Hopewell Township Rally for Police Accountability organizers returned in front of the Hopewell Township municipal building and police department to demand action on police accountability.
This was the third rally organized by Hopewell Township Rally for Police Accountability. More than 100 Hopewell Valley residents gathered and started the rally in front of the building, with protesters holding signs and chanting in protest by Washington Crossing-Pennington Road on July 18.
Attendees would go on to spread out across the lawn that divides sections of the parking lot, most people perching underneath trees to stay in the shade.
The call for accountability arose as social justice protests have gripped the country after the deaths of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor; and Hopewell Township grappled with accusations and investigations into improper social media conduct by Hopewell Township police officers and employees.
Since June, the police accountability rallies held in Hopewell Township and Hopewell Borough have also spotlighted Sgt. Michael Sherman of the Hopewell Township Police Department, who filed a lawsuit in 2019 against the department alleging years of harassment and racist comments he experienced as an officer.
Founder of Hopewell Rally for Police Accountability, Paul Pierson, kicked off the event by sharing a video with attendees and encouraging those gathered to continue to be heard, spotlighting the retirement of Chief Lance Maloney as evidence that the protests—and all the ways the community has been showing up—is making a difference, according to organizer Chris Pierson.
He added that other speakers joining Pierson at the rally were Dhruv Kapadia, an outgoing Hopewell Valley Central High School senior who spoke about systemic racism; protestors from Stand In Solidarity speaking about their work and the recurring protests at the corner of Delaware and Rt. 31 in Pennington; and Dr. Nathalie Edmond, who shared work written by Dr. Carolyn Gordon.
This latest rally would occur on the heels of the township announcing the retirement of the Maloney, which would go into effect Aug. 1.