An anti-vaccination protester was arrested and charged with breach of peace at the Capitol on Wednesday after Capitol Police say she spit on a Black Lives Matter protester.
Yuliya Gilshteyn, 44, of New Fairfield, spit on Keren Prescott of Manchester as a large group of protesters was approaching the south side of the Capitol shortly after 10:30 a.m. as lawmakers were preparing to be sworn in to begin the 2021 legislative session, according to a Capitol police news release. Gilshteyn was carrying a small child when the incident took place.
Prescott, founder of the activist group Power Up Manchester, said the spit landed on her phone and glasses.
“She kept yelling whatever she was yelling,” she said. “We were like ‘Black Lives Matter.’ She was like, ‘well, what about Black on Black crime?’ At first I was ignoring her, but when she hit me with that dumb [expletive] I was like, ‘Do you call it white on white crime? Do you call it Asian on Asian crime? Do you call it boy on boy crime? So no, but you call it Black on Black crime.'”
In 2019 and 2020, Gilshteyn submitted public testimony in opposition of in-person registration of homeschooling families and mandating vaccines for children attending public schools.
“I said, listen, back up, you ain’t got on a mask, please back up,” Prescott said. “Then she stands between me and my friend and I don’t remember what I said. All of a sudden she goes and spits right in my … face. And I’m telling the officers over and over: she assaulted me, arrest her.”
The situation led to a tense moment between a group of Black Lives Matter protesters and Capitol police officers. At one point, Gilshteyn tried to leave the scene but was detained by police.
Gilshteyn is scheduled to report to court in Hartford on Jan. 20 at 10 a.m.
A crowd of about 500 protesters showed up to the Capitol Wednesday for the start of the legislative session. Many, like Gilshteyn were there in opposition to lawmakers’ efforts to eliminate religious exemptions
Michael Hamad may be reached at mhamad@courant.com.
