“Hey hey, ho ho. These racist cops have got to go,” chanted dozens of demonstrators in the Hamlet of Wallkill on Thursday.

In addition to chants, protestors held up signs reading “Black Lives Matter” and “No Justice, No Peace.” This outcry was in response to George Floyd’s death on May 25. Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died in Minneapolis, Minnesota, after white police officer Derek Chauvin knelt on his neck for almost nine minutes while Floyd was handcuffed and lying face down on the street.

The demonstrators marched from Wallkill Senior High School to Garrison Park and back again. Town of Shawangunk Police Officers were present during the protests in order to keep the peace.

Once gathered at the park protestors joined in pairs with someone of a different race. This was done to promote unity and condemn racism. A number of community members gave speeches at the park.

Larry Newkirk Jr., a graduate of Wallkill Senior High School, discussed the prevalence of police racism toward black people.

“It’s bittersweet because we’ve been getting killed for years,” he said. “And now because there’s no excuse we can finally unite as a community and come out here and speak and march and tell the truth.”

He reminded people that the Civil Rights Movement was not long ago. Newkirk Jr.’s father was a teenager when Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. Racism is still evident in this country.

“If you are not speaking out against the injustices in your police department, you are complicit,” Newkirk Jr. said.

Shawna Newkirk-Reynolds, the first African American teacher in the history of the Wallkill Central School District, discussed the importance of teaching children right from wrong. She broke the color barrier in 2006.

“I’m deeply concerned about the future of this country,” she said.

Newkirk-Reynolds added that it is important for residents to attend school board and town board meetings in order to change their communities for the better.

The speeches concluded with a powerful hug. Mike Restuccia, a white man, hugged Ruth Saircloth, a black woman. Both had admitted that they were once racist and this act of kindness showed their growth as people.

Tajwuan Bates, who organized the demonstration with the help of fellow Wallkill Senior High School graduates Marquis Hines and Steven Moyer noted that the speeches at Garrison Park were helpful.

“It was a way to bring awareness, to educate and provide solutions,” Bates said.