Photo by Eugene Driscoll
Officer Michael Barry (center, with mask) stands next to Nick Evans, 20, during a rally in Ansonia Wednesday.
ANSONIA — About 75 people participated in a peaceful rally against police brutality outside the police department Wednesday morning.
“We’re just trying to get our voices heard. Not just to Ansonia, but to the world,” said Nick Evans, a 20-year-old Ansonia resident who was the last to speak at the rally. “We want to prevent something like what happened in Minneapolis happen here.”
Evans is referring to the death of George Floyd, who died after a police officer in Minneapolis put his knee on the back of Floyd’s neck for 8 minutes and 46 seconds on Memorial Day — while Floyd was restrained with handcuffs. Floyd’s death has been ruled a homicide.
Derek Chauvin, the officer captured on video putting his knee into Floyd’s neck, had pending criminal charges against him upgraded to second-degree murder Wednesday. Three officers who stood by and did not intervene were arrested Thursday as well.
Floyd’s death at the hand of police set off protests across the nation, followed by violence, looting, and additional claims of police brutality.
It has again sparked a conversation about how law enforcement treats minorities in the U.S.
The lower Naugatuck Valley has seen peaceful rallies and protests this week in Shelton and Derby, where there has been a gathering on the Green every night.
At least four more events are scheduled:
- There is a 10 a.m. unity rally scheduled for Thursday outside Ansonia City Hall at 253 Main St, Mayor David Cassetti’s administration announced.
- Then, a separate march and rally titled the “Justice For George Floyd Peaceful Protest” is scheduled to start outside Ansonia City Hall at Veterans Park at 3 p.m. Thursday. Marchers (masks required due to COVID-19) will walk to the police station on Elm Street. Click here for info.
- At 7 p.m. Friday on the Derby Green, New Beginnings Church of God is hosting a unity rally. Mayor Rich Dziekan and Derby Police Chief Gerald Narowski will be in attendance, according to a flier from Pastor Dennis Marroquin, the organizer.
- At 11 a.m. Sunday, a “Peaceful Rally And Discussion” is scheduled at Nolan Field off Wakelee Avenue in Ansonia, according to a social media post in a Facebook community forum.
Word of Wednesday’s rally Ansonia was posted on social media. It was truly grassroots. The crowd looked young. Evans said there was a mix of people from Ansonia, Derby, and Bridgeport.
“A woman made a post a few days ago, and we all just decided on our own we wanted to come here and support it. We want to show that we care. Because we do. We all love each other,” Evans said.
The participants, many holding Black Lives Matter signs, met down the road from the police department on Elm Street at about 11 a.m. About 10 people were there. The march kicked off at about noon.
“I’m glad we waited because at first it was 10 people, then it turned into 20 people, and 30; a whole lot of people came to show support and that they cared,” Evans said.
The marchers chanted, ‘No justice, no peace,’ and ‘black lives matter’ as a rallying cry.
Evans said police officers joined them in the walk to the station.
“We didn’t reach out to them. They came to us, and they said, ‘We’re going to make sure nobody bothers you.’ They said, ‘We’re going to make sure you’re safe.’ And they marched with us,” Evans said.
The Valley Indy only caught the end of the event, but images posted to Facebook showed police officers taking a knee with the protesters, a show of unity and a reminder of how Floyd died.
“We need more of that around the world, where the police hold themselves accountable, where they say we know what’s going on,” Evans said.
Mackenzie DeNigris, 18, attended the rally holding a “Black Lives Matter” sign. The phrase doesn’t mean black lives are more important than others. It is a callout against violence and systemic racism toward black people, particularly by law enforcement institutions.
Photo by Eugene Driscoll
Mackenzie DeNigris, 18.
“Although Ansonia doesn’t have that many cases of police brutality, it needs to be known that when there is no justice there is going to be no peace,” DeNigris said. “Police officers need to be held accountable for what they do to black people. It’s not right, it has been happening for years, and it needs to stop.”
Many of the protesters bumped fists or simply said ‘hi’ to Officer Michael Barry. He’s been an Ansonia Police officer for 14 years. For 11 of those 14 years, he’s been at the high school as its resource officer.
Barry estimated he knew 95 percent of the people rallying outside his department Wednesday.
The actions of the officer who put a knee to Floyd’s neck and the officers who did not intervene have stained the uniform of all police, Barry said.
“I was disgusted. The officer that leaned on his neck and killed him? Disgusting,” Barry said. “The guy should serve the rest of his life in jail. That’s not what we stand for as police.”
Barry said Ansonia police supported Wednesday’s rally, which called for justice for Floyd.
“We hear them. That’s why we’re here. We support them 100 percent,” Barry said.
Barry said he understands why young people are angry at cops. “We have to put ourselves in their shoes, and we have to listen,” he said. “We have to understand where they’re coming from. When something like this happens, we all get painted, the entire uniform, with the same brush as the guy on YouTube doing terrible things.”
Lt. Patrick Lynch said the department was not aware the rally was happening until they received a report of a large crowd near the department. He said officers went down and introduced themselves.
“That’s our job. To protect them, and to give them a chance to be heard, especially in times like this,” Lynch said.
Correction: The original version of this story had a typo in Lynch’s quote that was corrected Thursday morning.
