Standoff As Protest Confronts Mayor, Cops

(Updated) A day of peaceful protest by 1,000 anti-brutality marchers evolved into a smaller but intense nighttime standoff at police headquarters, in which bottles and pepper spray flew and the mayor faced the crowd and was shouted down.

Tension built as the midnight hour arrived — and last-minute moves on both sides would determine whether New Haven would join other cities in seeing protest arrests made on Sunday.

Sunday night’s confrontation was New Haven’s latest chapter of the unfolding story of America’s response to a series of deaths of African-Americans at the hands of law enforcement, most recently in Minneapolis.

The main event of the day stood in contrast to clashes in other cities. Click here to read a full story about the march to I‑95 back to the police station, and about the beginning of the conflict that occurred there.

The conflict continued on into the night. Around 100 protesters remained for hours on the steps of 1 Union Ave., facing a line of police officers.

The protesters were a mix of white people from out of town and local activists affiliated with the group People Against Brutality, led by organizer Kerry Ellington.

At first the officers did not wear helmets. Protesters chanted criticisms of the police. They demanded to speak with Mayor Justin Elicker, who was inside the building.

At one point some of the protesters tried to get into the building. They said they wanted to file a complaint.

Police said that because of concerns over potential vandalism, they would not let them inside. As some of the protesters stepped forward, cops sprayed them with pepper spray. (Read more about that in the second half of this previous story.) Protesters said they had a right to enter a taxpayer-funded building.

Some of the protesters, mainly white activists from out of town, threw bottles at the officers. The officers put on helmets and face shields.

Around 9:30 p.m., Mayor Elicker emerged to meet with the protesters. He stepped in front of the line of cops.

“There’s our fucking mayor!” a call came out.

“He don’t get no microphone!” called another. ​“Speak motherfucker!”

“If you want me to speak, I will speak. If you don’t want me to speak, you can drown me out. But you’ve been shouting for me to speak. If you want me to speak, I’ll speak,” Elicker began.

“I hear your anger. We deeply care about addressing inequality, about addressing police brutality. I deeply care about that. I am open to having a dialogue. I’m open to listening. I’m open to working with you in a collaborative way to address systemic racism … and police brutality.”

Protesters began shouting that he had lied to them, that he shouldn’t stand on the other side ​“of the blue line,” that he should ​“acknowledge that people were pepper-sprayed today.”

Several protesters addressed him first. One 57-year-old woman stepped up to Elicker and told him about her experiences in other cities witnessing brutality then moving to New Haven and being disabused of notions that New Haven police avoid brutality. She spoke of witnessing police beat a black man last week in Fair Haven. ​“I saw the bruises.”

“Do you not think we love our black and brown children today like you love your palefaced blonde headed children?” she asked him.

She accused him of hiding behind the police rather than facing the protesters.

“I’m right in front of you right now,” Elicker responded through a cloth face mask that, like most of the crowd, he was wearing to avoid the spread of Covid-19.

“I know where the fuck you are,” the woman responded. ​“You got motherfuckers behind you now like an army.”

Elicker, standing beside Hill Alder Ron Hurt, said he would like to speak and respond to the protesters.

“Let me talk white man. Let me talk. Do not white man me right now!”

“I want to have a conversation. You’re shouting at me.”

Organizer Ellington took the megaphone next.

“Today we had a mission. We wanted to stand in solidarity with George Floyd. We also wanted to lift up and make our demands for what we need right here in New Haven to curb police violence. We had demands we wanted to tell the mayor. We wanted to come and tell you the demands. We went to his house Friday night. He didn’t like that,” she said, standing inches away from the mayor.

“This white man should have his privilege as a white man with power that we do not have a right to go to his house because he has a right to privacy but we don’t,” Ellington continued. ​“We need to disrupt police culture. This right here in front of us is police culture. … We see right in front of the mayor his troops line up in riot gear to pepper spray peaceful protesters. I got pepper sprayed today.”

