Several hundred protesters gathered in Burlington’s City Hall Park on Tuesday evening to demonstrate support for Los Angeles residents who have taken to the streets over Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids.
Turnout was robust for a weeknight protest in Burlington. When participants marched up Church Street after hearing from speakers, it took several minutes for the crowd to file past the front doors of city hall.
On Friday, ICE detained 40 people in Los Angeles, and the city has been embroiled in protests since. President Donald Trump called out National Guard troops, though California officials did not want the military on their streets. Vermont groups organized an emergency protest to show solidarity with immigrants and condemn the Trump administration’s response to the protests.
“I want to be clear,” sociologist Nikhil Goyal told the crowd. “Donald Trump is waging a campaign of terror. Donald Trump is waging a campaign to silence anyone who disagrees with him and make them live in fear of persecution, arrest and deportation.”
Migrant Justice, the Party for Socialism and Liberation and 50501 Vermont were part of the coalition holding the event. Representatives from each group spoke from city hall steps, mostly about the ICE raids and protecting migrants.
“These aren’t empty words,” veteran Kim Kite of Montpelier, told Seven Days in an interview, pointing to his sign with the Oath of Enlistment, a promise to uphold the Constitution made by those in the military. “This is where rubber meets the road.”
“I think that we have privilege in Burlington and privilege within our community and we have to use that privilege to protect those who are most vulnerable,” said Brian Perkins of Burlington.
Protesters carried signs reading “Immigrant rights are workers’ rights” and “ICE ya basta” (Translation: “ICE, enough is enough”) as they marched up and down Church Street.
The gathering was a precursor to nationwide protests scheduled for Saturday, June 14. Trump plans to have a military parade in Washington, D.C. to mark Flag Day — which is also his birthday. “No Kings Day,” as organizers have dubbed it, is intended to be a day of mass mobilization against Trump’s policies. The robust crowd on Tuesday evening suggested that events in Vermont will be well attended.
“I’m excited about the energy of today, and I’m hoping that this is just the beginning for folks,” Jayna Ashaf, an organizer with FreeHer Vermont, told Seven Days after speaking to the crowd. “We need everybody to step up as leaders.”
Events planned for Saturday include a flag convoy starting at the Massachusetts state line and ending at the Canadian border. Dozens of events are planned in towns across the state.