One Woman Protest Declares ‘Blue Lives Matter’
By Jeremy Baratta
Amanda Bolvito
“Black Lives Matter” has become a popular protest slogan, from Union Square to the Mall of America. Today, after the unprovoked shooting of two NYPD officers sitting in their patrol car in Brooklyn over the weekend, one woman started a protest movement of her own closer to home.
Amanda Bolvito, a married 24 year-old waitress with 2 small children, went to office depot, bought about $19 worth of supplies, and emblazoned a sign with the message “Blue Lives Matter.”
She took her sign to the corner of Route 27 and Main Street, outside of the Metuchen Borough Hall and Police Station. First spotted at around noon and interviewed at 1:30 pm, she reported being there since around 11 this morning. She plans to be out there until “[she] can’t take the cold.”
Behind her, on the traffic control box, were the signs of community support she had been receiving since setting up – including a cup of coffee, a hot chocolate and a bag from a local shop. While interviewing her, one woman on a cane brought some supportive words and a fresh hot chocolate from the nearby Friendly’s, while a man in a car stopped to do the exact same thing only minutes later. Earlier in the day, someone brought her hand warmers she said.
Bolvito, of Metuchen, comes from a law-enforcement family, including a sister at State Corrections as well as a brother-in-law, 3 uncles and a cousin – all working in law-enforcement. When asked why she was out there, she said she wanted “justice for them.” She went to say that “these men and women are out here protecting myself, my husband, my kids, and lately they have not been getting the respect they deserve. They are our heroes.”
Unlike the various ‘die-ins,” protest marches and other gatherings across the country that have been organized by different groups and advertised on social media, Bolvito said she just “woke up this morning, made the sign and came out.” She advertised her intentions on Facebook about 5 minutes before she left.
Speaking of the families of those in law-enforcement, she said “they leave the house and you don’t know if they’re gonna come home.” She added “I just want people to realize what these people do for us every single day.”
Having no specific goal in mind, she said her sign was meant more to be a conversation starter. “People pass by, they point, and then they talk to the person in the car that they’re with.” Towards the end of the interview, someone left turning onto Route 27 North rolled down their window, honked and shouted “thank you.” “I’ve gotten a lot of those” she mused.
Bolvito plans to be at the same location tomorrow at about the same time. She said no other reporters had interviewed her so far.
Editor’s Note: The author is a reporter for ‘The Stall‘, the official student newspaper of Brookdale Community College.
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Honey,
Before you come over, please stop and pick me up a couple of blue light bulbs.
Thanks.
Love,
Mom
P.S. Nicely done.
You are the best.
🙂
NICE Very Courageous Amanda.
Maybe we need to do up some bumper stickers with the same slogan!
As a former news junkie, I’ve tried to stay away from over-watching the news these past few weeks because I hate fresh-meat, media feeding frenzies that are now the staple of every single cable “news”* network. So I guess it stands to reason that some things that before would not have escaped my gaze now go unnoticed.
However, there was no getting away from the NYC Mayor’s press conference today. During the talking head segment of the coverage following the press conference, footage from one of the Brown/Garner “protests” was played. Something that I had not known about. It was what looked to be several hundred persons walking down the middle of a Manhattan street chanting over, and over, and over,
“What do we want?” Dead Cops!”
“When do we want ’em? Now!”
Now there is no one who will fight more to defend free speech as guaranteed under the Constitution than yours truly. But, just as it’s been held as a veritable legal precedent that you can’t yell “Fire!” in a crowded theater, is there some legal scholar out there who can make me understand why this so-called protest couldn’t be summarily ended under the same pretext. Is this not, at the very least, an incitement to riot which is illegal. Does it not constitute some form of a “terrorist threat?” Is there anyone who can make sense of this for me?
*Ever since I read that CNN is developing a game show to add to its lineup I decided heretofore I will always use quotation marks when it comes to writing about cable “news” networks.
because DeBlasio, Holder and Obama have an agenda. It’s anti cop and promotes all cops are racist. Why else would DeBlasio tell Dante to be careful of cops?
The “protests” were not ended because the NYPD was told to stand down. I know this because I am from a BLUE family with 5 members serving NYC in the NYPD and was told by one of my family members this is the case.
The “protestors” broke the unlawful assembly law when they blocked traffic and close down the Brooklyn Bridge. The NYPD were told to let that happen.
Also, just prior to the assasination of the two officers, “protestors” were chanting “What do we like, Bacon, How do we like it Fried”
This was not covered by the media and again I get my information from the inside.
The Mayor is on record stating he does not believe these “protests” resulted in the assasination of our officers.
You can’t make this stuff up.
@it wasn’t racist…please stop with the nonsense about those three promoting an agenda that all cops are racist. They never said anything like that and all three have always encouraged peaceful protest.
Most cops do a great job and there is nothing wrong with making sure that all are held to that high standard.
DeBlasio’s comments were damn racial Skippy.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/politics/de-blasio-details-talk-son-dealing-cops-article-1.2036870
Holder certainly furthers the racial divide
http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/video/2014/dec/02/us-attorney-eric-holder-cheered-supporting-ferguson-protesters-video
And at best, Obama has done nothing to improve race relations. OMG, wasn’t he supposed to be the “first post racial President”
http://nbcpolitics.nbcnews.com/_news/2014/08/31/25760021-deep-racial-divide-remains-under-obama?lite
These are just but a few examples of how you are wrong in your rose colored glass assumptions.
Nails it Mr. English
http://www.tpnn.com/2014/12/21/video-giuliani-calls-obama-out-on-cop-ambush-his-propaganda-pushed-people-to-hate-the-police/
And Camelot and unicorns don’t exist.
Jeremy,
This is a great article! Good to know that people are also finding the importance in protecting the lives of our servicemen and women. I am very proud of you, cousin – great article!