Ellington proceeded to read a tweet Elicker posted at 3:30 p.m. to let people know he was at the police station, not home on Orange Street. Ellington criticized him for waiting inside for hours.

“My face burned, Justin. I can’t breathe this week, Justin. I just want to breathe. I wanted to breathe. The man got beat up by your police officers at Walmart,” she said.

“We came here to talk to you. We need changes in New Haven for police violence. You told us you were inside. You told us: ​‘Don’t go to your house. My wife ain’t a part of this.’ We came here to walk into that building. We found out that you lied. You lied to us. You told us you support us. We got pepper sprayed. Does support look like pepper spray to you?”

Elicker started to speak.

“You all can shout at me. But I want to have a dialogue,” he began.

The crowd started chanting to drown him out. Elicker went inside.

The Connecticut Bail Fund posted a live up-close Facebook video of the hours-long confrontation, including the exchanges with Elicker. It appears at the top of the story. (If it’s no longer there by the time you read this, click here to find it.)

At 9:55, Elicker slipped back through the police line and disappeared into the building, to the jeers of protestors.

Police held their line, which stretched all the way across the top of the steps leading to the entrance of the building.

Protestors held their ranks and passed a megaphone between each other.

​“They get paid, and we get pepper sprayed,” they chanted.

Elicker: ​“I Was Torn”

In a subsequent conversation with the Independent, Elicker said he had wrestled with whether to come out to speak with the crowd.

He believes in open dialogue and difficult conversations, he said.

“I was really torn for hours about whether to go outside and talk with people or not. I tried that on Friday when protesters came to my home. They just yelled at me and weren’t interested in a dialogue. Many of the protesters that were at my home were outside the police department today,” he said.

“In the end I decided to give it a try again, and I’ll continue to do that. It was clear they weren’t in a place tonight to have a dialogue.”

“I understand people are angry,” Elicker added. ​“Many people just want to be heard.”

Back Outside …

As the standoff continued, one protester addressed the black police officers on the other side of the line of Plexiglas riot shields.

​“Take a look at those white cops, because they would be the ones to pull you over and drag you out of your car,” she said.

Protesters asked the black officers to say something. No one did.

​“Silence is betrayal,” said a protester. ​“I am ashamed of each and every one of you.”

“Somebody fucking say something!” called another.

Finally, one officer replied. A protester turned around and faced the street, saying one officer had finally said he cared.

The Final Hour

By 11 p.m., the crowd had dwindled, but remained in a standoff with the officers.

“We ain’t leaving til these motherfuckers stand down. Because we own this building,” Ellington declared.

The standoff continued as it had for hours until 11:12, when a speaker on top of the building blasted an announcement.

​“We demand all those assembled at 1 Union Avenue to immediately leave,” a man’s voice said over the speaker. ​“If you do not do so, you may be arrested, subject to other police action, including the use of force, which may result in serious injury.”

Protesters had 15 minutes to leave, the announcement concluded.

A protester called out a phone number to call for legal help if people got arrested. Those who did not feel comfortable getting arrested moved away from the steps to the street and the sidewalk on the other side. The rest moved to the top of the steps and linked arms.

The officers in riot gear remained shield to shield across the openings between the building’s columns. Protestors, now numbering about 60, concentrated on the right side of the wide entrance way, closest to the doors.

Plastic clanking began to sound from the back of the officers ranks as police started to walk back through the doors, thinning the ranks of Plexiglas shields.

The same announcement sounded over the loudspeakers. This time protestors had ten minutes.

The line of riot-gear-clad officers on the left side of the line began to back toward the door, leaving only a line directly in front of the door.

While she filmed on her own phone, and a friend filmed for the Connecticut Bail Fund next to her, Ellington began a face-to-face dialogue with Sgts. Michael Fumiatti and Bertram Ettienne.

