The Black Lives Matter movement is one that Montclair residents take very seriously. We are dismayed by the numbers of innocent people of color who are killed by police throughout the country. We stand with the Black Lives Matter movement in saying that we want our authorities to address issues of conscious and unconscious racism that lead to these killings. To stand with the BLM movement is to say that we do not accept excessive violence on people of color.

In some parts of the country, alternate campaigns have begun, including Blue Lives Matter. While we, the residents of Montclair, respect and appreciate the risk of workplace violence that our Montclair Police Department face in the line of duty, we are conscious of the fact that the Blue Lives Matter campaign, and the blue lines that are often painted on streets are divisive. While maybe not intentional, the painting of a blue line on the street, symbolizes a challenge to the Black Lives Matter movement.

We do not approve of the blue line being painted on Bloomfield Avenue. We want the town to stand with us in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. The town should remove this symbol, which, intentional or not, serves as a chilling message to people of color.
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