NEW HAVEN, Conn. — The steps of the New Haven Police Department were once again filled with protesters demanding an end to police brutality. Their list of demands was read directly to city officials while a sea of hundreds, perhaps thousands of people.
"It’s not a matter of should I protest or not protest or how long should I protest. We will protest until we don’t need to anymore," said Michael Christie.
The push for change came with power in numbers.
"Nothing can stand in the way of the power of millions of voices calling and calling for change," said a speaker.
The calls for change stretched from the New Haven Green to the steps of the police department.
"We organize to undo institutional and systemic racism," said a speaker.
Demonstrators were demanding the New Haven Police Department budget be reduced by $33-million to fund public education in the city. They also called for officers involved in the killing of a civilian to be prosecuted to the full extent of the law, re-allocating $20-million from police pensions to fund affordable public housing and demand the immediate end of police brutality within our cities, our state and our country.
The loudest voices to echo those sentiments remained the young people who have been the backbone of this movement not only in the state but across the country.
"There’s no more time to push it back so we’re here because we have to be," said Christie.
"They have to pick up where we left off," said Michael's mother Arnita. "If they’re here and they experience it then we know that we have a future."
New Haven Police Chief Tony Reyes, his assistant chiefs and Fire Department Chief John Alston stood on the top of the department steps to listen to the speakers. Mayor Justin Elicker marched and stood among the sea of people.
"We need to invest more in social services but we also need to look at ourselves and ensure our officers are implementing community policing in a way that New Haven often talks about," said the Mayor.
Yale-New Haven Hospital in a show of solidarity donated 2000 masks to hand out to demonstrators. The organization "need-masks-today" supplied them, although, they say nearly everyone came with their own.