A Dialogue Ensues

“We’re trying to deescalate the situation by having people in riot gear step back and have regular officers come talk to you the way that this sergeant and I have been,” Fumiatti told Ellington.

​“I got pepper sprayed today. I want to make a complaint,” replied Ellington.

​“I’m sorry that happened,” said Fumiatti.

​“You’re sorry we got pepper sprayed?” Ellington countered.

​“I’m very sorry that happened,” Fumiatti replied. ​“I would not want to be pepper sprayed myself. It’s awful. Especially while you’re trying to have peaceful protest. That’s very understandable that you would be mad about that. On top of watching a horrendous video this week. Nobody should have to see that stuff. That shouldn’t happen in our country. I disagree with it entirely.”

​“So why are you guarding a public building? Tell me, why are you guarding in riot gear earlier a public building?” asked Ellington.

​“When you see all of this stuff all over the country of people burning down police stations, right, that’s something that would be very hurtful to the city,” Fumiatti replied.

​“Let me add to that, right,” said Ellington. ​“When we see black children …”

​“Yep”

​“Black babies, like Tamir Rice. Like Jayson Negron,” she continued.

​“Tamir Rice was a horrendous shooting. That should have never happened,” said Fumiatti.

​“That should have never happened, right?” echoed Ellington.

​“Yeah,” said Fumiatti with an emphatic nod.

​“So you see the same way you’re hurt, we’re hurt,” replied Ellington. ​“And we’re here to express that hurt. And we’re getting met with a line of guards, a line of soldiers right here, for property we pay taxes to.”

Harvey Fair took a megaphone and began to speak.

​“There is no reason to have riot gear out for people who are expressing their pain. When the mayor was out here…”

The Moment Of Truth

​“It’s time to disperse. Go home. Police officers go back inside the building,” came another announcement. ​“If anyone tries to enter, they will get arrested.” It was 11:44.

Harvey Fair continued speaking until the last of the officers turned and walked into the building at 11:51.

“We appreciate you! We’ll be back!” he called

“We’ll be back,” he said again. ​“We’ll be back,” the crowd began to chant.

​“Ain’t no power like the power of the people ​‘cause the power of the people don’t stop,” they continued.

We’ll be back,” he said again. ​“We’ll be back,” the crowd began to chant.

​“Ain’t no power like the power of the people ​‘cause the power of the people don’t stop,” they continued.

They stayed on the steps and talked for a few more minutes. At 12:15, they began to disperse.

The police were able to avoid arrests. So were the protesters. And the protesters had a basis on which they could leave.

“We won!” they chanted into the night. ​“We won!”

The Bail Fund recorded the action live in this video. The video also shows Sgt. Michael Fumiatti and Bertram Ettienne having civil conversations with individual protesters.

This story will be updated with what happened next..

Official Statement

Earlier Sunday evening, Mayor Elicker issued the following official statement Sunday evening about the protests:

“Today New Haven has experienced more than a thousand protesters deeply frustrated by the killing of George Floyd and police brutality. People are understandably angry and want action. I do, too.

“Currently, protesters are outside of the Police Department and on Route 34. I’m glad to share that so far, the protest has been mostly peaceful, and the New Haven Police Department has shown great restraint

“I stand with the residents of New Haven and the New Haven Police to speak out against police brutality. What happened to George Floyd and what has happened to many others must stop.

“Chief Reyes and I have been abundantly clear about our expectations, that our officers work with compassion, that our officers don’t over-police our neighborhoods, that our officers embody the spirit of real community policing. We’ve also been clear that if there is any complaint of misconduct, we will investigate and hold any officers accountable.

“I also stand ready to talk collaboratively with the protesters and the community at large to better understand, to listen and to begin to address racism. I hope you stand ready, too. But we must have these conversations respectfully, collaboratively, and peacefully. Otherwise we can’t be successful. I urge New Haven residents with all my heart to be open to these conversations and to protest but do it peacefully. We will get through this very challenging time.”