Peaceful Protests In Norwalk; Some Streets Shutdown: UPDATE

NORWALK, CT — Groups of protesters, angry over the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis and deaths of other minorities at the hands of law enforcement, took over streets in parts of Norwalk and I-95 on Sunday afternoon and shutdown traffic.

The protests appeared to be peaceful throughout, drawing thanks and praise from local leaders and Norwalk Police Chief Thomas Kulhawik.

"Thank you to all who attended today," Kulhawik wrote on Twitter. "Your voice was heard. We appreciate the peaceful and safe manner in which it was conducted. I enjoyed speaking with so many of you."

Added United States Congressman Jim Himes, a Democrat who represents Norwalk and other communities in lower Fairfield County, "Proud of Norwalk."

Sunday's protests in Norwalk followed days of unrest across the country, with many gatherings ending in violence, property destruction and widespread looting of businesses.

Earlier on Sunday, Norwalk police posted a running list of street closures on the department's Twitter page, which included a portion of South Main Street near police headquarters; a portion of nearby West Avenue; I-95 between exits 14 and 15; and Connecticut Avenue between Scribner and Rampart avenues.

State police cleared protesters off of I-95 by about 2:10 p.m., but traffic remained snarled in parts of Norwalk as of 2:30 p.m.

See Also:

• Hundreds In Stratford Protest Police Brutality After Floyd Death
• Protesters Shut Down I-95 In New Haven Sunday
• Protesters Briefly Shut Down I-84 In Waterbury Sunday

On Saturday, two people were arrested following a peaceful protest that shutdown a portion of Route 8 in Bridgeport.

Also on Saturday, Norwalk Mayor Harry Rilling issued a statement critical of the Minneapolis police officers who were involved in the Floyd incident. One of the officers, Derek Chauvin, has been charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.