New Photographer Captures Emotions Of April 19th Protest In Beacon - Plus A Look At Her Other Eidetic Ethereal Photos

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“Every day online we are being silenced and re-routed to a community that we think is big. Being in the crowd today helped me remember how important it is to talk offline.”
— Isis Ortiz

A new photographer, Isis Ortiz, captured moments in today’s April 19th protest in Beacon, which was part of a nation-wide show of solidarity against the inhuman and illegal kidnappings of people; illogical cratering of civil and social services; and the forced collapse of global trade as we know it.

Isis Ortiz went outside to photograph the event. Her other photography of nature and people is so stunning, we included it in this article as well, for your eyes to rest on. Scroll down for all of the photos, and for Isis’ thoughts on today’s demonstration, as well as her approach to photography in general.

“In reference to today’s protest,” Isis told A Little Beacon Blog, “I think it is important to keep talking and to keep sharing stories. Every day online we are being silenced and re-routed to a community that we think is big. Being in the crowd today helped me remember how important it is to talk offline. It is time we reach All people, not just personalized algorithms. It is time we talk, enlighten and remind them of love and human connection, in hopes that it will help change these inhumane decisions we have been making. We can fight anything with love!”

Said a fellow ALBB reader Tiffany De La Cruz about the rally: “It was a really good turnout in Beacon. We knew it would not be as big as April 5th due to folks prioritizing togetherness with family for the holiday. There will be many, many more protests for those who didn’t or couldn’t join. Poughkeepsie had a great turnout as well, with only a few and severely outnumbered counter protesters. We need to keep showing up and showing out. Local online groups are often overflowing with hateful rhetoric which might make you think there are more of those people out there, but the reality is that those who actually get off their asses and care and show up are those who support equality, immigrants, our veterans, due process, and our constitution like true patriots.”

“It’s like an eidetic image, so vivid and dreamy. I like my photos to feel like a memory. ”
— Isis Ortiz

“When referencing my photography, most times I feel the need to have these profound explanations behind my photos, when truly I just like the way they look. I like the warmth you feel from light in the photo or the coldness from the blue hues. It’s like an eidetic image, so vivid and dreamy. I like my photos to feel like a memory.

“I also just love people so much. Their faces, bodies and the world around them. I love being guided to an emotion, using the colors in the photo like a mood ring.”

Protest Planned For Saturday 12pm Up Main Street: "Stop the Cuts and Unconstitutional Detainment"

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Stop the Cuts and Unconstitutional Detainment
Day: Saturday, April 19, 2025
Time: 12-3pm
Location: “Join together to speak out against the anti-democratic and anti-American cuts to our people and unlawful pulling people off.”

“We will meet at noon at Polhill Park Beacon. At 12:45pm. We will walk/march up Main Street to Verplanck & Matteawan Rd to join in a rally and vigil with the Justice for All of Us group for speakers and a vigil.”

ALBB Editor’s Note: Verplanck and Matteawan do not intersect Main Street. Not sure how this route is going to go. Additionally, there were several misspellings and grammar errors in the original description of this event at the Mobilize website. As longtime readers of ALBB know, ALBB also has errors, but we want to point these out, as we do not know who the organizers are. Also, ALBB does not recommend registering. Protesters do not need to register to any protest to attend.
Information >

FAQs For Today's HANDS OFF! Protest In Beacon, NY

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Protest FAQs

Some readers have submitted questions, so we will answer them here. As always, submit your questions on any topic at any time.

"We are 2 seniors. Where is the best place to park?"
Polhill Park is located in a hilly area, no matter what direction you come from. Free parking is available at the Beacon Police Station, which is across the street (Wolcott Ave.) from Polhill Park. You will need to walk uphill from there to get to Polhill Park. Otherwise, you could park in the back roads on this side of Wolcott, behind South Avenue. Be mindful of people's driveways and fire hydrants. Don't block any. You'll still need to walk downhill a bit.

"Do we need to register?"
No. You can just show up. Registration at that web page was created because this is a nation-wide protest. When this happens, there are registration platforms created so that people can search by zip code to find the nearest protest. In theory, you could protest-hop. Go from one protest to another. But don't tire yourself out :)

“Is registering normal? Why is NATO mentioned in the protest flyer?”
That question has been answered in full here. With contributions from other concerned readers.

"How are the Beacon Police?"
From my experience as a white woman who has covered many protests in Beacon starting in 2020 with Black Lives Matter, the Beacon Police serve as facilitators of a protest. Even if one springs up without advance notice to them, they make their presence at the protest. Sometimes just their presence makes people uncomfortable. This was especially so during 2020 BLM. But as far as I have seen, their presence was there and they did not interfere. In fact, the police chief now, Chief Figlia, spoke at one of the BLM Open Mics, sharing his personal experience and wanting to connect with the community.

At this protest, I personally would not be afraid of Beacon Police. In this climate, however, I would remain alert as to who I can't tell is police in plain clothes, or posing as ICE, or is enforcement from another police agency.

"Should I attend?"
Up to you. Your safety is the most important. If you feel safe attending, I would say to smother yourself in calm vibes. If there are any agitators, or a$$holes, they may try to say things to poke you. Remind yourself to take deep breaths and to not respond. Zip your lips, and keep to any chants if you feel like chanting, or just listen and be present.

