Two protests set June 13, 14 in Milford

Two protest events against police brutality are planned for Milford June 13-14.

The first protest is planned for 2 p.m., Saturday, June 13, at Silver Lake Estates Apartments, which in January was the site of a police shooting of 27-year-old Brandon Roberts.

Milford police officers arrived at Roberts’ apartment responding to a domestic violence call. Police said Roberts, who suffered from bipolar disorder, was brandishing a knife and lunging at officers when they shot him. But neighbors and Roberts’ fiance dispute the official police account of the incident, saying the police did not try to de-escalate the situation before shooting Roberts. 

The June 13 protest was organized by local business owner Krystle Blackwell, who was approached by Roberts’ family to take action to effect change in light of Roberts’ killing. The planned action is a peaceful protest march from the Silver Lake apartments to City Hall. There, Blackwell said, they will hold a word of prayer and urge city leaders to hold the officers responsible accountable for killing Roberts. 

The following day, starting at 4 p.m., Sunday, June 14, a silent protest for racial justice will be held, starting at the parking lot of Gigante grocery store in Riverwalk Plaza, and passing through Centennial Park and downtown Milford. Lining up will begin at 3:45 p.m., and protestors are encouraged to bring signs. The one-mile walk is expected to last 30 to 45 minutes, and demonstrators will be able to reconvene at the Gigante parking lot afterward. 

The demonstration is being organized by Milford native and community activist Jalyn Powell.

“I believe I had a responsibility to do something,” Powell said. “I believe we all have a responsibility to do something when it comes to standing up for what is right.”

Powell said she was inspired to organize because there had not been an event in Milford in the wake of protests around the nation for justice after the death of George Floyd while in the custody of Minneapolis police, an incident that was caught on camera.

“The protests across the nation were very inspiring because it allowed me to see hope,” Powell said. “Here we are as one acknowledging that a black life is just as valuable as a white life. We have come together and agreed that change is needed, and it’s needed now.”

Blackwell said a big factor in organizing a march for Roberts now is that awareness is at a high point in light of Floyd’s killing. 

She said the choice to make the protest silent was a conscious decision.

“From the beginning, America’s Constitution was not made for black folk,” Powell said. “We weren’t even considered people; we were property. We were never meant to be heard. America has systematically silenced our voices, or at least how we use them. So this walk in silence is showing that even without a mic, we will still find innovative ways to be heard. You can’t silence us this time. We will be heard.”

Asked whether nationwide protests against police brutality are being heard, she said, “Being that laws are being proposed and enacted considering criminal justice reform, the message is being heard. However, the presence of police brutality and discrimination still rising shows the message isn’t loud enough.”