April 15, 2024
For Immediate Release
Contact: Chief Erik Costa, 860-638-4100

News Release - Aircraft Road Protest

On April 15, 2024 at approximately 5:37am, the Middletown Police responded to Aircraft road, near Pratt & Whitney, for the report of people chaining themselves together and blocking the entrance to the Pratt facility.

On arrival, Officers located a number of people sitting in the roadway with their arms interlocked inside tubes. There were also additional pedestrians standing in the roadway chanting, filming, and monitoring the organized protest against the war in Gaza. The protesters had also placed a vehicle across the roadway which was blocking part of Aircraft Road. Based on their placement in the roadway, Pratt employees were prohibited from leaving or entering the Pratt & Whitney campus.   

South District Fire responded. The Middletown Police also requested mutual aid from other law enforcement agencies. CSP Troop F, Meriden Police, Cromwell Police, and Berlin Police sent officers to assist.

The vehicle blocking the roadway was quickly removed without incident. The police made every effort to convince the protesters to leave the roadway and avoid arrest but negotiations were unsuccessful. After multiple warnings that an arrest was imminent, the protesters indicated they were not leaving.

The decision was made to arrest anyone obstructing vehicular traffic. South District Fire personnel assisted the police and removed each protester from their respective tubes without incident or injury. All parties in the roadway were arrested and charged with Disorderly Conduct for obstructing vehicular traffic into Pratt & Whitney.

After the parties were arrested and removed, officers began opening the roadway in an effort to get Pratt & Whitney staff in and out of the facility. One female pedestrian began obstructing the open roadway and was arrested for Disorderly Conduct as well.

Aircraft Road was opened to traffic at approximately 8:00am. A total of 10 people were arrested during this incident. The names of the arrested parties will be released, if requested, at a later time.