“This was removed from the mobilize us website is it still happening in Beacon?”
Interesting. I just called Beacon Police to verify, and as far as they know, it is happening. They said they were planning on checking in a little later in the day before it starts to make sure, but as far as they know, yes. I checked in with a few others with ears to the ground, and they have heard nothing about it being canceled.

UPDATE: A reader sent in this link, that the registration has “Reached Capacity”. It was not removed from the site, but apparently that site has a "capacity." Registering for a protest is never necessary, and personally, ALBB does not recommend registering, as who knows who is getting your data. A protest against a dictatorship and purposeful cratering of an economy can be organized by Zios who may be aligned with a viewpoint of no dictators, but not aligned with leveling Palestine and not caring about Pro-Palestine harassment. So be careful.

"Is this protest for Pro-Palestine? Because if so, I'm not attending."
That's an annoying question. If you're going to fight tariffs and dictatorship, then you might as well absorb a Free Palestine into your life. Because the federal budget did not decrease for sending Made In The USA bombs to kill children, women, men, medics, journalists, scholars, and artists in Palestine. Not to mention completely level cities. If you're pro-gun control but can't bother yourself to be vocal about Palestine, then you might as well start now. Ammunition and blowing things up is big business. It's all connected.

Stay safe.

Protest Details

Day: Saturday, April 5, 2025
Time: 3pm-5pm
Location: Polhill Park
As part of the Hands OFF! protests being organized around the country, Beacon's will be at Polhill Park (near Bank Square Coffeehouse) from 3pm-5pm.

This protest is inspired by protecting:
Medicaid + Medicare + Social Security + Our Jobs + Our Wallets + Our Bodies + Fair Elections + Personal Data + Public Lands + Beteran Services + Cancer Research + NATO + Consumer Protections + Clean Air + Clean Energy + Schools + Libraries + Free Speech + LGBTQ+ Rights + Immigrants + Courts + More

About this event:
From the Organizers: “Donald Trump and Elon Musk think this country belongs to them. We are fighting back!”

“They're taking everything they can get their hands on—our health care, our data, our jobs, our services—and daring the world to stop them. This is a crisis, and the time to act is now.”

🚨 On Saturday, April 5th, we're taking to the streets to fight back with a clear message: Hands off! 🚨

“This mass mobilization day is our message to the world that we do not consent to the destruction of our government and our economy for the benefit of Trump and his billionaire allies. Alongside Americans across the country, we are marching, rallying, and protesting to demand a stop the chaos and build an opposition movement against the looting of our country.”

“A core principle behind all Hands Off! events is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values.”

Check out handsoff2025.com for more information.

PROTEST in BEACON: Saturday, April 5th: "Hands Off! Beacon Fights Back"

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⚾️⚾️⚾️🏟️ Corey Booker has you all excited!! You’re writing in to ALBB asking where are the protests for April 5. Finally the answer came in! This has been updated in ALBB’s Calendar, and republished below.

PS: some of you might want to organize one at the local Poughkeepsie and/or Newburgh Targets for DEI rollbacks! 🤷🏼‍♀️🙅🏼‍♀️ Like they did in Mount Vernon, NY.

🇵🇸 Free Palestine. It’s all connected. 🖤

PROTEST: Hands Off! Beacon Fights Back
Day: Saturday, April 5, 2025
Time: 3pm-5pm
Location: Pohill Park
As part of the Hands OFF! protests being organized around the country, Beacon's will be at Pohill Park (near Bank Square Coffeehouse) from 3pm-5pm.

This protest is inspired by protecting:
Medicaid + Medicare + Social Security + Our Jobs + Our Wallets + Our Bodies + Fair Elections + Personal Data + Public Lands + Beteran Services + Cancer Research + NATO + Consumer Protections + Clean Air + Clean Energy + Schools + Libraries + Free Speech + LGBTQ+ Rights + Immigrants + Courts + More

About this event:
From the Organizers: “Donald Trump and Elon Musk think this country belongs to them. We are fighting back!”

“They're taking everything they can get their hands on—our health care, our data, our jobs, our services—and daring the world to stop them. This is a crisis, and the time to act is now.”

🚨 On Saturday, April 5th, we're taking to the streets to fight back with a clear message: Hands off! 🚨

“This mass mobilization day is our message to the world that we do not consent to the destruction of our government and our economy for the benefit of Trump and his billionaire allies. Alongside Americans across the country, we are marching, rallying, and protesting to demand a stop the chaos and build an opposition movement against the looting of our country.”

“A core principle behind all Hands Off! events is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values.”

Check out handsoff2025.com for more information.

Protest Against The President And Musk Held In Beacon On President's Day - Part Of Nationwide Movement

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Protesters demonstrating against the President and Elon Musk on Presidents Day. The signs read “Keep the Immigrants, Deport the Racists” and “Tump-Musk don’t care about you.”
Photo Credit: Jean Noack

Demonstrators protesting against the president and Elon Musk at Pohill Park in Beacon, NY.
Photo Credit: Jean Noack

By Jean Noack

A demonstration was held at Polhill Park today at noon. An organization called Indivisible Beacon appeared to have been the organizer, which drew about 30 people to the event. The temperature was below freezing. The event was part of a nationwide call for protests to be held at noon local time against the Trump agenda.

Read about the nationwide protests at NPR and Democracy Now. NPR states: “The protests follow a series of executive orders signed by President Trump, including actions led by billionaire Elon Musk, which have been criticized for their aims to diminish the role of the federal government.”

