At 'Black Lives Matter' Rally, Leaders Says Police Missed Opportunity in Coffee Cup Incident
About 50 protesters supporting "Black Lives Matter" march on Federal Hill
By Amanda Milkovits
Journal Staff Writer
Oct. 12, 2015 @ 5:21 pm
PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- About 50 people gathered Monday afternoon for a Black Lives Matter rally near a Dunkin' Donuts on Federal Hill, where a teen clerk recently wrote #BlackLivesMatter on a Providence officer's coffee cup.
Carrying "#BlackLivesMatter" signs, protesters chanted,"No justice, no peace, no racist police!" as they picketed for a few minutes outside the Dunkin' Donuts at Bradford Street and Atwells Avenue, before rallying in the neighboring park. Providence Police Chief Hugh T. Clements Jr. and other high-ranking officers stood nearby.
The rally was about 10 times the size of a group of counter-protesters on Saturday led by retired Providence officer Tony Lepore, known as the "Dancing Cop," with "#BlueLivesMatter" signs.
Related content Dunkin' Donuts apologizes for "#blacklivesmatter" coffee cupProvidence police: '#blacklivesmatter' on coffee cup is 'unacceptable'The controversy started more than a week ago, when the clerk wrote #BlackLivesMatter on a Providence officer's coffee order. The officer was insulted, the executive board of the Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge No. 3, called the clerk's action "unacceptable and discouraging," and accused the Black Lives Matter movement of increasing tensions between police and the community.
The Dunkin' Donuts franchisee quickly apologized for its now-former employee's conduct, and Nigel Travis, Dunkin' Brands CEO and Chairman, extended his own apology to the officers and the law enforcement community. "I deeply regret these incidents as they in no way represent our company’s and our franchisees’ strong commitment to treating each and every guest with dignity and respect," Travis wrote in a letter to the Journal published Friday.
However, organizers of Monday's rally said they thought the police missed an opportunity to talk about the meaning of "Black Lives Matter." They found the union's response "disrespectful," said Victoria Ruiz, 28, of Providence.
Instead, she said, the police officer could have asked "why is someone compelled to write Black Lives Matter on a cup? Start a dialogue."
By Amanda Milkovits
Journal Staff Writer
Oct. 12, 2015 @ 5:21 pm
PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- About 50 people gathered Monday afternoon for a Black Lives Matter rally near a Dunkin' Donuts on Federal Hill, where a teen clerk recently wrote #BlackLivesMatter on a Providence officer's coffee cup.
Carrying "#BlackLivesMatter" signs, protesters chanted,"No justice, no peace, no racist police!" as they picketed for a few minutes outside the Dunkin' Donuts at Bradford Street and Atwells Avenue, before rallying in the neighboring park. Providence Police Chief Hugh T. Clements Jr. and other high-ranking officers stood nearby.
The rally was about 10 times the size of a group of counter-protesters on Saturday led by retired Providence officer Tony Lepore, known as the "Dancing Cop," with "#BlueLivesMatter" signs.
Related content Dunkin' Donuts apologizes for "#blacklivesmatter" coffee cupProvidence police: '#blacklivesmatter' on coffee cup is 'unacceptable'The controversy started more than a week ago, when the clerk wrote #BlackLivesMatter on a Providence officer's coffee order. The officer was insulted, the executive board of the Fraternal Order of Police, Lodge No. 3, called the clerk's action "unacceptable and discouraging," and accused the Black Lives Matter movement of increasing tensions between police and the community.
The Dunkin' Donuts franchisee quickly apologized for its now-former employee's conduct, and Nigel Travis, Dunkin' Brands CEO and Chairman, extended his own apology to the officers and the law enforcement community. "I deeply regret these incidents as they in no way represent our company’s and our franchisees’ strong commitment to treating each and every guest with dignity and respect," Travis wrote in a letter to the Journal published Friday.
However, organizers of Monday's rally said they thought the police missed an opportunity to talk about the meaning of "Black Lives Matter." They found the union's response "disrespectful," said Victoria Ruiz, 28, of Providence.
Instead, she said, the police officer could have asked "why is someone compelled to write Black Lives Matter on a cup? Start a dialogue."
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