NEW LONDON – Connecticut residents motivated and fired up about the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile held vigils and protests Thursday night.
In New London, the All Souls Unitarian Universalist congregation gathered outside of their church on Jay Street holding a “Black Lives Matter” sign. They sang hymns and prayed for peace together.
Members of the congregation say they often hold the sign in between services on Sunday, but were inspired to gather together on Thursday after hearing Sterling and Castile’s stories.
“Now we’re starting to come together and realize that this isn’t just an issue in one specific area, this is a problem all across America,” said Cheyenne Miller of Mystic, who is a member of the congregation.
Their prayer-filled vigil was held just a few hours before a protest and march in Hartford.
Moral Monday CT organized the Hartford event, which ended with a rally outside of the Hartford Police Department. The word spread through social media, and hundreds attended.
“The more people that come out, the more conversation is going to be happening. It’s going to be in everybody’s faces,” said Ike Abakah, a New Britain resident who attended the Hartford protest.
They say they’re determined to keep the movement going even when these stories are no longer in the headlines.
“It’s not just a hot topic. This is real life and this is people’s lives that are getting taken and lives that are being broken,” said Abakah. “The same thing keeps on happening. It’s not stopping. So something’s got to give.”
