A New Jersey woman who organized a Black Lives Matter protest wound up getting a bill for police overtime and almost had to pay it until it was rescinded over a constitutional issue.

Emily Gil, 18, who lives in Englewood Cliff, N.J., which sits across the Hudson River from New York, said she organized the demonstration in her town after learning about the lack of affordable housing there, meaning African Americans were likely priced out.

“Englewood Cliffs has dodged affordable housing requirements for 40-plus years,” Gil told NJ Advance Media. “I find that unacceptable.”

Gil’s protest took place July 25, lasted about 90 minutes and had no more than 40 people in attendance, according to the website. Four days later, she got a bill for the overtime Englewood Cliffs police had to put in for the event.

“Please promptly forward your payment to the borough in the amount of $2,499.26 for the police overtime caused by your protest,” read a letter to Gil signed by Englewood Cliffs Mayor Mario M. Kranjac.

"I was shocked when I read that I had to pay to exercise my First Amendment right," Gil said.

According to NJ Advance Media, the letter said because Gil had not met with city officials prior to the protest police had to rush to organize security.

“Your lack of notification left the borough with little time to prepare for your protest so that the police department and department of public works could ensure that everyone would be safe,” the letter said.

Gil said that the town’s officials wanted to meet with her, but she turned them down because of coronavirus concerns. She proposed a Zoom meeting with them, but they declined.
“They kept pushing (an in-person meeting) and then they stopped responding to me,” said Gil.

Eventually, though, Kranjac rescinded the bill, explaining that it was normal for private events in which police were required.

"I have researched the issue further with my own counsel and I am hereby rescinding the bill, subject to our Council's ratification of my action," he said. "I always want to make certain that everyone's Constitutional Rights are fully respected. We will have to adjust the Borough's ordinances accordingly."
Regarding the affordable housing issues around which the protest was centered in the beginning, Kranjack promised to address them. "I continue to work on resolving the Borough's affordable housing obligations and hope that this Council will adopt some form of the affordable housing plan that I introduced in 2018."