Published August 20, 2020
By MAUREEN DOHERTY
NORTH READING — A large, friendly and enthusiastic crowd turned out on a hot afternoon last Wednesday for a rally on the Town Common in support of all police officers, with a special emphasis on thanking the town’s police officers.
Open to all those who wished to participate in a non-political rally simply to thank local law enforcement officers for their service to the community, they young and old alike lined the sidewalk on Park Street, from Bow Street, directly across from the Police Station, stretching nearly to the Ryer’s intersection
Starting at 5:30 p.m., participants waved to the passing cars, motorcyclists and bicyclists while holding American Flags, thin blue line flags, homemade signs and dozens of lawn signs that read: “We Support & Thank our Law Enforcement Officers.”
Blue lights were strung around the bandstand where DJ Peter Accolla spun classic rock and country tunes and a small crowd enjoyed the shade of the Great Oak on the common. The mood was lighthearted and plenty of motorists heading home for supper honked their horns in support.
A group of about 12 counter-protesters carrying signs for BLM and advocating justice for victims of police violence shared a section of the Park Street sidewalk with them, closer to Haverhill Street, and they also received their share of support from passersby.
Many of the participants had family members who currently serve on a police force or had in the past. Current and retired law enforcement officers and members of the military were also present.
Longtime residents Mark and Linda Letzeisen attended in support of their youngest son, Brian, a sergeant on the Northampton police force and father of three. Noel Riley attended with her mother, Shari Riley, and her aunt, Paula Desrosiers, all of North Reading. They wore Cambridge Police t-shirts, a nod to Rick Riley, who serves on that department. Dyana Boutwell brought her son Jackson, 12, and daughter Taylor, 8, to the festivities and they enthusiastically waved and held signs.
Local resident Glacinda Santos came in support of her nephew, a current officer on the NRPD, and her brother-in-law, who is retired from the force, as well as all the other honest, hard-working and non-racist law enforcement officers. She carried a sign that read: “I support honest, non-racist police.”
In the final 15 minutes of the rally, DJ Peter Accolla invited everyone to gather around the bandstand to listen to a few words from the organizers. “We all know there is work to be done but we also know there are many good men and women who put that uniform on every day to help keep us safe, and that’s why I’m here,” he said before passing the mic to Liane Gonzalez, another organizer of the Support the Blue rally.
She enthusiastically thanked those in attendance for their support. “This is more than we could have asked for. We’re just thrilled to see this turn out. Welcome patriots!” Gonzalez said.
The committee of four included herself, Accolla, Laina Simone and Annette Gentile.
“We want to thank everyone who took the time and effort to show that the silent majority is no longer silent,” Gonzalez said, adding, “I am a member of the North Reading Select Board who not only supports our first responders but who will never vote to de-fund them. But more importantly, I am the wife of a retired Mass. state trooper, who is standing in the crowd, and I’m the mother of a current state trooper, who just went home because she was on about 24 hours of no sleep.”
“Why am I here? Why are you all here? Why did the four of us spend … our own money and personal time and endure personal attacks on our character? Because we know the time is now to stand up for our law enforcement who are under attack,” Gonzalez told the crowd.
She wanted to dispel the notion stated by some on a local social media forum that they only reason this rally was being organized was to oppose the BLM movement.
“One thing that kept being said was that we only decided to have this event in opposition to two other events here in town. Nothing could be further from the truth. We applaud anyone who stands up and uses their first amendment right,” Gonzalez said. “God bless this country and God bless our flag.”
On a personal level, she said wanted to help organize this event after watching the peaceful protests following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis last May turn violent in Boston. “I had to watch as my daughter and her brothers and sisters in law enforcement, who were there to protect the peaceful protesters, became the enemy. I watched in horror as bricks and fireworks were thrown at them,” she said, referring to the hours of newscasts dedicated to covering the protests in early June. “I prayed every day and night as she put on her riot gear and went out the door… that God would protect my girl,” Gonzalez said.
Simone was responsible for bringing the lawn signs to town, which were given out free to anyone who asked.
“All these signs that you see here were started by a woman, her name is Olivia Windsor. She decided to put out a few signs to support her boyfriend who has been a police officer for 10 years, and his colleagues. I am so thrilled to say it has completed taken off. Over the past week we have given out 2,000 signs!” Simone said as the crowd erupted in applause.
Simone offered to give signs to anyone who wanted to take them home. She added that those who are interested in getting more signs may visit the Support the Blue Facebook event page. “I will be happy to make arrangements to get you one,” Simone said. At press time, she had ordered an additional 1,000 signs. She can be reached at lconti68@hotmail.com.
“We are so grateful. God bless America,” Simone told the crowd.
Gonzalez took to the podium once more. “We want to thank every police officer, every military member who is willing to put on a uniform and make the sacrifice to possibly risk their own life to protect ours. I would like you to applaud and show appreciation to our own North Reading Police Department who are among us,” she said.
Appreciation was also offered to the town’s firefighters. “I don’t want anyone to think we are slighting our amazing Fire Department right across the street!” Gonzalez said, to which the crowd applauded once more.
The ceremony ended with a moment of silence for every police officer who has died in the line of duty. As the crowd dispersed, the familiar lyrics to Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the USA” followed the participants to their cars: “If tomorrow all the things were gone I’d worked for all my life and I had to start again with just my children and my wife, I’d thank my lucky stars to be living here today ‘cause the flag still stands for freedom and they can’t take that away. And I’m proud to be an American, where at least I know I’m free, and I won’t forget the men who died who gave that right to me. And I’d gladly stand up next to you and defend her still today ‘cause there ain’t no doubt I love this land! God Bless the U.S.A…”