Protest Disrupts State of the City Address

By: Dennis Phillips

HARTFORD - Mayor Arunan Arulampalam delivered his annual State of the City address -

on March 23 at Harford Stage in Downtown Hartford. The pivot from the customary venue at

City Hall was discussed last minute at a council meeting in the week prior due to a protest

bringing attention to two recent police shootings that same night.

Dozens of Hartford residents attended the packed venue to listen to Mayor Arulampalm’s

address. Some key points of his address were the “first of its kind” Universal Childcare program initiative meant to provide quality, accessible childcare to Hartford families. In the realm of education, Mayor Arulampalam pledged to work with superintendent Dr. Andraé Townsel to address the $74.5 million school budget deficit. The goal was to avoid dipping into city funds while doing so, which implied more cuts elsewhere.

At a certain point during his speech protesters began shouting with megaphones seeking

accountability for the deaths of Steven Jones and Everard Walker, two men who had been killed by police over the last month. Both were reportedly in the midst of a mental health crisis when officers responded to calls for wellness checks by family members seeking help. The disruption lasted over 10 minutes.

“The fact he was killed during a mental health crisis after having a mental breakdown after my

sister passed away from cancer,” said Menen Walker, Everard Walker’s daughter and one of

the protesters who spoke. She first apologized to attendees at the address, but wanted to make sure that the loss of her father, who had been a good man, was not swept under the rug.

“Their lives mattered. They are sons, they are brothers. In Mr. Walker’s case, a husband, a

father. They are children of God,” Arulampalam said. He went on to explain the process by

which the deaths were being handled, stating that the shootings were being investigated by the Inspector General’s Office first, then the city will step in. The Mayor also went on to assure that efforts are being made to prioritize and coordinate better responses between emergency services and the community.