NEW HAVEN, Conn. — Protesters took to the streets of New Haven as the demonstrations against police brutality continued across the nation.
Hundreds of people marched from Dixwell Avenue to the New Haven Green to protest police brutality. They are also demanding action and change for the future.
"What you are going to see here today is what community really looks like," says Pastor Kalcy G.L. Steele, the organizer of the Social Justice Collaborative, a new community group working on having conversations about race and creating structural change. "And you’re going to see solidarity. And you’re going to see what happens after protests: conversation."
"I’m asking everybody to put some policy where their mouths are," says Tyisha Walker-Myer, President of the New Haven Board of Alders.
At both the national and local levels, politicians and community leaders are speaking up about how they are going to change their communities.
"No more chokeholds. No more no knock warrants that killed Breonna Taylor. No more secrecy," says Senator Richard Blumenthal.
New Haven Mayor Justin Elicker also spoke out about what he plans to change in his town.
"We’re committed to implementing policies to undo the socioeconomic inequality perpetuated by decades of housing policies that have impacted black and brown families for generations," he says.
The city is committed to running a citizen review board.
"All police officers are not bad, but the few that are need a citizen review board in order to hold them accountable," says Pastor Steele, affectionately known as Pastor K.
In New Haven, the newly formed social justice collaborative will progress the conversation on combating police brutality and promoting racial equality.
"It’s a great testimony that we can come together as a community and we can do something collective. So, after this protest, of course, protest should always lead the conversation we’re going to be hosting various conversations in order to continue to talk about police brutality , and what we can do as a community as it relates to community policing," says Pastor K. "It’s a collaboration of pretty much some of everybody from different sectors. You have the business sectors, you have the Jewish Federation, you have the church community the interfaith community and so it’s some of everybody because I believe in order to combat racism we need to bring everybody to the table."
Hearses led protesters to the New Haven Green Sunday to represent and memorialize those who have been killed by police.
knowledge our fallen soldiers that have passed because of racism and bigotry,
Once at the green, people knelt in prayer, and read the names of the people killed by police in Connecticut and the nation.