Peaceful protest held in Brentwood over death of George Floyd

Hundreds of people in Brentwood lined Crooked Hill Road outside of the state park and Suffolk County Community College Saturday to bring attention to the death of George Floyd.

News 12 Staff

May 30, 2020, 4:39 PM

Updated 1,436 days ago

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Hundreds of people in Brentwood lined Crooked Hill Road outside of the state park and Suffolk County Community College Saturday to bring attention to the death of George Floyd.
The Facebook page that organized the protest, called "Say Their Names A Protest for George Floyd," said that they were spurred to action after seeing video of 46-year-old Floyd, an unarmed black man, who was killed after a white police officer pressed his knee into his neck for almost nine minutes while taking him into custody. Organizers said it was too shocking of an incident for them to stay quiet about.
Organizers also focused on making sure people did not forget the names of others, mostly those who are black, who died following police encounters.
Protesters say one of the messages they hope to get across to people who are driving by and people who see them rallying is that what was seen in Minneapolis is not an isolated incident.
Organizers handed out gloves, masks and hand sanitizer at the event. Most protesters were not standing at least 6 feet apart, but Suffolk police or park police were not seen enforcing social distancing.
Suffolk Police Commissioner Geraldine Hart says there was a visible, appropriate county law enforcement response.
For protesters who didn't want to be in the crowd, organizers said they were welcome to protest from their car.
During the protest, a person carrying an anti-news sign approached a News 12 crew and stood in front of the camera, even putting his mouth on the lens. The crew moved to another location.
Nassau police tell News 12 in a statement that they welcome peaceful protesting, saying, "The Nassau County Police Department's Intelligence Unit is closely monitoring social media for any possible threats to Nassau County. Nassau County will not tolerate any acts of violence or criminal mischief to property. Those who violate the law will be arrested immediately."
PHOTOS: Photos from the Minneapolis protests
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