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Chaos erupts as transgender activists disrupt Vermont State House detransition talk, Wednesday (3/12)
By VDC Staff
Transgender activists entered Room 11 at the Vermont State House this afternoon and disrupted a scheduled educational event hosted by the Vermont Family Alliance to educate Vermonters about the growing detransition phenomenon.
In the video above, event organizer Renee McGuinness can be seen trying, unsuccessfully, to speak over the cacophony. McGuinness explains what happened and what disruptive protesters prevented her from saying:
“Detrans Awareness Day is, it’s an international event to bring awareness to persons who are detransitioning they are being obviously denied, and ostracized, bullied. They are persons who have been hurt by the ‘healthcare’ that they’ve been provided, physically and mentally. And they want to have a voice and they want healing from their wounds and injuries because of the medical procedures.”
Rather than ask the trans activists to leave, Sgt. at Arms Agatha Kessler informed the crowd. When asked why she didn’t first ask the disrupters to leave, she told VDC that “it’s a public room and both groups have the right to be there.” When pressed to further explain, Kessler held up her hand and said, “four minutes.”
Later on she also told VDC that she had asked both parties to leave that she did so because she felt that she “could not ensure the safety of everyone involved.”
Capitol Police Chief John Poleway and two of his uniformed officers were standing in the corridor outside while Kessler delivered her ultimatum. They had not been asked by Kessler to remove the disruptive protesters, he said.
Whatever her intent, Kessler’s decision in practice denied organizer Renee McGuinness of the opportunity to tell listeners how Chloe Cole successfully detransitioned after undergoing gender transition as a teenager.
At about 2:50 PM, after both transgender and detransition advocates had left the building, VDC encountered Poleway in a State House corridor and asked him to explain the reasons for closing the room.
He said he would have preferred the situation had been handled differently. Shouting over the people who reserved the room essentially deprived them of their First Amendment rights, he said. He would have preferred being empowered to ask the disruptive individuals to leave.
Poleway said he plans to speak with Kessler and other State House leaders about how to address the problem in the future, which he predicted could be soon because publicity about the event may empower others to disrupt free speech with which they disagree.
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Categories: Video
The articles title could have been, “Trans Activists deny McGuiness freedom of speech. Wasted everybody’s time.”
I was there and would just like to add my two cents
I too asked Kessler, the sergeant of arms, why she was doing nothing to remove the disruptors ? she told me ,
“This is a public room, they haven’t broken any laws, and they have a right to free speech”
When Kessler asked everyone to leave the room for the second time , I refused and asked her to ‘go get the police.’ She walked up to me and replied quietly “ok you can stay, but sit in your chair”
Another capital worker came in yelling for us all to leave. I yelled back ‘No, go get the police. ‘
When we finally left the room we joined in the hallway singing God Bless America. Kessler smiled and asked us to ‘please be quiet because the legislature was in session up stairs. ‘
Someone in the crowd said ‘we will be quiet after we finish our song. ‘
The police were standing right there while we, on multiple counts, refused to obey the Sergeant of Arms. 🤷🏻♀️This all very strange to me.
I’d like to add it is extremely negligent and DANGEROUS that, in this day and age, the state house has no metal detector or security check of any kind at its entrance!!! These people would never have gotten clearance to enter the state house with all of their ‘props’ had proper security been in place.
Thank you, Rebecca. I commend you for your courage to be there and for your civil disobedience to stand against the hypocritical, tyrannical, and unjust treatment. “Disobedience” would never have been necessary had Kessler and those with the authority not abnegated their responsibility to preserve order, decorum, and First Amendment rights of Renee McGuinness, Chloe Cole, and those who lawfully and properly reserved that space and time.
I sure hope this incident gets some national exposure to more broadly illustrate exactly why the majority of voters across the country acted to de-woke and un-trans.
I attended the rally to repeal the Clean Heat Standard today and thereafter, I observed the protesters in Room 11 of the statehouse disrupting the planned presentation. I expressed concern to a Capitol Police officer who informed me the chief was on his way.
When he arrived, I spoke with Capitol Police Chief Polway in the lobby as the disruption was occurring in room 11, but before the Sergeant at Arms cleared the room. He informed me that he could not tell the protesters to leave because it was a public building and both groups had an equal right to be in the room and speak. I implored him to speak with the disrupting group to at least allow the group that had reserved the room to complete their presentation. He did not offer nor attempt to quell the situation. This article makes it appear that the police chief would have handled it differently but that’s not what I observed. I feel like I need to correct the record on that.
I understand why the Sergeant at Arms cleared the room as the protesters were hostile and the situation was escalating into the hallways of the statehouse.
The Capitol Police and the Sergeant at Arms certainly need to have a better and coordinated approach regarding disruptive groups that deny the well-intended of their free speech in the “people’s house” and it appears from this article there might be a better plan next time. I hope so.
I am saddened that in these times people can’t act like responsible and civil adults, but act like spoiled children, instead. Activists today are trained and encouraged to act in this manner. The progressive arm of the Democrat party has funded this encouraged this behavior, and funded it, as evidenced by the performer at a recent Bernie Sanders rally or by NGOs that organize activists to create chaos on college campuses and other public places such as the VT statehouse.