A protest at noon in Beacon, NY at Pohill Park in below freezing temperatures.
Photo Credit: Jean Noack

Pro-Palestine March Down Main Street In Beacon | Saturday, Feb 3, 12pm, Pohill Park

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Beacon's Demonstration For A Free Palestine! Ceasefire Now!
End the Genocide! End the Occupation! End the Apartheid! Free Palestine!
Day: Saturday, February 3, 2024
Time: 12pm start
Location: Pohill Park (Main Street and Wolcott near Bank Square Coffee)
From the organizers at Next Up Hudson Valley: "We need to wage peace the way they wage war. Join us this Saturday as we continue to disrupt the normalcy in Beacon, New York. #FreePalestine 🍉✊🏾"
Information >

50 Beacon Jewish Voters and Kids Dedicate Hanukka’s 8th Night To Demand Call For Ceasefire From Pat Ryan

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The weeks after October 7, 2023 have been confusing and ever-changing. The feelings of which remain daily. Locally in Beacon, everyone wanted to protect their neighbor - Jewish, Muslim - Arab - to ensure their safety. Protests started in the name of Palestine, led by some Jewish and Palestinian community leaders, like this one in October outside of Congressman Pat Ryan’s office, and this one after the Thanksgiving “ceasefire pause,” also outside of Pat Ryan’s office. The Congressman has yet to call for a ceasefire or give any acknowledgement of the indiscriminate killing of Palestinians, and targeted of others (like journalists).

In response to Pat Ryan’s silence, more Beaconites in the Jewish community began to mobilize, resulting in a ceasefire lighting of the menorah on the 8th and final night of Hanukkah outside of Pat Ryan’s office in Newburgh Thursday evening.

At first, an artsy Ceasefire Menorah sign emerged on social media. The adhesive bling and glitter tape placed at odd angles indicated this was a sign made by children in sincerity, trying to stop the bombing. This is classic Beacon style, for those who were in Beacon during the days of the bicycle sculpture menorah.

Said one participant about the genesis of the organizing: “A local group of Beacon Jews are upset by what is happening in Gaza, and want Pat Ryan to act to stop it.”

Kids from Beacon, Cold Spring and possibly elsewhere wrote on cards their reasons for why they were there and wanted the bombing to stop. Said one Beacon kid: “I support ceasefire because too many people have died.” Said one kid from Cold Spring: “I support ceasefire because what is happening is horrible.”

Said a voter from Beacon: “I support ceasefire because my Jewish values demand it!”

The cards were taped to Pat Ryan’s office window. Cards have been taped to his windows after other protests. Removing them and having them reappear must feel like the scene in Harry Potter when the owls keep delivering the message, despite the messages getting thrown away.

The artist Mimi Fortunato, who describes herself as an artist/educator disrupting systemic racism that perpetuates educational, environmental, economic inequities, painted a cape that she wore to the evening.

Over 150 Jewish, Palestinian and Allies Protested Outside Congressman Pat Ryan's Office in Poughkeepsie On Oct 25th Demanding Ceasefire

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A group of Jewish, Palestinian and Allies protested outside of Congressman pat Ryan’s office in Poughkeepsie demanding a ceasefire, near the Vassar Campus. Despite the large “Space For Rent” sign, Pat Ryan’s office is apparently inside.

“This is not justice. Justice doesn’t mean vengeance, it means dignity and freedom for all, including Palestinians. MHVDSA condemns violence against civilians, whether by Hamas or Israeli forces, and we also firmly believe that Israel cannot bomb its way to peace.”
— Andrew Hiller, with MHVDSA

On Wednesday, October 25, 2023, more than 150 Hudson Valley residents rallied outside Congressman Pat Ryan’s Poughkeepsie office, “calling on him to support Rep. Cori Bush’s CEASEFIRE NOW resolution, pressure Israel to allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, and end U.S. funding of Israel’s war crimes,” according to a press release by the organizers. Led by Beacon resident and Beacon Hebrew Alliance member Dara Silverman, a delegation of Hudson Valley-based Jewish and Palestinian leaders met with Ryan’s staff and delivered a petition that had 523 signatures as of October 25th.

”We are filled with both sadness and anger. Sadness and anger that our beautiful country has come down on the side of genocide. Anger that our government pretends it is being done in the name of the Jewish people,” said Felice Gelman of Jewish Voice for Peace-Hudson Valley.

The group organized to reach Congressman Pat Ryan (representing New York’s 18th District) by marching to protest outside of his office, resulting in a meeting inside with Jewish and Palestinian representatives.

Congressman Ryan made his opinion known weeks prior, on X, formerly Twitter, when he reacted to the October 8th pro-Palestinian protest held in New York City the day after Hamas broke out of Gaza and attacked and killed 1,400 Israelis citizens, and took over 200 hostage. Congressman Ryan Tweeted on October 8: “Let’s be clear what happened yesterday: Hamas terrorists massacred hundreds of Israeli civilians, including women and children. They took dozens more hostage, including Holocaust survivors and American citizens. Jewish families around the world are still awaiting answers, wondering if their loved ones are alive. To know all this, and choose to hold a protest in New York City, home to the largest Jewish population in the United States, is blatant antisemitism.”

While for many in the world, this may have been an unexpected attack, there have been escalations on both sides occurring for decades, one most recent in May 2021 with the attempted eviction of Palestinian families in Sheikh Jarrah. While murder of anyone is not justified, context is necessary in the occupation by Israel of Palestinians.

