



The crowd of upwards of 100 activists outside of the Hartford Public Safety Complex demanded to speak to Chief Rovella. The chanting and singing continued for so loud and long that the message could not not have been heard.

Neither Rovella nor any other representative of the Hartford Police Department emerged from the building on Monday, though numerous police stood outside or sat in both marked and unmarked vehicles in the parking lot and around the perimeter; at least one of the unmarked cars contained police recording video of the action via dashboard-mounted camera. The HPD also shared photos of the protest on Twitter.

After seeing there would be no direct dialogue this time, Bishop John Selders announced that since the head of the HPD would not speak with the public, he would not be having any private one-on-one conversations, should he later be contacted by the department.

This latest Moral Monday action intended to draw attention to a recent incident caught on video on June 28, 2015. What began as a stop for public drinking turned into an unarmed individual allegedly resisting arrest, followed by what can be seen in the video.

Leaders urged Moral Monday participants to walk “peacefully” and on sidewalks from the gathering point near the Keney Memorial Clock Tower to the nearby public safety complex on High Street. A cruiser blocked traffic so activists could safely cross the busy street.

Speakers thanked the white and other “non-black” activists in attendance, but some felt that more people should have been at the rally in Downtown. Robin McHaelen, Executive Director of True Colors, was one. She addressed white queer activists in her comments, reminding them who they tried to get involved in the fight for marriage equality, and who that community now needed to stand with in solidarity.

Unlike the action in early June, Monday’s did not involve civil disobedience or result in any arrests.