On June 12, 2020, clergy from the Greater Hartford Interfaith Action Alliance (GHIAA) marched 1.5 miles from Hartford’s North End neighborhood down to City Hall, with a stop at the Hartford Police Department, chanting “No justice, no peace. No racist police!” The goal? To push for subpoena power for Hartford’s Civilian Police Review Board (CPRB) and respond to President Trump’s infamous Photo-Op at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Washington, DC.
The June 2 images of law enforcement using tear gas to clear away peaceful Black Lives Matter protestors at St. John’s so that President Trump could be photographed holding a Bible horrified many. Seeing this, Rev. Trevor Beauford, pastor of Union Baptist Church, approached GHIAA clergy to respond publically and boldly.
Subsequently, over 100 GHIAA clergy in full regalia with Holy Scriptures in hand, gathered at Union Baptist Church ready to act. The action started with a somber moment of silence for eight minutes and 46 seconds – the amount of time that three police officers in Minneapolis pinned down George Floyd resulting in his death.
The group – with Bibles, Qurans, and Tanakhs in one-hand and protest signs with messages like “my faith fuels my resistance” in the other – then processed down Main Street to the Hartford Police Station, followed by City Hall. Amongst the crowd awaiting the clergy’s arrival, were Mayor Bronin, Assistant Police Chief Raphael Medina, and Officer Rinaldi, President of Hartford’s police union. True to broad-based organizing, the clergy had specific asks of the three power brokers present. The main ask (and most controversial) was for subpoena power for the CPRB. Both Mayor Bronin and Officer Medina responded affirmatively, but Officer Rinaldi responded, “Not at this time.”
Subpoena power would grant the CPRB with the authority to subpoena law enforcement officers and witnesses to testify in cases involving alleged police misconduct. However, this would require a change in state law. If we can get this change, CPRB’s will be able to have tools at their disposal that could potentially increase their ability to effectively address – and hopefully deter – police brutality.
GHIAA leaders are currently finalizing a campaign around this issue that they will take to their membership in August for approval and action.
