1. I don’t believe there were any members of the International Socialist Organization present at the action where police got violent. The ISO tends to avoid direct action.

   More to your point: people have plenty of reason to come to Vermont. Governors, premiers, delegates, and lobbyists from elsewhere have come to buy and sell the collective resources and futures of their home territory. It only makes sense that their constituents who might feel differently about the decision being considered come along to make their voices heard, since they are ostensibly being represented. It’s called democracy.

   Also – why do you presume that people who participate on a protest, on a Sunday afternoon, are unemployed? And why does that matter – are people only supposed to participate in a democracy when they’re gainfully employed? Do you think that the poor and the unemployed should not be allowed to voice their concerns too when it comes to the governance of a society that is just as much theirs as the wealthy who are inside with police protection?

2. Mayor Weinberger:

   I had initially thanked the police for their behavior yesterday prior to this altercation, having left only minutes before. I’m afraid I must rescind that thank you.

   I think it all comes down to how police are willing to deal with nonviolent civil disobedience. Blocking a road is likely worth a citation, a misdemeanor of disorderly conduct. There are ways to deal with this situation, but it may take a certain amount of time and discussion for this to happen.

   Instead, it seems that police feel their role is to immediately and swiftly deal with any form of civil disobedience no matter the consequences. I cannot speak for what happened after the police started marching in full riot gear towards people committing nonviolent civil disobedience, since I had just left. But I know there could’ve been alternatives employed by police at that time. We are merely talking about several minutes of inconvenience for people on a bus. What is the frenzy to immediately and forcibly remove people committing nonviolent acts? Just a symbolic display of force to chill any further dissent? Isn’t it apparent that responding to people sitting and standing with physical force is NOT the best way to de-escalate a situation?

   Police have a duty to protect people in buses going to dinner, yes. But they also have a duty to protect people standing up for what they believe, who are not physically harming anyone. It speaks volumes that police will act so quickly and with such force in response to people sitting or standing in a road, inconveniencing a bus for a few minutes.

   Protest is going to happen. As the economic system and ecological systems continue to unravel, people will become more and more upset. Are police going to respond to every sit-in with brute force? If so, the results will be predictable.

   I worked as a special educator for years. There are many tools in the toolbox for dealing with “disorderly” people that don’t include physical violence. Why aren’t police trained as well as special education paraprofessionals?

   Thanks for listening,

   Josh Schlossberg
   Vermont

3. Protesters from the “International Socialist Organization”? Really?

   What right or reason do professional protesters from outside Vermont and New England have for coming here and causing trouble?

   Fire paintballs at them until they all go back to where they came from and get a job.

4. This is the United States …..elected officials…yadayada. Yeah but the corporations own them. You probably believe we have a free market system too, even after the bail outs and the LIBOR rate fixing scandal. Wake up and smell the coffee, this is not the United States as advertised it is the USA empire for the rich and tax sheltered.

5. Any police officer who removed his/her name tag before moving in on protesters should be fired. If they were truly appropriately enforcing the law and maintaining order, there is no excuse for attempting to hide their identity. What were they thinking? That is the kind of tactic that is seen when corrupt big city cops want to rough up folks without culpability, not what we expect from Burlington police.

6. Try telling that to the Innu delegates who traveled all the way down to share their stories of how Hydro Quebec and the Charest government has been buying out tribal councils to sell indigenous land for clear-cutting and development of massive hydro dams in the name of “green energy” (that’s not actually green). Vermont hosting this and making business deals in such manner does affect more than just people here.

   I respect your concern about profanity in public, though I disagree. I am more embarrassed by our elected officials who felt the need to surround themselves with armed guards instead of simply taking a pause to see what people have to say. Or be more transparent about their mandates, what decisions they’re going to make, what lobbyists are there influencing the decision-making process, and what corporations are promising campaign contributions in an election year in exchange for sweetheart deals and tax breaks through subsidies?

   You may disagree with the, as you put it, “elite 1% crap,” (I have my issues with this metaphor as well), but we don’t all have equal access to our representatives or the systems of governance that manage our lives. Sorry if people ruined your afternoon, but it’s better than a slow and steady ruining of our collective resources, and the democratic process, that goes on subtlely, unnoticed, and slowly over time when we let these sorts of events proceed undisturbed.

   And to answer your other objection – I do write letters and talk to my representatives. But I also take direct action when it’s clear they don’t care act in the best interest of everyone. I also believe that true democracy is direct democracy, and what we have is a sham republic (“democracy” isn’t mentioned in most of this country’s founding documents, while “republic”). Vermont is better than most states with its long history of town meetings, but that level of participatory, decentralized, open decision-making has been eroded over time.

7. You say – “Clearly those in charged didn’t care to respect that right. ” so the citizens felt a feeling of entitlement to be added to the agenda of a regional conference? Come on… Seriously? Can I just walk up to a conference being held in any other state and expect to voice my opinion without taking the proper steps to do so? The protesters are being represented by ELECTED officials. This is the United States is it not? Write a letter or go see your local elected official. Heck, even start a petition. I really can’t stand this “elite 1%” crap being brought into this conversation. They are elected officials!!! All this “demonstration” did was caused a scene and for that I’m embarrassed for the way the protesters went about the protest. Believe me, I know that protest is a right for everyone in the United States and it has its place – but to block buses, disobey orders from police and scream vulgar language at them is by no way a peaceful protest. (start slow a clap) great job protesters – you really did you job here. And for that I’m embarrassed.

8. This is police state USA now in Burlington. THey can’t arrest the thieves who ripped off homeowners or the “free marketeers” who fixed all the markets (LIBOR) or the corporations who destroyed the Gulf and are destroying the atmosphere endangering the entire planet or the nuclear industry which gave us Fukishima which will result in 2 out of 3 of us getting cancer. But boy do we have overkill for anyone sane enough to protest the corporate/government death cult. Way to go boys shoot shoot shoot for peace. No one in authority has anything useful for life on earth. All they have is guns and death.

9. Are you more concerned about profanity being used by enraged protesters than systemic and immoral violence being used against them?

   I’m embarrassed for our city and state because our collective resources were used to protect the interests of an elite few – that is, the attendees of the Conference of New England Governors and Eastern Premiers – at the expense of the safety and well-being of everyone else, let alone their voice at the bargaining table. Quite a lot is at stake for the decisions being made inside this conference, and the people affected have a right to make their voices heard.

   Clearly those in charged didn’t care to respect that right. And people participating in the blockade understood that – it’s why the action occurred. Police would not let a written message be delivered to the delegates inside, and even lied to people saying no-one was there, despite the conference schedule clearly stating that there was a meeting.

   Read the press releases, Mike, and try to get a sense of the message, the goals, the meaning for the Convergence.

10. I’m so embarrassed for our city and state right now. What if there were a small child or family walking down to the waterfront when this happened? Regardless of protesters were right or not, you broke the law and didn’t listen to reasonable requests. Then you taunted those that protect our city and screamed obscenities. I’m so embarrassed. Please grow up and learn how to voice your opinion in a meaningful way next time.

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