of police forces,” said Anna Sebunnya, a Waltham resident who is coordinating the event, which was spearheaded by a group Waltham High School students she works with at the Boys & Girls Club.

Motivational speaker Kurt Faustin and Teen Coordinator at the Waltham Boys and Girls Club Kendall Gillians along with youth speakers will take the mic. Expect the speaking program to be interspersed with spoken-word and musical performances. There will also be an open mic for additional speakers, according to organizers.

The march comes just a week after more than a hundred gathered on the Waltham Common and held a "die in" laying on the ground for nearly 9 minutes. The same amount of time a Minneapolis police officer knelt on the neck of George Floyd before he died. 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.

The group will meet at Waltham High School at 3 p.m. Saturday and will step off for Leary Field about 4 p.m. As the crowd walks the 1.5 miles to Leary Field along Lexington Street, that road from the High School to Beaver Street will be closed to traffic as will Bacon Street from Totten Pond Road to Leary Field and all side streets connecting to those roadways. See more on the rally & march here

The League of Women Voters will provide voter registration information at the high school and Leary Field. Progressive Waltham, Waltham Concerned Citizens, WATCH CDC, Waltham Partnership for Youth, Waltham Mutual Aid Network, Waltham Democratic City Committee, Agape Spiritual Community, Chaplains on the Way, First Lutheran Church, Rios de Agua Viva, St. Jude Parish have all endorsed the event.

Organizers are asking that attendees wear masks, observe social distancing guidelines. Participants are encouraged to wear black and bring signs.

Read more:

Waltham City Council Eyes Black Lives Matter Resolution

Waltham Black Lives Matter Protest Draws Crowd To Common

Patch reporter Jenna Fisher can be reached at Jenna.Fisher@patch.com or by calling 617-942-0474. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram (@ReporterJenna).Have a press release you'd like posted on the Waltham Patch? Here's how to post your photos of the rally, an opinion piece or event.