NORTHAMPTON — Northampton and Amherst residents will gather in different ways in the coming days to reflect on the murder of Tyre Nichols, the man killed at the hands of Memphis police officers last month.

In Northampton on Saturday morning, a “Justice for Tyre Nichols” rally is being held outside City Hall. The 11 a.m. event, scheduled even with extremely cold temperatures in the forecast, will also make an appeal for “defunding the police, from Northampton to Memphis.”

The Western Massachusetts CPUSA is sponsoring the event and, in an appeal on Twitter, calls for participants “to protest the unjust killing of Tyre Nichols, and to demand that our community hears our calls to defund a corrupt and ineffective police system.”

This event will be followed on Monday by a grief circle in Amherst, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Bangs Community Center, where two town departments, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Community Responders for Equity, Safety and Service, will be joined by trained facilitators so people can share and express grief and rage over the incident.

In response to Nichols’ death, the town of Amherst issued a statement this week condemning the murder and offering condolences to his family, and also reflecting on how police brutality was again experienced by the Black community.

“Watching the video that was released, we are horrified at the utter brutality of these uniformed police officers, and by the inexcusable failure to intervene by other uniformed police officers and emergency medical service workers from the Memphis Fire Department,” the statement reads. “As public safety leaders, we reaffirm that our purpose is to ensure the safety of all members of our community, which means to render assistance when needed and to intercede to prevent harm when it is witnessed.”

The statement was signed by Town Manager Paul Bockelman, Police Chief Scott Livingstone, CRESS Director Earl Miller, DEI Director Pamela Nolan Young and Fire Chief Tim Nelson.

The grief circle can play a role in healing racial injustice, just as other municipal actions that have been taking place since the murder of George Floyd in 2020, according to the town leaders:

“We, along with our residents, will work to transform our grief and anger into building a more just community. The town believes in fostering and maintaining a safe and welcoming community, which is based on mutual respect for our residents, students, employees, businesses, and guests. We are taking tangible steps to bring this vision to reality. The town is currently engaged in multiple community-driven initiatives to help advance equity, racial and social justice, transparency, and accountability in our community. We are determined and ready to work hard for these values.”

Northwestern District Attorney David Sullivan issued a statement noting the utter disregard of humanity shown by the Memphis officers, who failed their sworn duty to protect the public and preserve life, and that the nation must redouble its efforts to reshape the culture of policing.

“While it is true that the vast majority of police officers in this country work to protect the public and uphold their oaths, we must always hold accountable officers who abuse power,” Sullivan said. “As the chief law enforcement officer in the Northwestern District, I recommit to working with other progressive law enforcement professionals across the state and the nation to prioritize de-escalation, compassion and humanity in all interactions between police and the public.”

A statement from Gov. Maura Healey discusses how Black people are forced to relive generational trauma caused by police brutality. Healey offered a commitment to address systemic profiling and racism and to protect basic human rights.

“While true justice would mean Tyre Nichols being here with his loved ones, the swift action taken by the Memphis police chief and prosecutors demonstrates the essential accountability and oversight we need and what families deserve,” Healey said. “What happened in Memphis is a betrayal of our basic humanity. We value the dignity and worth of every member of our Black and Brown communities, every person in Massachusetts.”

Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.]]>