We reap what we sow?
It does not take a prophet to know this event would be disrupted in such a fashion. That the Sargent at Arms and the Capitol Police did not have a plan to clear the room of protestors if such a disruption happened indicates they were prepared to use the likely disruption to shut down an event they disapproved of. Or maybe the Capitol police tactically let the room clearing play out so as to enable an incident to occur to be discussed later so policy can be solidified. Or they simply kicked that can down the road. Hopefully the increasing evidence worldwide of the folly of rushing to transition will convince our political leaders to stop silencing detransitioners and support more effective and safer therapies to help folks accept their DNA.
Noting the tactics of disruption, I remember a 2019 dinner discussion between 4 friends one evening at the downtown Burlington City Market Cafe. As students of history, we were sitting and quietly discussing the pros and cons of dropping atom bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August of 1945 which ended WW2. A couple Leftists became curious and sat on the edges of our conversation. Once they understood what we were talking about, they tried to stop the conversation with jam tactics. The Bernie supporter to my right started loudly saying, “Stop, leave, you can’t discuss this, you’re wrong, etc.,” all without evidence. The other Leftist stood over us and also loudly interrupted to stop the conversation albeit as a Princeton grad he was a bit more articulate. So I am not surprised at the tactics in Montpelier. At least they did not blow whistles.
Here’s what I sent to my legislators…
Why is it that the Sergeant at Arms permitted a group of demonstrators to disrupt, shut down, and censor (i.e., deny the right to free speech of) another group that had lawfully scheduled an educational event in a room at the Statehouse? Ultimately, Vermont State House management is complicit in censoring citizens.
I call on you and other legislators to condemn this and future disruptive behavior in our Statehouse.
Further, the Legislature needs to take action so as to prevent similar disruptions. If need be, make it VERY CLEAR that citizens are banned from using the State House as a venue for holding informational events. In other words, admit that the State House is not open to regular Vermonters, i.e., the people of Vermont.
You sent a letter to your legislators? Your letter is already in the circular file. They don’t care what you think.
https://vermontdailychronicle.com/letters-smith-on-biblical-justice-lanese-on-elected-officials-ignoring-constituents/
Remember this on January 9, 2020: “Gov. Phil Scott shared his vision for Vermont in his State of State address on Thursday…55 seconds into the governor’s State of the State address, protesters with Extinction Rebellion hijacked the speech, demanding action on a number of issues, chief among them climate change. After several minutes, the governor and lieutenant governor conferred and ordered the sergeant-at-arms to restore order. Sixteen protesters were led out and detained by police, including Izabel Estrin, a member of Extinction Rebellion.”
The adult-toddler brigades continue their UNPEACEFUL protests because 1) they are not arrested and charged as they should be and 2) some inside the State House are of the same ilk – installed belligerent occupiers who support it, legislate on it, and are paid by the same Masters of Puppets.
Expect more of the same as the patients are running the asylum – the asylum formerly known as the State of Vermont.
Since duct tape and hand cuffs have been invented long a ago, it seems that the missing ingredient to preserve Free Speech rights is simply political will. It’s going to be a rough 4 years for these folks, and a mind suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrome (among other ailments) is a terrible thing to waste.
The cave monkeys are feeding them selves well while the tax payers are going broke. The great dog and pony show plays on and they do not care.
BROWNSHIRTS
D Morrisseau
I was there yesterday, and although the Sergeant at Arms Agatha Kessler said she was “not taking sides” it was very clear that she was. It appears that although she is a Sergeant at Arms (who I believe should be relieved of her duties) she seems to have no knowledge of a very clear statute in Vermont law about disturbing the peace. What is there not to understand here? There was clear INTENT to cause public inconvenience or annoyance, tumultuous behavior, unreasonable noise, and a disturbance of a lawful meeting of persons! I can’t believe there would be no training for a Sergeant of Arms. This episode was a complete disgrace.
Title 13 : Crimes and Criminal Procedure
Chapter 019 : Breach of the Peace; Disturbances
Subchapter 004 : OTHER DISTURBANCES OF THE PEACE
(Cite as: 13 V.S.A. § 1026)
§ 1026. Disorderly conduct
(a) A person is guilty of disorderly conduct if he or she, with intent to cause public inconvenience or annoyance, or recklessly creates a risk thereof:
(1) engages in fighting or in violent, tumultuous, or threatening behavior;
(2) makes unreasonable noise;
(3) in a public place, uses abusive or obscene language;
(4) without lawful authority, disturbs any lawful assembly or meeting of persons; or
(5) obstructs vehicular or pedestrian traffic.
(b) A person who is convicted of disorderly conduct shall be imprisoned for not more than 60 days or fined not more than $500.00, or both. A person who is convicted of a second or subsequent offense under this section shall be imprisoned for not more than 120 days or fined not more than $1,000.00, or both. (Amended 1971, No. 222 (Adj. Sess.), § 5, eff. April 5, 1972; 2013, No. 150 (Adj. Sess.), § 3.)
Terribly written. So many mistakes. Very sad.