Meriden councilman finds support in court
Dozens call for charges to be dropped in alleged assault during protest
MERIDEN — A Meriden city councilman arrested during an immigration protest two weeks ago appeared in court Thursday surrounded by dozens of supporters who called for the charges against him to be dropped.
Miguel Castro, also known as Angel Castro, made his first court appearance since his arrest Dec. 13 outside the same Meriden courthouse.
Castro was arrested by state police after an altercation with state judicial marshals and Meriden police officers, police said. He was charged with two counts of assault on a public safety officer and one count of first-degree rioting.
According to state police, troopers responded to the courthouse after a report that two judicial marshals had been assaulted during an immigration protest. Castro and others had gathered at the courthouse to protest the arrest of a New Haven man by Immigration and Customs Enforcement after his court appearance.
State police said Castro assaulted two marshals while they were trying to disperse a crowd of 15 to 20 protesters in a court parking area. They did not describe the extent of their injuries.
Castro and his supporters challenged police’s version of what happened prior to his arrest and vowed Thursday to fight the charges until they are dropped. Castro declined to give a statement, but several friends and community members spoke at a rally outside the courthouse.
State Rep. Geraldo Reyes, D-Waterbury, said Castro is a personal friend of his and has worked hard to support Connecticut’s immigrant communities. Castro has been an active participant in many protests against ICE.
“He’s a person very near and dear to the immigrant community,” Reyes said. “I am here 100 percent on behalf of Councilman Castro, who I believe is an upstanding citizen.”
Debra Cohen, a Wethersfield resident and activist who was outside the courthouse when Castro was arrested two weeks ago, said there was no rioting that day and all Castro did was comfort the two teenage children of the man being arrested.
“There was no riot that day unless someone separating a family is a riot,” Cohen said Thursday. “The bogus charges against Miguel should be dropped.”
Jesus Morales Sanchez, of the advocacy group Unidad Latina en Accion, was also a witness to Castro’s arrest. He said the judicial marshals intervened when Castro was comforting the man’s family and “escalated the situation.”
“What he did was no crime,” Sanchez said. “Separating a family is a crime.”
Castro’s case was continued until Jan. 15.