When the DailyFreeman reported that a Kingston family’s relatives were killed with children kidnapped in the October 7 Hamas attack, Congressman Pat Ryan Tweeted: “We are grieving alongside the entire Ulster County community for the Shnaider family. This is a devastating reminder that the atrocities committed by Hamas are being felt by communities not just in Israel, but across the United States. I’m receiving regular updates from the Defense Department on ongoing hostage recovery operations, and will not rest until all Americans get home safely.”

It has been 29 days since the 200+ Israeli hostages were taken by Hamas. Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not secured their release. Instead, he, with the support of the United States, has bombed Palestinian civilian buildings, hospitals, ambulances, mosques, a church and other locations in search of Hamas. The Washington Post reports that as of November 2, at least 3,700 Palestinian children have been killed by Israeli air strikes, in the newspaper’s article titled: “Gaza becomes ‘a graveyard for children’ as Israel intensifies airstrikes” Today, some Israeli citizens protested at Netanyahu’s home, calling him a “murderer” and expressed frustration at not knowing where the Israeli hostages were or what condition they were in, as Gaza is being reduced to rubble.

Pro-Palestinian Supporters outside of Congressman Pat Ryan’s office in Poughkeepsie near Vasser College Campus.

Back to the local protest in Poughkeepsie at Congressman Pat Ryan’s office on October 25th, the organizers stated in a press release: “1,400 Israelis and 5,000 Palestinians are estimated to have been killed since October 7th—how many more is enough?,” said Andrew Hiller, whose grandparents survived the Holocaust, and who spoke on behalf of Mid-Hudson Valley DSA. “Of those killed in Gaza, 40% were children. This is not justice. Justice doesn’t mean vengeance, it means dignity and freedom for all, including Palestinians. MHVDSA condemns violence against civilians, whether by Hamas or Israeli forces, and we also firmly believe that Israel cannot bomb its way to peace. An unfathomable number of lives have already been lost—we need an immediate ceasefire, and ultimately an end to Israeli apartheid.”

In this video, hear the words of Palestinian leader Sereen Jamal, who has spoken at other pro-Palestinian rallies, like this one in Newburgh in 2021 that marched to then Rep. Sean Maloney’s office.

The organizer of the October 25th Hudson Valley protest continued: “Veterans For Peace is an international organization composed of veterans from every war and peacetime back to the second world war. We know the horror of war,” said Tarak Kauff, former national board member of Veterans for Peace. “We have sent delegations to the West Bank to see with our own eyes Israel’s occupation and apartheid. We condemn the genocide now happening on the innocent people in Gaza on children on women and families. There is no excuse for it. Absolutely no excuse.” Read what Tarak has written about Israel as an occupier, and its military the IDF

“The Zionist State of Israel has betrayed the very essence of everything good and decent about being Jewish. Instead of being kind, compassionate and empathetic to the oppressed and dedicated to truth, Israel has become a most vicious oppressor. I saw Palestine children brutalized. They are killed on almost a daily basis. Children! Many are languishing in Israel prisons for throwing rocks at occupying soldiers or for just being suspected of that. Israeli soldiers often break into Palestinian houses in the dead of night, terrorize the family and arrest children. And there is no such thing as a fair trial. If you are arrested, you are guilty. Palestinians are considered vermin.”
— Tarak Kauff, Jewish, and Former National Board Member of Veterans For Peace

“It is absurd that we need to call for something as basic as a ceasefire. This isn't about who's right and who's wrong, this is about protecting innocents from further death and injury,” said Talal Jabari, Palestinian journalist and documentary filmmaker. “We are asking our representative to sign onto the Ceasefire Now resolution and be on the right side of history.”

“The call for a ceasefire is not a fringe stance held by a loud minority. In fact, recent polling shows that across party lines, the majority of Americans support a ceasefire and a de-escalation of violence in Gaza; a view shared by an overwhelming majority of the United Nations Security Council. This widespread popularity is evident by the large turnout at today’s rally, by Palestinian and Jewish community members and others who stand for peace. Speakers of all backgrounds told personal stories, read poetry, and chanted “Ceasefire Now!”. When the group of representatives who met with Rep. Ryan’s staff finished the meeting, they shared that his office agreed to continue the conversation with the group. His office made no other commitments to ending this violence.”

As for other political leaders in the area, former Dutchess County Executive Marcus Molinaro and current Congressman for the 19th District is staunchly supporting Israel and has made little acknowledgement for the loss of Palestinian lives, which as of today has passed 9,000 and consists of thousands of children. So far in his Instagrams, he refers only to Hamas, which is a dehumanizing tactic for Palestinians or Arabs and is Islamaphobic.

Assemblywoman Sarahana Shrestha called ‘to end Israeli occupation’ on Monday, while other Mid-Hudson Valley politicians stand behind Israel, as reported by the Daily Freeman.

In this video, Veekas Ashoka addresses the participants to update them on the meeting going on inside of Pat Ryan’s office with Jewish and Palestinian leaders.

In this video, Palestinian leader Raz Sadiq-Keyes (we are getting the confirmation of her name spelling) and Jewish leader Dara Silverman.

3rd Annual Chalk Art Protest - July 4th, 10am-12pm - Intersectional & Intergenerational

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Several readers of A Little Beacon Blog have written in, asking “Where is the protest in Beacon? Where can I go to express? How do I get a permit for a protest? I can’t stay quiet on this one!”

