More than 500 people rallied and marched for almost two hours in Burlington, ultimately taking the demonstration’s jobs and justice message onto the University of Vermont campus. In Montpelier, approximately 300 turned out to shout that message from the steps of City Hall and the Statehouse.
By 2 p.m. a large crowd had gathered at City Hall Park in Burlington, including many who have been coming out for Occupy protests on Sundays in Burlington, joined by union members from UVM and Fletcher Allen Hospital. Following some music and reports in the movement’s living loudspeaker style, Fletcher Allen staff in contract negotiations asked those who had gathered to march from downtown to the university campus to show solidarity. The consensus was an immediate yes.
Around 300 people made the 15-minute trek uphill to UVM and the hospital. Their first stop was the university’s Waterman Administration Building for more impromptu speeches and chanting in support of a fair contract. From there they proceeded across the main campus (photo 4) and arrived at the green near Fletcher Allen shortly before 3:30, where they continued to share stories and grievances as rain began to fall.
At 3 p.m. in Montpelier, protesters gathered on the steps of City Hall to voice their frustration with corporate hand-outs, tax cuts for the wealthy and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Chanting “We are the 99%,” the group marched en masse down Main and State Streets, where they convened on the Statehouse steps to continue their demonstration in the form of public testimonials, spoken and repeated by the crowd.
The Occupy movement’s Vermont contingent gathered in Burlington again on Sunday. Spokespersons pledged to organize a People’s Assembly at 2 p.m. and to begin hammering out a specific agenda that “gets stuff done.”
