More than 200 people rallied in the rain outside of the Connecticut State Capitol Saturday morning in support of Syrian refugees. Their messages included the ability and willingness for the United States to care for both new refugees and our existing homeless population, dismissing the either/or rhetoric that has been presented as fact in recent weeks. Speakers also dismissed the idea the refugees would be given a free ride once here, or that the State has any control over who the United States does or does not accept.
In abundance: messages of welcome, families, and signs quoting directly from or alluding to the Christian Bible. Speakers included Bishop Selders and Rev. Pawelek, both active in the Black Lives Matter movement.
This was initially planned as a counter-protest, with the anti-refugee action cancelling following some volleying between the groups on Facebook. Then, a few people remaining from the anti-refugee camp decided to go ahead and form a counter-protest to what had now become the main event. Their plans shifted several times before about 25 of those individuals gathered on Saturday near a cannon on the Capitol grounds. They informed the State Capitol police of their intention to march to the Governor’s Residence, over three miles away. Organizers of the anti-refugee event chimed in on Facebook occasionally to say that this action was not about hate, but a sample of the content speaks volumes:
