Poor People's Campaign Launches Non-violent Direct Actions

Holding signs and banners calling for an end to poverty, over 100 union, faith and community leaders marched from the Legislative Office Building at the state capitol in Hartford down the street to Capitol Avenue on Monday, May 14.

Sixteen people carried their banners into the street and locked arms, blocking traffic, in the first of six weeks of nonviolent actions across the country organized by the Poor People's Campaign: A National Call for Moral Revival.

The 40 days of protest reignites the poor peoples' campaign that Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was organizing when he was assassinated while supporting striking sanitation workers fifty years ago.

Under the leadership of Rev. William Barber coalitions have formed in 39 states to fight systemic poverty and racism, ecological devastation and militarism and the war economy.

Fast Food workers in the Fight for 15, teachers union leaders and faith leaders were among those who took part in the civil disobedience in Hartford. As they blocked the street police arrested them one by one and loaded them into two police vehicles.

“This campaign may have been inspired by historic events fifty years ago,” said AFT Connecticut President Jan Hochadel, who previously taught in the state's technical high schools. “Yet, in 2018, we're witnessing the lessons of non-violent, civil disobedience across the country, from West Virginia to Arizona and Oklahoma to Puerto Rico. Union members are putting themselves on the line — and winning."

"They’re winning not just for themselves — they’re winning justice for their students, their patients, the residents they serve and their communities,” Hochadel concluded in a speech prior to taking arrest along with several of her union colleagues.

“Our commitment is to keep our issues front and center in the public discourse.  No more will we allow statewide elections to happen without real dialogue regarding the poor, the disenfranchised and marginalized.”  says Bishop John Selders, Tri Chair of CT Poor People’s Campaign and director of Moral Monday CT, the state's campaign coordinator.

Protests will be held each Monday through mid-June. For information visit poorpeoplescampaign.org