ROCKY HILL, Conn. — People gathered on the Town Green for a Unity Rally to start a conversation about inclusion.
Those who attended the rally held up pictures of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
"I do feel like the marching and the protesting that’s going on started with Martin Luther king. He left something that he tried to bring and I feel like it’s our job to re-do," said Joshua Gardner of Rocky Hill.
Gardner quoted lyrics from Michael Jackson's, "They don't care about us" and said the song is a good example of how black men are perceived.
Organizers wanted it to be a quiet and simple rally.
There was minimal chanting during the brief march and it was mostly silence.
"I think it is a constitutional right and I think that people have a lot to say about the movement and people are reacting in the way they see fit," said Tejal Vallam of Rocky Hill.
"We just want unity within our community. We want everyone to be on the same page as far as coming together and knowing that we support one another," said Vannity Winston of Rocky Hill.
When they stopped, they knelt for eight minutes and forty-six seconds.
"Questions need to be asked. I think we have a good police force but we still have questions we need to ask them. As a member of the council, we need to know they’re doing things properly,' said Rocky Hill Councilwoman Miriam Theroux.
On the way back to the green, the names of the victims of police brutality were read aloud.
Luminaries were placed in a circle to symbolize lives lost.
"I honestly believe there are changes being made to like this day," said Thomara Powell-Brown of Rocky Hill.