Four months after activists were arrested while interrupting Gov. Peter Shumlin’s inaugural, Statehouse police were on high alert Friday as May Day protesters streamed into the building.
Both the House and Senate were in session Friday afternoon when about 50 chanting protesters passed through. Statehouse security officers stood in front of the House and Senate chamber doors, ready to deny protesters entry.
“We did have a plan,” said Janet Miller, the Statehouse sergeant-at-arms, who won election to her job after the January protests, in part over concerns about Statehouse security. “We knew protesters may be coming in.”
“Hey, hey, ho, ho, white supremacy has got to go,” protesters chanted as they passed the legislative chambers carrying signs that touted a variety of causes. Their noise prompted the Senate to temporarily stop action. A school group ducked into the Senate chamber to avoid the protesters.
No protesters tried to enter either the House or Senate chambers. Officers never confronted them and no arrests were made, Miller said.
Though the protests were far milder than those at the inaugural in January, some legislators were irritated that protesters were allowed in the Statehouse at all.
“They should not be allowed to protest in the building,” Sen. Dick Sears (D-Bennington) told Miller in the Statehouse hall after the protesters had left. “If they do, they should be removed.”
Keith Brunner, spokesman for the Vermont Workers Center, which organized a May Day rally on the Statehouse steps, said protesters had no plans to get arrested this time. But, he said, they wanted to make their feelings known.
“The general perspective is people are pretty disillusioned with what’s going on in the Statehouse,” Brunner said, referring to budget cuts and Shumlin’s decision not to pursue universal health coverage.
Protesters chose not to stay inside the Statehouse very long this time before heading back outside for a more traditional rally on the lawn. By contrast, 29 protesters were charged with trespassing in January when they refused to leave the House chamber.
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“Ho ho hey hey, go and get a job today!”
Real original, Mark W.
I was there and guess what? I have a full-time job and two part-time jobs. I was also with a contingent of people who are all employed and were there to speak out for real individuals who will be hurt by budget cuts. Your stereotyping is typical of those who can only attack others who practice free speech and show commitment to causes and taking action. How easy it is to just sit at your computer and type clever (or not so clever) one-liners.
Well half pint, kudos to you on balancing 3 jobs and still having the time to protest in the Statehouse. Since you’re receiving 3 paychecks, you’ve likely noticed how much is withheld to pay VT income tax. Doesn’t it piss you off when you discover on April 15th that you owe even more?! Factor in property and sales taxes and walla, Vermonters continue to be among the highest taxed in the nation. This is hurting many middle income earners and driving away top income wealth. But geesh, at least the human services are good!
My snarky and (possibly) non-clever comment is a reverse on the traditional chant, thus intended for the legislators, who really should look for a new job. These folks spend the session presenting all kinds of new services and increases to existing, for Vermonters who are typically on the lower end of the income scale, When budget time hits, they sit around and argue what services to cut — I guess that’s why the protest… All this while the 900 pound gorilla in the room is a $100 million+ deficit.
It IS easy to sit at my computer (actually mobile device) and try to be clever. What is very difficult is to witness year after year a fools parade of new ideas, broken promises and increased deficit. Maybe next time I should join in the protest, half pint.
Protesters shouldn’t be allowed in the building? Really? It’s precisely that kind of insular attitude that gives some people the impression that Montpelier is an echo chamber.
@ stellaquarta
Statehouse an “echo chamber”?
Are you serious? Yes, it is an echo chamber, but an echo chamber entirely of the ultra Left. Unless you’re advocating for full throated communism, there is nothing left to complain about.