Scituate man leads peaceful protest at rotary

Like most people across the country, Desmond Sullivan watched in shock and horror the now infamous video of George Floyd, a Black man in Minneapolis lying on the ground pleading for his life as a white police officer knelt on his neck until he was rendered unconscious.

Floyd later died.

Sullivan, a 20-year old Scituate resident, was motivated to do something.

He and his sister, Molly, started holding up signs on Friday (May 29) around the Greenbush rotary.

“We want to do this in support of victims of police brutality and systemic racism that exists in the U.S.,” Sullivan said. “I do this because I was raised to respect others and care for others. My Black friends speak with such pain, anger, and frustration. I feel it is my duty to support them in whatever way I can.”

Sullivan is not associated with any group or organization, he said, but maybe with enough support he can work to mobilize the local community to support the “Black Lives Matter” movement.

“Even if just one driver rethinks our justice system, police brutality, racism, xenophobia, our leaders, or their place in this mess, then I will have accomplished that mission,” Sullivan said. “I hope that young people continue to show up for these protests.”

It was just the two siblings holding signs on Friday, but by Saturday others showed up with signs who wanted to join them.

“I figured that we had some traction, so we decided to organize a bigger protest on Sunday,” Sullivan said. “We spread the word through Facebook, Instagram, and word of mouth.”

The people who are protesting alongside Sullivan are some of his friends and family, “but most are simply passionate citizens of all ages who want real change in our town, state, and country,” he said.

Sullivan has been involved in some marches such as the Women’s March in Boston, but holding up signs on the side of the road in Scituate is a totally new experience.

The response has been mixed.

“Many drivers honk their horns in support but we are on the end of some negative reactions as well. Some people show the middle finger and shout ‘All Lives Matter,’ or ‘Trump 2020.’ I take this with a grain of salt; a polarized society is our reality. I just stay silent and look straight ahead when it happens, knowing that soon another driver will come by and show their support.”

To those who retort, “All Lives Matter,” Sullivan said of course all lives matter.

“We are not holding up signs that say ‘Only Black Lives Matter,’ we are simply seeking acknowledgement of the injustices that exist. This counter-argument is insensitive, semantic, unproductive, and ridiculous.”

This is a unique moment in U.S. history, Sullivan points out.

“We are in the midst of a global pandemic which has claimed the lives of more than 100,000 people in the U.S. People of color are dying of the virus in massively disproportionate numbers compared to white people,” he said. “People of color are more likely to be deemed essential workers, while many white people, especially evident in Scituate, are afforded the luxury and privilege of working safely from home. This is a generalized statement and every situation is unique, but I think the sentiment is legitimate. The coronavirus has laid bare the inequity of our U.S. society.”

After being out at the Scituate rotary most of the day on Sunday, Sullivan joined thousands of others for a march in Boston later that evening. He took part in the march, he said, because he refuses “to stand idly by while Black people get lynched by those in power.”

“It is disgusting. I have cried more over the past week than I have in months. Enough is enough. The time is now, the opportunity is here. Social media posts are necessary but are only one part of the solution. Mobilizing and putting our bodies in the fight is one of the most critical parts of the movement. The people need to seize it. People need to know that Black Lives Matter.”

Follow Ruth Thompson on Twitter @scituateruth