Well friends - you are in luck. The 3rd Annual Chalk Art Protest created and produced by Moraya Seeger DeGeare, MA, LMFT is this Monday, July 4th, at Pete and Toshi Seeger Riverfront Park from 10am-12pm. Did you just see that last name, Seeger, twice? You did. Moraya is a marriage and relationship therapist with BFF Therapy; she’s a relationship and sex columnist for Refinery29; she’s a parent of two young children in the Beacon City School District; and she’s a granddaughter of Pete and Toshi Seeger, the musical and poetic activists who were crucial in the civil rights movement and restoring climate justice to the Hudson Valley.

About The July 4th Chalk-In Protest

In this riverside protest, Moraya will be leading a chalk-based therapy protest in a way most likely none of you have experienced in a protest before. This chalk-in is about getting in touch with yourself to find your message, and most importantly to speak it loudly (or at all). Moraya, a human of multi-races (her grandmother is half Japanese and half from the USA’s South, her father is Black, and her mother and grandfather are White), maintains a very special lens for viewing the world. Her mission is to share it with you so that you can experience your surroundings more broadly.

“While you may be coming to this chalk-in protest for abortion-rights rage, you will be leaving with racial injustice rage that you should also be speaking about. Oppression is everywhere, and one person’s oppression that is unique to them cannot be ignored for another person’s oppression just because someone hasn’t experienced it. ”
— ALBB

One of her specialties is spotting intersectional morphisms. According to Wikipedia: “Intersectionality is an analytical framework for understanding how aspects of a person's social and political identities combine to create different modes of discrimination and privilege. Intersectionality identifies multiple factors of advantage and disadvantage.”

While you may be coming to this chalk-in protest for abortion-rights rage, you will be leaving with racial injustice rage that you should also be speaking about. Oppression is everywhere, and one person’s oppression that is unique to them cannot be ignored for another person’s oppression just because someone hasn’t experienced it. If you feel an ounce of it here, recognize an ounce of it there. Respect it and do something.

This chalk-in can be an outlet for the rage anyone is feeling right now with the latest Supreme Court ruling that strips birthing people of the rights and independence to their bodies, as well as upcoming rulings the Supreme Court has reached out on (voting rights, redistricting, climate justice). Says Moraya about the chalk-in: “Identity work is understanding all the different parts of self. My persional view is that it builds from the values in your childhood home along with your location in the world aka culture and society. Sexual, race, gender, age, it’s constantly evolving.”

Kids Are Welcome & Encouraged To Attend

Part of Moraya’s mission in this is to encourage conversation between parents and caregivers with their children. But also with their own inner child. From her website of the movement:

“The heart of this project is to have deeper conversations about systemic issues with children so that they can grow up having language and confidence to continue to talk about racism, homophobia, transphobia, xenophobia, sexism, climate change and the list goes on. One of the main things I experienced in 2020 was the number of White people in my life who reached out with emails, texts, people from decades ago sliding into my DMs, and leaving outrageously long apology voicemails saying they had no idea that Black people have been navigating so much racism.

“I’ll be honest, each time someone who I have known for years said those words it nearly hurt worse than watching the news and seeing another Black person murdered. After talking to my Black friends, it turns out I was getting a particularly high number of these messages – I am talking hundreds of them in the spring of 2020. Even my 1st-grade teacher reached out with a story that only centered on her White experience as a teacher to me, her only Black student.

“I didn’t need to hear about how she learned so much from me, a 6-year-old, as I dealt with racism in her class. I needed her to say: ‘I am so sorry for not protecting you. For creating an environment you felt safe to learn in.’

“I got off the phone with her, I was 9 months pregnant, doing remote school with my kindergartener who also was struggling to learn to read, and I just cried. I wept for 6-year-old Moraya who was in all-White education environments her whole childhood.

“I cried for my own children, who are now living in a pandemic and civil unrest. My Black son just hugged me and said ‘let’s go garden and pick some tomatoes mom.’ I looked at him and thought, I have taught you to love the earth, to have a voice, to know that your birthright is to feel joy. A radical act for Black children in America. But I cannot keep you safe once you leave this little house in the woods, with our streams and waterfalls. I can’t protect you from other kids saying your skin is too dark to play their games.

“All of these moments fueled me. It told me that I need to do something to help folks understand that these conversations can and need to happen from a young age. If my kids can experience racism since birth, with their Black mother almost dying in the hospital, yours can certainly talk about it.

“This year’s project is focusing on the idea that if ALL of us are doing our own identity work, we will have deeper empathy and curiosity in ourselves, to hopefully have a deeper desire to understand and connect others who are navigating complex and marginalized identities.”

Chalk-In Schedule

10am: Start. Do any kind of chalk art, writing, scribbles, whatever comes out of your brain/hand.

11am: A little lesson on identity, intersectional identity and the value in understanding your own identity in your activism work.

Then back to chalking.

12pm: The chalk-in ends, “but people can chalk longer,” Moraya says.

Follow @stampouthate for updates.


Coverage Of The Gathering To Speak Against Force Used By MTA Police In Beacon

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RELATED LINKS:

PLEASE NOTE: this article series is discussing 2 different incidents of a man who has been in Beacon for some time, harassing people, which has escalated after he was Tasered on Main Street by MTA Police on May 19, 2021. Later, he was Tasered again on May 25, 2021 by a New York State Trooper. This response from the City of Beacon Police deals with the May 25th incident. It does not address the May 19th incident because the City of Beacon Police Department was not involved.

