Thousands of people gathered in cities across New England on Saturday to protest the recent death of George Floyd and police violence against black people across the country.
The protests around New England joined those in cities nationwide after a video spread online showing Floyd, a black man, dying while being restrained by white police officers in Minneapolis. One of the officers, who was seen in the video kneeling on Floyd's neck, has been charged with third-degree murder and manslaughter.
In Rhode Island, protesters gathered in Burnside Park on Saturday before marching to the State House.
Two people were arrested in Manchester, New Hampshire, after the pair drove by protesters outside of the police station and one got out and displayed a gun, police said.
Ten people were arrested Friday during protests in Boston and are scheduled to be arraigned on Monday.
Boston Mayor Martin Walsh held a prayer vigil on Saturday to honor Floyd and to reflect “on his murder.”
“If there‘s ever a moment to acknowledge injustice and re-commit our nation to eradicating it, it’s right now," Walsh said. “It's this moment. This is our moment in time to make a difference. This is our moment in time to change as a nation.”
In Newburyport, Massachusetts, more than 100 people partook in a peaceful rally in Market Square. More than 100 protesters also gathered at the Korean War Memorial in Worcester, Massachusetts advocating for harsher charges against the officer arrested in connection with Floyd's death.
Meanwhile, more than 2,000 people assembled in Hartford, Connecticut, chanting "Black lives matter" and "no justice, no peace," the Hartford Courant reported. The rally started at Bushnell Park and many participants walked to the State Capitol.
Protestors closed both sides of Route 8 in Bridgeport Saturday afternoon. It was unclear when the road would reopen, NBC Connecticut reported.
“People are in the streets demanding racial justice and an end to police violence. The protests happening in Bridgeport and elsewhere are a direct response to the violence that police perpetuate in Black communities across the country, including in Black and Latino communities in Bridgeport and across Connecticut," ACLU of Connecticut Executive Director David McGuire said in a statement.
