Protesters demand social justice
“We’re experiencing a lot of loss and right now people are really upset and want to be with community to show solidarity to those families that have been affected.” Nicole Pleasants, event organizer and Stamford resident
STAMFORD — Chants of “No justice, no peace, no racist police” rang down Washington Boulevard as protesters took to the street Saturday afternoon in the hopes of shining a light on the Black Lives Matter movement.
Bearing megaphones and signs reading “White silence is white violence” and “Defund Police,” the group of nearly four dozen protesters marched down the middle of
Washington Boulevard, amid traffic and stunned pedestrians recording the moment on their phones in their wake.
Organizer Nicole Pleasants said the purpose of the march was to
draw attention back to the families who have suffered the consequences of police brutality, racism and discrimination not only in Connecticut, but around the country.
She cited recent deaths of 13-year-old Adam Toledo in Chicago, who was shot while put raising his hands in the air, and 20-year-old Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, who was shot after an officer claimed she mistook her service weapon for a stun gun, as the latest examples.
“We’re experiencing a lot of loss and right now people are really upset and want to be with community to show solidarity to those families that have been affected,” Pleasants, a Stamford resident, said.
The protesters marched from the Harbor Point Commons, down Washington Boulevard and onto Broad Street, then Bedford Street, before coming to a stop in front of the Stamford Police Department.
Protesters shouted the name of Steven Barrier, a Stamford man who died on his 24th birthday while in police custody. His family has since sued the city and the police department in a “wrongful death” lawsuit, though a probe by the State’s Attorney found he died of natural causes.
Tatianna Concannon said Barrier’s case acted as a call to action for her. She said Barrier’s death was just one of many constant reminders of what Black individuals face when they encounter police officers.
Ever since hearing of Barrier’s death, Concannon said she’s been attending marches and protests like the one held Saturday.
As a Black woman who grew up in an all-white family, Concannon said the disparity between how white and Black people are treated by police is especially stark to her.
“I was born and raised in Darien, Connecticut, where I’ve had to endure racism from the age of five up until now,” she said. “Coming up like that, I realized that I have a lot to fight for. I want people to know that Black lives really do matter, and this isn’t something that will just go away.”
As they marched, the group was met not only with emphatic car horns, shouts of support and fist bumps shared out of passing cars but also exasperated pleas from police officers asking protesters to return to the sidewalk and at least one shout of “All Lives Matter” from a group of jeering white children.
At the end of the march, the group gathered on the front lawn of the police department, where they formed a circle and shared words of inspiration.
Sam Pleasants demanded that Stamford “defund the police,” and divert the millions of dollars going toward overtime salaries and ammunition to things like mental health initiatives, substance abuse programs, community-building programs, free public transportation and more.
“The (expletive) funding that is going to these (expletive), should be going to our community. This is not a utopian concept — they want us to believe that. This is obtainable, this is our future,” she said to applause.
Kyla Johns, of Darien, recited a poem in which she likened the institution of modern policing to an irrevocably decayed and rotten apple. She said the idea for the poem came from a discussion with a friend who argued that you can’t judge all police by “a few bad apples.” She ended the poem with a chant calling for “Justice for Steven Barrier.”
Saturday’s march marked the second such protest since the Justice for Steven Barrier protest in August that ended in a physical confrontation between police and protesters, and the arrests of six individuals.
Of those arrested in August, only one person has had the charges dropped. However, the Stamford Mass Defense Coalition recently started an online petition asking the state to drop the rest of those charges, as well.
While Saturday’s protest was largely peaceful, there was one minor confrontation between police and the protesters.
During the standoff, a police officer drove up closely behind the protesters and began honking his horn and yelling for them to return to the sidewalk, prompting a female protester to turn around and shout at the officer.
“What the hell is wrong with you,” she yelled, as another protester pointed and shouted at the officer. The officer eventually drove away, and the protesters continued marching in the road.
Police only remained on-scene long enough to escort the march past busy intersections on Washington Boulevard, Broad Street and Bedford Street.
No arrests or citations were given out.