During the summer of 2020, when the nation was marching against the standards used in policing in the name of Black lives mattering more, Beacon was marching as well. The focus was on the City of Beacon Police, a department which had undergone major reform after a Federal investigation that concluded in 2017.

To ALBB’s knowledge, City of Beacon Police Officers did not participate in those Marches (please write in to correct us if you were an officer who participated - even if anonymous!), with the exception of Lieutenant Figlia, who is still active with the City of Beacon Police, and contributed his story after one of the marches at an open mic session. During that experience, he shared his story of domestic abuse by his father towards himself and his mother, and how it inspired him to become a police officer to serve and protect others.

Otherwise, the then Chief Kevin Junjulas did not participate, was terse during City Council Meetings when asked questions about process by the Council, and retired shortly into the racial reckoning awakening in June 2020.

This week, a protest was held by Beacon4Black Lives after a young man known locally for mental instability and aggression was tasered by MTA Police on Main Street on the sidewalk. Details of the incident are here. This use of force act prompted some in the community to gather together to march to the MTA Police District 7 barracks, a sleepy little house-like structure on Beekman Street that normally nobody pays any mind to.

Over the past year, the people of Beacon have been successfully working with the City of Beacon’s Police and City Council to build relationships at the leadership level and community level for form a state mandated Police Reform plan. This incident from the MTA Police was out of character with what has been discussed within the community, which included a heavy focus on mental health and policing. Therefore, the tasering action of a mentally unstable, albeit unpleasant person on the surface, shocked many people into focus on MTA Police and learn more about them.

When the community members marched from Chase Bank on Main Street, to the MTA Police barracks on Beekman Street, they were met by 7 MTA Police Officers standing in front of the barracks at 8:45pm on the evening of Tuesday, May 25, 2021. One officer standing in front of the barracks wore a white shirt, and the rest of the officers were in dark uniforms. The officer in the center had his hand near his shirt collar, while others stood by, arms folded, and eventually leaned on the building columns and relaxed their postures.

Two other officers in white shirts approached up the hill to the south of the barracks near the police parking lot. Community members in this protest were escorted by City of Beacon Police, who had maintained a moving blockade down Main Street, and closed Beekman Street at the District 7 barracks to divert cars while the community members stood in the middle of the road, asking the MTA Police Officers questions.

This was the first time in a year that police officers had come out to meet community members demanding their attention. While the moment was awkward - as the officers and the community members did not know what to say to each other during this unexpected turnout - it was refreshing. Questions were asked of the officers, to learn more about them. All officers remained silent. Questions included:

  • Do you communicate with the City of Beacon Police on people known to this area? On the platform and on Main Street, as the people go back and forth. How does the communication work?

  • Do you come to this District 7 each time? Are you are other Districts? Or are you familiar with Beacon? Or are you in Long Island and other areas and sometimes here?
    PARTIAL ANSWER: We have since learned from the community that MTA Police Captain Pisanelli at District 7 in Beacon is a generational Beaconite - Hello!

  • How are you feeling right now?

  • When you tase someone, does it also affect your body? Does the electricity also go into your body? We wanted to hear from you on the experience, rather than read about it in newspapers.

When the officers did not respond, one community member stated: “We’re the people they are supposed to protect and serve, and they don’t want to talk to us.”

When the police did not respond, one of the group leaders, who is Black and whose dad is a corrections officer, spoke to the officers via his megaphone:

“We’re sad of seeing Black and Brown lives being hurt.”

A woman from the community broke in to say: “You’re doing your job, and we respect that.”

The march organizer continued: “And we want things to change. We want answers. We want solutions. We want things to change. We want things to get better. I don’t want to drive down the street and be afraid of being pulled over. I could be killed. And that’s the fact of the matter. My dad’s a Corrections Officer, and he still tells me to do a certain thing and act a certain way in front of police, because if they don’t know me, they can kill me at any point. And it really saddens us. It makes us so sad, that we have to do this. The reality is, even when we do this, and we come down here, and try to have an actual conversation with y’all as people, as people of your comunity, and you still won’t have enough respect for us to talk to us. And that’s terrible. You know what I mean?”

With questions asked and statements made, the protest ended. One of the organizers used a curse word to express his feelings, and the other organizer gently shepherded everyone home.

March For Palestinian Freedom In Newburgh (Videos) - March Congregates At Rep. Sean Maloney District Office

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In mid May in response to the Palestinian neighborhood, Sheikh Jarrah in East Jerusalem, protesting to save their homes from being taken over by Israeli forces, the world started paying attention to the centuries long conflict between Palestine and Israel, which are essentially in the same place.

Local Beaconite and former Councilperson Ali T. Muhammad helped to organize a march with Next Step Hudson Valley and people in the Palestinian and Arab communities living in the Hudson Valley. Several people attended, marching down Broadway and side streets, ending at Rep. Sean Maloney’s district office.

Speeches were made on the steps of his office. Several are posted below for you to view and to hear. Beacon locals Lena Rizkalla and Kamel Jamal were some of the speakers. Kamel later recorded a podcast with ALBB’s sister podcast, “What, What Is That?” which you can listen to here.

The first of many speeches, on the steps of Rep. Sean Maloney’s Newburgh office. This video includes a speech given by Beacon business owner, Kamel Jamal, who is a Palestinian refugee (see minute 9, but don’t miss the other speakers). Kamel spoke with ALBB’s sister podcast, “Wait, What Is That?” for an hour long episode on his experience and thoughts on Palestinian liberation.

