Pain, anger
Statewide protesters decry George Floyd’s death
Residents took to the streets in huge numbers across Connecticut and the nation Saturday in response to the death of George Floyd last Monday in Minneapolis, with the state seeing apparently peaceful gatherings, including one that shut down a major highway for several hours.
More than 100 people gathered near the Town Hall in Stratford, with hundreds also protesting
“I’m tired of having to explain why I am a human being ... and I shouldn’t be killed because I’m darker.”
Ashley Bowers, protest organizer
in Bridgeport and thousands in Hartford.
The protests each featured their own signs, many of which read “black lives matter,” “I can’t breathe” and “no justice, no peace.”
Nationwide protests were sparked by Floyd’s death Monday after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for more than eight minutes while he was face down and saying he could not breathe.
More than 2,000 protesters flooded Bushnell Park in Hartford around noon and marched through the streets, according to the Hartford Courant. Police said there were no arrests.
In Bridgeport, the protest started downtown near McLevy Green around noon.
Protesters in Bridgeport spoke to officials, including U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, who said the group was fighting for justice.
“A new generation helps lead America in demanding accountability,” Blumenthal said on Twitter, sharing an image from the protest. “I’ll work for a Department of Justice investigation and Senate Judiciary hearings. Thanks to young activists in Bridgeport and others around Connecticut, calling for accountability and justice. Your voices are so powerful.”
From there, the protesters marched to the city’s police headquarters at 300 Congress St.
Eventually, around 3:30 p.m., the protest started to spill out onto the nearby Route 8, with what looked to be more than 100 people spread across the northbound and southbound lanes of travel for several hours as local and state police blocked off the highway and rerouted traffic that was stuck on the highway.
The highway’s north and south lanes were shut down between exits 2 and 4 in each direction.
“Your voice will be heard,” state police said in regards to the protesters during an announcement of the highway closure on Twitter.
Bridgeport resident William Marshall, — who posted a public video on social media showing him driving on Route 8 through Bridgeport when the protesters caused state police to shut down the highway — said he understood what brought them out.
“The people are angry, I get it,” Marshall said. “It’s dangerous what they’re doing, but it’s real.”
As Marshall continued to film, a state trooper approached his vehicle and asked if he was OK, then asked him to stay in his vehicle and put it in park to be safe.
Bridgeport is no stranger to protests, having had its fair share following the May 9, 2017, fatal officerinvolved shooting of 15year-old Jayson Negron by Officer James Boulay.
There was no indication any arrests were made during the Bridgeport protest as of 6:30 p.m. Saturday.
City officials did not return a request for additional information and clarification on the protest in Bridgeport, and representatives for the mayor’s office did not respond to requests for a statement from Mayor Joe Ganim.
On Friday, Bridgeport Police Chief Armando Perez told Hearst Connecticut Media he had been watching the scene in Minneapolis — calling Floyd’s death a tragedy — to ensure the city was prepared for protests.
“There’s a nice, peaceful protest,” Perez said around 12:30 p.m. Saturday, adding that there were officers assigned to the protest to ensure the safety of the group and the public.
Around 2:15 p.m. Saturday, Bridgeport police posted on Twitter, “We stand with you united against police brutality! We hear you!”
“Feelings of frustration and heartache are validated by what we saw, as to the need for change,” police said in a follow up tweet. “We are united on these matters.”
In Stratford, protesters gathered peacefully near Town Hall around 1 p.m.
Lauren Wright, Ashley Bowers, Sarah Kotsay and Jayla Frederick, a group of friends who attend Stratford High School, said they organized the Stratford protest to show solidarity for those who live in areas impacted by police violence.
“Although we’ve been lucky enough that our community has not been directly affected by these recent events, it’s important for us to acknowledge and stand by those who are being directly affected,” Bowers said, quoting Martin Luther
King Jr.’s Letter from Birmingham Jail: “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”
Kotsay told those gathered that “silence is not an option. We must give our voices to speak for those who cannot anymore.”
Throughout the protest Stratford cops directed traffic in the area, but there were no confrontations, with the protest’s organizers urging the crowd to be peaceful.
In a prepared statement released Friday, Stratford Mayor Laura Hoydick called Floyd’s death a “senseless murder” and said she was “shocked and horrified.”