LEONARDTOWN, Md. — 8:46.

Eight-minutes, 46-seconds represents the time that a former Minneapolis police officer knelt on the neck of an unarmed black man named George Floyd, 46, which ultimately is believed to have led to his unfortunate death on May 25, 2020.

However, this time has become a rally-cry across the country, with many protests and demonstrations adopting some form of memorial based around it. That now includes St. Mary’s County, Maryland.

On June 3, a peaceful protest was held on the front-steps of the Potomac Building, inside the St. Mary’s County Governmental Center complex in Leonardtown. By estimates from St. Mary’s County Sheriff Tim Cameron, anywhere between 2,000 and 2,500 people could have been in attendance.

The rally, hosted by the St. Mary’s County Democratic Central Committee and the St. Mary’s County NAACP, brought people out from all walks of life to listen to several speakers, and eventually walk multiple laps around the entire government complex in 90-degree heat.

However, that first lap had some extra meaning.

After forming somewhat of a circle on the edge of Hollywood Road, everyone took a knee, in memory of George Floyd.

For eight-minutes, 46-seconds.

“This is a long time,” one man in the crowd could be heard whispering to the woman next to him.

Everyone rose, joined in a couple prayers, and resumed their peaceful march back towards the Potomac Building steps. Eventually, the crowds dispersed.

“This was an incredible event, very powerful,” Sheriff Cameron said when things were wrapping up. “it was well-organized, well attended by community members and people from other places. It was peaceful from beginning to end.”

This event comes after what started as a peaceful protest in Calvert County on June 1, but eventually led to police using tear gas among other deterrents to break up a group of lingering protesters. However, Cameron said he had hope that his community would not need to be forcefully dispersed in such a manner.

“I don’t think the crowd would have allowed that here, that is not what they wanted,” Cameron said. “We were determined for that not to happen, [and] the greatest tool that we have is the ability to communicate… We talk a lot about the de-escalation, this is the perfect example but there was nothing here that we had to de-escalate. We were in harmony here tonight.”

Jerome “Boogie” Chase, a St. Mary’s County resident for over 57 years, told theBaynet.com that he felt not a lot has changed in regards to addressing racism in the county during his years here.

Holding one sign that read “No Justice, No Peace,” and another that claimed “Sheriff Mike Evans [of Calvert County] Lied On Police Reports,” Chase made eye contact with a Maryland State Trooper who was watching the march on the far side of the street. Similarly to how Congressman John Lewis[D-GA] emphasized using eye contact as a nonviolent protest tactic during his time leading the 1965 Selma March, an event which became known as “Bloody Sunday.”

Chase wanted the police to read and understand his message.

“Reading means a lot. You can read it, you can change it… you don’t have to always speak it,” Chase said.

Chase explained how he hopes to see changes take place internally at police departments, starting with more officers across the country holding other officers accountable. But he is also hopeful that the death of George Floyd will help energize the youth in the country to stand up and make changes.

“The death of Kobe Bryant came and changed the world, then we had the coronavirus came and changed the world, and now you got the death of George Floyd changing the world,” Chase said. “So there’s always something bigger happening in America, that will outshine what’s already going on…

What’s next, I couldn’t tell you,” Chase said.


Contact Zach at zach.hill@thebaynet.com