Local Beaconite, Lena Rizkalla, a first generation Palestinian, speaks about her Palestinian experience and connection.

This speaker noted how Palestinians helped fight the Nazis in World War II.

Local Beaconite, former Beacon Councilperson, and current Newburgh resident, Ali T. Muhammad, speaks about supporting each other.

Little friends encouraging each other to speak about human rights in Palestine.

A little boy makes simple demands on the steps of Rep. Sean Maloney’s Newburgh office.

A speaker encourages people to continue spreading the word about Palestine.

Beacon4Black Lives Community Responds To Attempted U.S. Election Certification Block At Capitol Building

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After the sun went down on the blocked Election Certification attempt at the nation’s Capitol, Beacon4Black Lives organized an impromptu and peaceful vigil at Pohill Park, Beacon’s destination for public gatherings. They brought a projector and screen to project the news onto a screen. Stefon Seward, one of the original members of Beacon4Black Lives and current committee member on Beacon’s Police Chief Search, was one of the first to speak about the difference between the white people storming the Capitol who seemed to do it with ease and no punishment, versus Black people who get shot in the back sometimes in front of their children.

A handful of speakers spoke, including Xavier Mayo, a founding member of Beacon4Black Lives, sharing a story of him getting pulled over yesterday twice for a tail light being out, and of the two different emotional experiences he went through when pulled over by two different police officers. The experience with the first officer was normal and helpful as to how to fix a tail light, yet the second experience invoked fear as the officer smirked and laughed at Xavier when the he said he felt afraid.

Justice McCray, who is also a founding member of Beacon4Black Lives, spoke about how Black people are treated differently and how basic needs for some Beaconites are not being met, and how the Black community in Beacon does not feel safe with police. Justice is connected to several food insecurity initiatives like the Community Fridge, and is an advocate for community safety in new ways. “We’re here to build something better. What’s happening now is not OK, and is a slap in the face of democracy.”

Paloma Wake also spoke, who is a member of Beacon4Black Lives and has been involved in several Beacon based organizations including the Beacon Farmers Market when she was its manager. She currently holds a seat and is the Vice Chair on Beacon’s Human Relations Commission.

Other speakers included former regular participants of past protest marches down Main Street over the summer in favor of Black lives mattering more, as well as the protest of the Beacon 2021 budget.

One speaker was new to the group, after moving to Beacon recently. He said that having been down in the dumps earlier, he turned to his wife and they agreed to come down to the vigil. He expressed happiness that he came, and sadness at the new life navigations he needed to make with his family who are Trump supporters and he is not. He expressed dismay at not being able to communicate with them because of their political differences, which was a choice he made, after not being able to tolerate tolerance any longer.

Beacon Councilperson for Ward 4, Dan Aymar-Blair, spoke about his experience during the day with his child at home who was asking questions about democracy. Dan has a BA in Political Science and Government and stated that while watching the events unfold, he expressed desire to explore his own relationship with democracy, as he tried to answer his son’s question.

The day seemed to have launched a deep dive for many as events developed. Listen to all of the stories and speeches at the vigil here at Beacon4Black Lives Instagram.

Racist Zoom Bombing Targets Desmond-Fish Library Bake-Off Awards Ceremony While Black Employee Hosts

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During the holiday season of December, 2020, the Desmond-Fish Public Library in Garrison held a month-long bake off contest for kids, who could bake at home and submit their entries. The submissions would be presented in a video montage Awards Ceremony on January 2nd, 2021, where participants could gather on a Zoom call, hosted by Justice McCray, a well known lover of books and creative programming, having worked at Beacon’s Howland Public Library, and currently works at the Desmond-Fish Public Library, as well as Split Rock Books in Cold Spring. Justice is also an emerging local activist in the social revolution to make Black lives matter more, and has been a leader in most of the protest marches down Beacon’s Main Street and educational story circles held at Memorial Park and Pete & Toshi Seeger Riverfront Park.

The bake-off program was well marketed in advance across social media channels and in the local press. As the program got started, with eager children, parents and caregivers on the call to look at delightful attempts at baking, the The Great Desmond-Fish Public Library Bake Off award ceremony was interrupted by people or a person masquerading as participants on the call - using participants’ names like a wolf in sheep’s clothing - typing words such as the N-word dozens of times in all caps across the screen. The Desmond-Fish Public Library Director Jen McCreery confirmed to A Little Beacon Blog: “The interloper appropriated the identities of several program participants, which is how they were able to access the program through the waiting room.”

The program had been “hacked by one or more interlopers who used the platform to spread racist and sexist messages” the library director explained in an email press release sent soon after the incident, and on the library’s Facebook page, in a message from the library’s Board of Directors, posted 2 days after the event, and after the authorities had been notified, and participants began to process what had happened. As to if the library or Justice himself were targeted, Jen emphasized: “I do want to clarify that we have no way of knowing whether this was a targeted or random attack on the library and Justice specifically.”

The program’s host, Justice McCray, expressed in his social media that he wasn’t sure what to do after the targeted incident. He has since co-hosted an evening vigil at Pohil Park in Beacon, in honor of finishing the Election Certification that was derailed at the Capitol yesterday (1/6/2021) by people, some of whom were armed, climbing the building and breaking windows to get inside to sit in offices and put their feet up on the desks of people who had evacuated.

