New Canaan Marches For Justice For George Floyd, Breonna Taylor

NEW CANAAN, CT — More than 1,000 people in New Canaan on Thursday peacefully marched for justice for George Floyd and Breonna Taylor, in what was a moving display of a community coming together for important causes.

Those causes are ending racism and police brutality, and during the protest marchers chanted "Black Lives Matter," "No Justice, No Peace," and Floyd and Taylor's names. Joining the marchers were several area clergy members, Police Chief Leon Krolikowski, First Selectman Kevin Moynihan, Selectman Nick Williams and a host of other political and civic leaders.

Organized by the Niang family — Fatou, Nabi, Lucas and Ethan — the march began at Saxe Middle School and made its way to New Canaan Police Headquarters down South Avenue and back to the school.

Police officers closed off South Avenue to give the marchers safe passage to the police station, and at the station the protesters took a knee and prayed for justice.

Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, died during an arrest last week, in which a white Minneapolis, Minnesota police officer, Derek Chauvin, positioned his knee on Floyd's neck. Floyd could be heard on video saying that he couldn't breathe, and people at the scene could be heard begging the officer to get off of him.

Chavin has been charged with second-degree murder and manslaughter; the other three officers at the scene — J Alexander Kueng, Thomas Lane and Tou Thao — have been charged with aiding and abetting unintentional second-degree murder and aiding and abetting second-degree manslaughter.

All four Minneapolis police officers have been fired by the department.

Taylor, a 26-year-old emergency first responder who also was black, died after she was shot by police officers while she was sleeping in her home in Louisville, Kentucky. Police were looking for a suspect and had entered the wrong home.

No officers have been charged in relation to that incident.

Over the past week, protests have sprung up in Connecticut and around the country calling for an end to systematic racism. While most marches, like the one in New Canaan, have been peaceful, some have turned violent, ending with widespread property damage and looting.