Thousands In Connecticut Once Again Protest George Floyd's Death

CONNECTICUT — For the second straight weekend, thousands across the state participated in protests to speak out against police brutality and seek racial justice after the recent death of George Floyd, who died on Memorial Day while in police custody in Minnesota.

Images and videos of the protests dominated social media in Connecticut Saturday. Groups of protesters again took to the interstate as Interstate 95 in New Haven was briefly shut down. A portion of I-95 in Norwalk and West Haven was also closed as protesters marched Saturday afternoon, the Connecticut Post reports.

Video surfaced of protesters in New London spray-painting the Christopher Columbus statue and demanding it come down. (The New London Day's Peter Huoppi shared several videos on his social media account. You can watch the videos here and at the Day's website here.)

NBC Connecticut reports protests were held in Hartford, New Haven, New London, Trumbull, Manchester, Greenwich, Naugatuck, East Lyme, Old Lyme, West Haven and Meriden on Saturday.

Anna Cohn, of Enfield, told Fox 61 she attended the protest in Hartford because "if we don’t stand up now, other people will be harmed and this is the time to make a change."

Several of the protests included people marching to local police stations.

More than 1,000 turned out in Danbury and organizer, Matt Price, told the Connecticut Post that the protests are necessary to ensure the public never accepts racial injustice and police brutality.

“Holding the police accountable and holding lawmakers accountable, that’s the way we’re going to do it,” Price said, according to the Connecticut Post.

Joanna Swomley, who is co-founder of Indivisible Greenwich, told the Greenwich Time that people assembled to "mourn" and they are "heartbroken and sick" over Floyd's death. Swomley told the Greenwich Time that the current movement sweeping the country "has a chance for real change."

On Sunday, Hamden will hold a "tribute honoring the life of Mr. George Floyd," which will take place on at 1 p.m. at Hamden Memorial Town, 2394 Whitney Avenue. The Hamden Police Department will be participating in the event.

"Members of the Hamden Police Department stand with our community to not only pay
tribute to Mr. Floyd, but to denounce police brutality," said Hamden Police Capt. Ronald Smith. "The actions of the 4 Minneapolis police officers on that fateful day (May 25th), do not represent the law enforcement profession or the values of our department. We are both saddened and sickened by Mr. Floyd’s death at the hands of these officers."