HARTFORD, Conn — Protestors gathered in front of the governor’s mansion Saturday afternoon in frigid temperatures calling for a cancellation of rent for the state.
Demonstrators say that the cancellation of rent is needed now more than ever because come next year may not have a place to live.
Michael Oretade said, “We’re coming out here to cancel the rent that he put into this rental relief program and it’s not helping and there are hundreds of thousands of people in Connecticut who are at risk of losing their home.
Oretade, the president of Black Lives Matter 860, and other organizations participated in the demonstration.
A woman by the name of CJ is a member of Black and Brown United in Action spoke to FOX61 during the protest, she added, “These are working people, these are people that are waking up every day in school, bringing you coffee, and pumping gas and cleaning up your house, and taking care of your loved ones. Who’s taking care of us?
The governor extended a moratorium calling for no eviction of tenants from landlords to February 9th of next year.
Folks here say the COVID-pandemic has already devastated black and brown communities through their health and now through their pockets.
CJ said, “This melanin right here there is a cost to that, there is a cost to migrating to America... We have to know that and that’s why we are here to postpone the rent is a joke it just means you get more time to file your taxes and guess who you are going to owe after that?”
Since the last moratorium extension in august Governor Lamont said he hopes landlords and tenants can come to an agreement so that both parties can get through this pandemic together, but for those who criticize protestors saying people just need to fit the bill because landlords too have their own expenses; demonstrators have this to say.
Oretade said, “If they want aide well, they need to be pushing Congress too, they need to be pushing Congress for aides for themselves instead of making it fall down on the American people’s backs.. that’s ridiculous.”
Demonstrators say that this will not be the last time you see them and that you can expect more from them in the near future.