Tonight in Davis Square, I was at JP Licks with a friend. We were sitting at a counter that faced the window and as we were eating, I saw a cop approach a black man who was smoking in the plaza outside. This man had been walking erratically and didnt seem 100% with it and it looked like they were going to take action against him (got his license, called for backup etc). I decide to go outside and see what was going on, so I light up a cigarette and stand next to the man. All the man was saying to the cop was are you going to let me live. I found out that someone in Boston Burger Company had called the cops because the man was starting inside the window of the restaurant, watching people eat. Yep. Thats right. White people called the cops on a black man for looking at them. What kills me is that as the cops were leaving, two more squad cars pull up and a group of older white people left the restaurant and one of them yelled at me because I was trying to talk to the man, they yelled at me to stop talking to him (maybe they were the ones that called the cops?). I think a lot of people in Somerville like to bill the town as this super progressive nerd haven for all the weirdos. Let this be a reminder of how much of a lie that is.
Posted on: Mon, 08 Dec 2014 03:31:32 +0000