This was the first time that the Desmond-Fish Public Library had ever been Zoom Bombed, Jen confirmed. Library staff was able to handle the breach “as quickly as possible in the moment, but, sadly, the Zoom participants were exposed to this hateful and illegal behavior,” Jen told A Little Beacon Blog. In their message to the public, the library Board expressed: “The Library Staff and our Board of Trustees are horrified that a program created as a positive and joyful celebration of our community was derailed by one hateful individual, We are especially sorry that this attack was witnessed by children. No family should have to encounter such hate speech.”

According to Jen in response to A Little Beacon Blog’s questions, the library notified Putnam County Sheriff's Department. “They have taken our full report and it's my understanding they are looking into what charges might be brought against the perpetrators.”

In terms of moving forward, “we are looking into alternate online platforms as well as additional security measures we can take for future online events,” Jen told A Little Beacon Blog.

Jen also expressed: “Everyone at the library is grateful for the tremendous outpouring of support we've received from local organizations and families and we hope that, going forward, we can channel that support into creating programs and educational resources to help our community members come together in addressing the larger systemic issues that contributed to this incident.”

Justice McCray told A Little Beacon Blog in response to an email asking him if he had comments he wanted to share regarding his and this experience: “This was a traumatic incident for me. There’s no way for me to not take this personal. To be the first Black staff member at my job to host an event and to have this happen cuts deeper than I can explain. I’m glad the library and community aren’t sweeping this incident under the rug. It’s necessary to center to voices and needs of those most impacted by this event. It’s also equally necessary not to center them in a way that amplifies the trauma.

“The work ahead is as vital as it is difficult and painful. Now is a necessary time for or communities, especially Philipstown, to reflect on the impact its history of racism has on its dreamed future of inclusivity. The next questions that need to be asked are not “how can we improve security on our events to prevent this from happening?“ but rather, “How is this something that can happen in our communitiy? What behaviors have we dismissed or ignored that led to this escalation? How can we create a community where harm like this doesn’t continue?”

Sister Women's March Rally/March-In-Place Scheduled For October 17 In Beacon At Pohill Park

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A reader wrote in to alert us to a rally happening in Beacon that they wanted to attend, and were surprised to learn was happening. The reader stated: “I will be a new resident of Beacon in October, and I've been following your blog to get to know the community. Thank you for providing such a fantastic resource! I don't know if you promote events like this but I wanted to call it to your attention. I went to sign up for the Women's March on Oct 17 to protest the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett for SCOTUS & was planning to march in Manhattan. But, I was pleasantly surprised to find that out of the 2 marches planned in the state of NY, the other happens to be planned for Beacon, NY.”

According to Forbes.com, additional marches supporting the main Women’s March in Washington, D.C., include over 100 satellite marches happening in 39 states, with more than 70,000 people who have pledged to participate.

The march-in-place event in Beacon is hosted by Southern Dutchess Resist, a group who organizes many rallies, including the first Black Lives Matter that happened on the sidewalk in Beacon, which was followed by the next, and larger march down Main Street by a group of young people who united to become by Beacon4Black Lives. The two organizations have since worked together to plan education and protest events, along with other organizations in the region, including 854Unity, Label Foundation, Next Step Hudson Valley, and others, to bring awareness to different issues.

How The March-In-Place Rally Will Work

Location: Pohill Park, on the corner of 9D (Wolcott) and Main Street.
Day: Saturday, October 17, 2020,
Time: 2-4pm
No walking. A rally. Marching-in-place.

This rally is in support of, and in defense of, Women’s Rights. Participants can bring signs that express different messages. Parking is available in free municipal lots, which include City Hall, but not the fire station. Regarding behavior, the organizers say: “This is a peaceful rally in community. Profanity and the like is not condoned - verbally nor written.”

Social distancing will be encouraged, with masks. Bring your hand sanitizer.

Please do not ask shops to use their bathrooms. You can go shopping, however! So bring your wallet as well. Need a face mask from a boutique in Beacon? Visit A Little Beacon Blog’s Shopping Guide, where we indicate which shops sell face masks.

Details about Beacon’s rally can be found here.

Reader Question: Do Protests Need Permits?

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A reader submitted a Comment on the “How To Submit A FOIL Request” article, where he mentioned he was looking to, or had submitted FOIL requests for, permits issued for marches made for Black Lives Matter and the Back The Beacon PD rally.

We checked with Council Member Dan Aymar-Blair, who studies protesting and knows the rules and guidelines very well, had this to say about if permits are needed: "Permits are required for marches and rallies in Beacon's public spaces; however, the spirit of our permitting process is for the city to facilitate protest, for example providing police protection from counter-protests. While mobilizing police and other city resources for a peaceful assembly costs money, it is a cost we must live with to ensure the safe practice of our constitutionally protected freedoms.

"Free assembly is a human right, not a state-sanctioned privilege.​ That's why I'd rather we do away with the permitting process in most cases, and allow prior notification to be at the discretion of protest organizers."

We followed up with an organizer with Beacon4Black Lives, Justice McCray, to see if that organization has asked for or been granted permits for the approximately 9 protests marches they held. This was his response:

“We do not get permits for any of our protests. City Council member Dan Aymar-Blair stated in a council meeting on 8/3/2020, in response to Theresa Kraft's complaint about the protests during the Public Comment portion of the call, that our protests don't need permits.

”Usually (now Acting Chief, formerly Lieutenant) Frost or Lieutenant Figlia will contact me for details of our protest if I don't contact them. We're looking into training citizen marshals to help lead the protests and temporarily close off streets as we march. We don't ask the police to close the streets down and we'll gladly protest without them.”