More than 250 people gathered in downtown St. Albans Today for a statewide demonstration against ICE
More than 250 people converged on Taylor Park in downtown St. Albans this afternoon, drawn by a statewide coalition of faith communities and local organizations pushing back against the operations of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Participants arrived from across Vermont, with organizers noting a significant contingent from Brattleboro and attendees who had traveled from New Hampshire.
The demonstration began around noon at Taylor Park, where a brass band, singers, and the Bread and Puppet Theater performed for the crowd before giving way to a solemn reading of the names of people who have died in ICE custody or during immigration enforcement actions. As organizers read through the list, a small group of counterprotesters at St. Albans park’s edge blasted music from a parked car to drown out the proceedings.
A planned sit-in meets a locked door
Organizers had originally planned for about 50 people trained in nonviolent civil disobedience to stage a sit-in outside the Customs and Border Protection office on Main Street, about a block from the park. When they arrived, the office appeared to be closed for the day. Rather than abandon the moment, organizers read their list of demands aloud in front of the building and declared at least a partial victory.
One of the organizers told the gathered crowd that obstructing business as usual had been among their stated goals, and that the closure of the office represented a measure of success. The St. Albans crowd responded with approval.
What the organizers were asking for
The ICE Out Vermont Alliance, the coalition behind Today’s event, submitted a written list of demands to ICE and CBP officials ahead of the protest. Among them were calls for both agencies to operate within the bounds of the law, to wear visible identification during enforcement actions, and to stop covering their faces when detaining people. Organizers also alleged that both agencies engage in racial profiling.
The demonstration followed a high-profile ICE operation in South Burlington earlier in the year, in which three people were detained after a lengthy standoff between agents and protesters at a residence. All three were eventually released. The conduct of state and local law enforcement during that incident drew sustained criticism in the months that followed.
Earlier this year, Vermont lawmakers considered legislation aimed at requiring federal immigration agents to reveal their identities during enforcement actions in the state. That bill has since been significantly weakened.
Schools dismissed early, students took notice
Three schools in St. Albans, BFA St. Albans, Northwest Career and Technical Center, and Spring Academy, released students at 11:30 a.m. in anticipation of the protest and the increased activity in St. Albans downtown area. Some students used their early dismissal to attend the rally.
Students who spoke to reporters at the scene described the atmosphere as far calmer than the early dismissal might have implied. One BFA student said the scene was nothing close to a riot, pushing back on what he characterized as overreaction by school officials. A counter protester who attended expressed concern about what the proximity of the march to local schools could mean for children, even in a peaceful situation.
The mood and what comes next
The tone at Taylor Park shifted between celebratory and reflective throughout the afternoon. Musical performances drew applause and engagement from the crowd, while the name readings brought periods of stillness. No arrests were made and no major disruptions were reported, according to organizers.
Counterprotester Ryan LaRose of Franklin told reporters he attended to show support for ICE and to disrupt the event. A local faith leader told the crowd that caring for immigrants is central to the belief systems of many of the religious traditions represented among the demonstrators.
The ICE Out Vermont Alliance made clear that Today was not the finish line. One of the organizers said the coalition understands that nothing will change immediately, and that the strategy is built around sustained, repeated action over time.