Protesters March for Peace, Love and Justice

Approximately a thousand people marched and protested in New Britain on Friday, June 5, 2020, as activists continue to rally against racism and for change.

The rally organizers called an event for “Peace, Love & Justice,” to march, “protesting against racism” drew a large crowd of protesters on the hot early summer afternoon.

Organizers had called on people to arrive a 12:00noon for “group discussions and workshops to create signs and posters.”

Later, protesters marched in a circle to Arch Street, to downtown and then back up West Main Street and into the Darius Miller Bandshell in Walnut Hill Park.

Protests have been continuing nationwide in the wake of the killing of George Floyd by police in Minneapolis. The killing of Floyd, Ahmaud Arbery and other African Americans have sparked vigorous protests against ongoing racism in the nation.

Friday’s protest is only the latest in a series of events and marches in New Britain over the past week.

Perhaps two thousand people marched through the streets of New Britain on Sunday, May 31st, in an historic protest for change in society and an end racist inequality and violence.

On Tuesday, June 2nd, there were at least four different events.

More than one hundred people joined online as United States Representative Jahana Hayes (D-5) and other leaders spoke at a Virtual Town Hall Conversation held by the NAACP New Britain Branch to start discussions on a New Britain Black Community Agenda. At the same time a “Ride for Unity” event was held, starting in Willow Brook Park, against racism.

After a community organizing meeting was held at Right Now Ministries on Tuesday, an emotional candlelight vigil was held in Walnut Hill Park at which Tre Brown and Bishop Rha-Sheen Brown read the names of Black people who had been killed by police and others and the circumstances of many of the cases.

Thousands of people have also apparently signed an online petition calling on the city to agree to a series of demands for “racial justice policies in New Britain.” As of 8:45pm on June 5, 2020, more than 7,400 people appear to have signed the petition, posted to the site Change.org.

Meanwhile, organizers have been continually working to maintain the momentum of the burgeoning movement, to keep people in the movement unified and to build and organize around concrete goals.