Sean Hannon gathered outside the federal courthouse in Bridgeport Tuesday with a couple dozen other protesters who were rallying against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportations. Hannon said much of what the federal government is doing is so morally reprehensible he doesn’t know where to start.
“I have a loss for words because this is so insane that I can't respond to all the things that are going on,” Hannon said.
Hannon and others across the country took part in walkouts protesting against the federal government’s actions in what organizers say is a descent into fascism. They spoke out against the killing of Renee Good, a U.S. citizen,and mother of three, who was shot by an ICE agent in Minneapolis. Protesters also rallied against round ups of U.S citizens and migrants, alienating longtime U.S. allies and more.
The protest in Bridgeport is now one of many that have occurred throughout the state a year after President Donald Trump took office. For many, attending protests has become routine, and more people continue to attend the rallies.
While a few dozen attended the protest, many passing cars honked in approval. Hannon, who said he’s attended many anti-Trump protests throughout the state, said he wants ICE disarmed and defunded.
“They need to stop attacking citizens,” Hannon said. “They need to talk, stop attacking everybody.”
Hannon is critical of much of what the federal government is doing, but was particularly angry over the killing of Good, who was accused by the federal government of intentionally driving into the ICE officer who shot her. But various videos showing the shooting appear to contradict the federal government’s claims.
No protester has been killed by federal law enforcement in Connecticut, but a similar rally in Hartford against an ICE facility followingGood’s death led to a protester being hit with a federally owned vehicle and pepper spray being deployed against protesters.
Organizer Meg Doyle said some who are speaking out are fearful that they could encounter a violent response from federal agents. However, Doyle weighed the potential for retaliation against their First Amendment rights.
“People are thinking about it, but we still have a constitutional right to be out here and speak our mind,” Doyle said. “So, no, I think it's important to be here and to be exercising our rights.”
While many protesters say they are worried over the future of the country, The Connecticut Republican Party dismissed Democratic support for the walkouts. Ben Proto, the state party chair, issued a statement saying Democrats are to blame for the protests.
The statement read in part…
“Connecticut Republicans support the right to peaceful protest,” Proto said. “But walking off the job in the middle of the workday doesn’t lower grocery bills, reduce energy costs, or help a young family afford a home. It disrupts businesses, burdens taxpayers, and highlights just how detached Connecticut Democrats and the far left TDS (Trump Derangement Syndrome) afflicted individuals are from the real pressures facing working people.”
Many of those protests across the country appeared to originate at the grassroots level. Some anti-government protesters across the country have arrived armed, but Connecticut’s strict laws against openly carrying firearms at demonstrations have discouraged similar reactions.
Hannon said he does feel anger and fear over the federal government’s actions, and said he isn’t alone.
“Every day I come out to a rally, and I see more and more people gathering because they are seeing it, they are feeling it, so I take faith in that,” Hannon said.
