CT Residents Take To Streets, Highways In Protests

CONNECTICUT — Demonstrations snarled traffic and swarmed municipal buildings across Connecticut Sunday as residents protested the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in the custody of a Minneapolis police officer on Memorial Day.

In Waterbury, peaceful protests turned more disruptive later in the day, according to a video statement released by Police Chief Fernando Spagnolo on social media: "We here in Waterbury, with the assistance of the state police and other surrounding police departments have been dealing with several protesters who have been disrupting the city and blocking traffic causing a lot of issues for our community and our citizens. I'm very sorry for that."

There was no property damage or injuries reported, Spagnolo said, but 28 people were arrested.

In a Norwalk protest, about 300 people shut down portions of Connecticut Avenue and Interstate 95 on the way to the Norwalk Police Department. Later, the Norwalk Police Department tweeted out its gratitude to the community for keeping the protest safe:

"Thankyou community partners, neighbors and friends who participated in the peaceful protest today. TY for your patience. Together, we kept everyone safe & ensured that the right to protest was protected. #WeStandTogether against police brutality."

Around 500 marchers took to the streets in Stamford demonstration, which saw Police Chief Tim Shaw taking a knee alongside Black Lives Matter protest organizers outside the Stamford Police Department, the Stamford Advocate reported.

In New Britain, hundreds of protesters gathered at Walnut Hill Park in New Britain, as reported in the New Britain Herald. On social media, Mayor Erin Stewart said she was "...deeply saddened and angered by the recent events. The senseless deaths of too many reflect the deeply ingrained racial prejudice and injustice that still exist today. It is stirring up many emotions - which it should."

Stewart said she would be organizing a "Ride for Unity" on Tuesday from 2-5 p.m., which will begin in Willow Brook Park and go through several city streets.

In New Haven, several hundred protesters amassed at the steps and plaza around the police headquarters at 1 Union Avenue. New Haven Police responded to protesters blocking motor vehicle traffic at the merge of I-95, I-91 and the Oak Street Connector, where the roadway was blocked until about 2:45 p.m.

Earlier on Sunday, protesters shut down Interstate 95 in both directions between exits 46 and 50 on Sunday for a couple of hours, beginning around 1:40 p.m. New Haven Independent Editor Paul Bass said about 1,000 Black Lives Matter protesters marched on the highway Sunday. Bass said that the protesters "locked arms silently by Exit 46 while Sam Cooke's "A Change Is Gonna Come" played.

The New Haven Register's Meghan Friedmann shared a video that shows "protesters screaming at state PD: "if you are with us, take a knee." Watch her video here.

Gov. Ned Lamont, wearing a t-shirt that read "I Can't Breathe," released a video on social media in which he expressed his solidarity with the peaceful protesters:

"Yet again we are shocked by the video of a black man being killed, in this case, George Floyd at the hands of a police officer in Minneapolis," Lamont said. "I was particularly shocked that nobody tried to stop it, that nobody yelled, 'Stop! Enough!' Here we are, a week later, and there are demonstrations across the country. I was particularly moved by comments from our police chief in Bridgeport, who said, 'I would have been out there demonstrating as well, but I was busy keeping the peace.' Which they pretty successfully did."

Lamont made the statement one day after protesters shut down a portion of Route 8 in Bridgeport for several hours.

On Monday afternoon, the state police issued a formal statement on the circumstances of Floyd's death:

"A week ago today, a death occurred in Minneapolis. We in law enforcement are not unfamiliar with death, we see it often in many different forms; but the death of George Floyd was different. The indefensible circumstances of this act were carried out in broad daylight, in the middle of a public street by an individual wearing a badge. This individual swore an oath to protect the members of his community, and failed that most basic duty. It was very apparent that this individual used completely unnecessary, unjustifiable force against someone in handcuffs. In that moment, communities were shattered. This individual does not represent police officers.

"We extend our sincere condolences to those who knew and loved George Floyd.

"To say we condemn this behavior is accurate, but still, the word 'condemn' doesn’t begin to come close to what we're feeling. We saw what you saw. We watched in disbelief as that individual calling himself a police officer kept his knee on the neck of a human being for almost nine minutes. Why? We're not trained to do this in our police academies. There was no immediate threat. Those police officers on scene, including those that stood around and did nothing, simply failed. They failed not just on a law enforcement level, but on a basic human level.

"We are sad, we are angry and we are disgusted. Sad for George Floyd, his family, friends and the people of Minneapolis. We’re sad for those minority communities whose distrust in us police officers will only grow deeper because of this. Sad for the hundreds of thousands of law enforcement officers who go to work every day and do the right thing, but will now be viewed in the same light as those former officers who evidently betrayed their oath on that Minneapolis street. The damage done from this is immeasurable and will ripple throughout our country, including our Connecticut communities.

"We're disgusted that anyone wearing a police uniform would do what we all saw in that video. We’re angry that the actions of a few will affect all of us. If you wear a badge and aren’t appalled by that what you saw, please turn it in and find a new profession; we don’t need you. For the sake of the community, for the sake of good law enforcement officers everywhere and for the sake of our country, enough is enough.

"To our community, please know that we are more than a uniform, we are ordinary people and we stand with you. We anticipate and welcome difficult conversations that will result in progressive changes. Our commitment to public safety remains the same. We will continue to respond to calls for help and keep our streets safe. We will continue to safeguard lives and property in our communities. We will also continue to respect the rights of peaceful protesters and will continue to ensure their safety as we did over the weekend."

Elsewhere, cities across the country were putting the pieces back together Sunday when a tanker truck sped through a Minneapolis crowd of protesters, and the city once again turned violent. Outside the White House, buildings were set ablaze, while violence and looting continued in Chicago, Philadelphia and other cities.

>>>Watch live video of the New Haven protest here and here.

>>>Read and watch the New Haven Independent's full coverage here.

See related: 2 Charged After Protesters Shutdown Highway for Hours

• Thousands Protest In CT Over Death Of George Floyd: Live Updates