Several thousand Vermonters flooded downtown streets and village greens across the state Saturday as part of the latest wave of nationwide protests against President Donald Trump.
On a crisp fall day, protesters planned to gather at the courthouse grounds in St. Johnsbury, Vergennes City Park, the South Royalton green, the Manchester roundabout and the Brattleboro common.
The latest round of “No Kings’ protests was organized by progressive groups to demonstrate against what they call Trump’s “authoritarian power grabs.” They followed a similar event in June that coincided with a Trump-backed military parade in Washington D.C.
Burlington was a locus of activity. Three groups marched from various neighborhoods and converged downtown, where more than a thousand crowded City Hall Park and chanted slogans and songs.
“It’s just getting to be too much,” South Burlington resident Gillian Randall said while attending the rally in the Queen City. “I don’t want my grandkids – ten of them- to go through this. They will have no idea what the Constitution is. I’m mad.”
Many protesters chafed at Trump’s allegation that the rallies are full of paid protesters.
“I’m waiting for my check,” Shelburne resident Randy Rowland joked.
In Montpelier, U.S. Sen. Peter Welch and U.S. Rep. Becca Balint both addressed the crowd.
“They say we're not patriots. They say that we hate America. We don’t hate America, Donald Trump, we just can’t stand what you have done to our country,’ Balint said. “We are disgusted that you’re acting like a dictator, we are heartsick that you have pitted Americans against each other. We’re angry that you are terrorizing our cities and our neighborhoods. And we reject your fear mongering and your hatred and your grift.”
The Burlington event included no featured speakers, and there was no visible law enforcement presence.
Many in attendance said they were veterans of prior No Kings events and other anti-Trump protests.
“I think the fact that [Trump] called this a ‘hate America’ rally shows he is deeply concerned about the number of people against him,” said John Carter of Colchester.
By mid-morning, a few hundred neighbors converged on Roosevelt Field in Burlington’s Old North End, and embarked on a meandering mile long march downtown.
They toted homemade signs that read “Orwell Would Have Hated This,” “Make America America Again,” and “Resist the Authoritarian Creep.”
Others signs voiced support for the Palestinian cause, or socialism. One read, “Trump Vance Nazi Scum, Jail Them Now.”
There were old men pushing bicycles, a teenager in a tricorn hat, kids with cartons of Goldfish crackers, and someone in an inflatable Cookie Monster costume brandishing a hand drawn sign that read, “No cookies for kings.”
Vermont Public reporter Erica Heilman contributed to this report.
