Live Coverage: Secaucus Black Lives Matter/Police Reform March

SECAUCUS, NJ — Hundreds of people attended the Black Lives Matter/March Against Racism protest and rally Monday night in Secaucus.

The march appeared to be organized by middle school students from Secaucus public schools and several of them spoke Monday night:

"Good evening everyone. Thank you all for being here. There is a lot that a 14-year-old does not understand. But I watch the news, I go on social media sites, and I talk with my friends," said Secaucus eighth grader, Emily Manrique. "What I do know is that the recent events involving George Floyd, what happened to him on that video, is wrong. I also know that racism is at the heart of the tragedy and that there have been countless examples in our American past."

"I guess I'm here because I need to feel that I'm helping to make a change," said the teenager.

The protest march set off early, before the 6:30 p.m. start time, from the Secaucus library. All the streets in the center of town were closed, to allow marchers to walk to Buchmuller Park, where they heard speeches at the amphitheater. There were many children and families present.

The only moment of tension appeared to be when protesters took a knee for more than eight minutes to mark the way Floyd died. A man and a few others in the crowd shouted at the Secaucus police officers present at Buchmuller to take a knee.

None of the officers complied.

"Come on, sarge! Be a leader! Be a leader! You're part of the problem," he said. "See this, this is why! Right here. This is your moment to shine. This right here, is the problem," he said, when the officers refused to kneel.

Other people also shouted at police to kneel.

Then several in the crowd loudly said "Shhhh!," told the group to be quiet, "be more respectful" or a more direct: "Shut up."

You can watch the tense exchange below:

Secaucus Mayor Mike Gonnelli and Councilwoman Orietta Tringali marched in the protest. According to Gonnelli, the protest was mostly organized by a ninth grade Secaucus girl, but he did not have her name.

There were a few adult organizers.

"Right here in our town, in front of town hall there is a statue of a police officer with his hand outstretched to help a child," said one of the adult organizers, Secaucus resident Kelly Formisano. "Please tell me when this actually happens. When they get out of their car and engage with the community. I do recognize that there are good officers trying to help."

"This doesn’t happen in our town," Formisano said later at the protest. "Thus is huge! This doesn’t happen here (in Secaucus). Vote them out of office!" she said, to cheers from the crowd.

"And things are changing. They are defunding the police, and putting that money back into the black community. Laws are being changed," she said.

Secaucus eighth grader Emily Manrique speaks:

The march down Paterson Plank Road:

Anyone was then welcome to come up and speak and 9-year-old Andres Castillo of Secaucus got up and took the mic: