Shooting victim declares solidarity with Palestinian conflict
By Guy Page
In response to the shooting of three Palestinian men Saturday and the rising gun-related homicide rate in Burlington and Vermont, Mayor Miro Weinberger yesterday again called for legislation to ban guns from bars “and other sensitive spaces.”
Also, a letter from one of the three victims of the shooting was read at a vigil at Brown University Monday night. In the letter, junior Hisham Awartani expresses support and solidarity for the Palestinian people in their conflict with Israel.
“I am but one casualty in this much wider conflict,” Awartani said. See extended excerpt below. Doctors expect a long recovery from a gunshot wound to his spine. Jason Eaton, 48, a financial services worker and Burlington resident, was arrested Sunday at his North Prospect Street home for the shooting of Awartani and two other college students. As yet no motive has been announced by police. State’s Attorney Sarah George said there is at present no evidence to declare the shooting a hate crime.
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At present, state law allows firearms to be carried anywhere in Vermont except schools, courthouses, and federal buildings.
In January, Weinberger and lawmakers from the city called on Montpelier to pass “statewide gun safety laws, including; requiring the safe storage of firearms, prohibiting guns in bars, restaurants, and other sensitive spaces, making reckless endangerment with a gun a felony, and funding gun violence research.”
Burlington has a thriving downtown bar industry. In recent years there have been several shootings in bars and on the street outside, most of it by people with drug crime records. However, the majority of recent shootings have occurred away from the bar scene. Prospect Street is at the height of the “Hill Section” of Burlington, many blocks away from downtown.
The June, 2022 U.S. Supreme Court Bruen decision severely limited the constitutionality of state law banning firearms possession outside of the home.
Also, Chittenden County prosecutors have a spotty record of enforcing existing gun laws, Vermont gun rights advocate Chris Bradley wrote in the Chronicle this week: “Let’s look at another law, committing a felony while carrying a weapon (13 VSA § 4005). This law states that a ‘a person who carries a dangerous or deadly weapon, openly or concealed, while committing a felony shall be imprisoned not more than five years or fined not more than $500, or both.’ According to 2021 court data: There were ZERO active cases, ZERO dismissed and ZERO guilty of that offense in Chittenden County. 2022 court data for Chittenden County shows 1 active, ZERO dismissed and ZERO guilty.”
Weinberger’s comment appeared in an open letter to Burlington residents, issued yesterday and published in its entirety in the Burlington Daily News. A lengthy excerpt appears below:
I hope that this shooting is the last one in what has already been the violent year in Vermont’s history. Statewide, we have seen ten homicides and one suspicious death since October 1, which includes the double homicide in Burlington on November 12.
Burlington has had 16 gunfire incidents so far this year, and we are not alone in Vermont – many communities are experiencing an alarming rise in gun violence with recent shootings happening in Newport, Danville, St. Johnsbury, Brattleboro, Castleton, Leicester, Brookfield, and last week a road rage incident ended in gunfire in South Burlington.
This is unacceptable. No other country accepts gun violence like this, and neither should we.
The new legislative session is now weeks away, and I will keep fighting for gun safety laws that Burlingtonians support and have been asking for for years.
I will be calling again for new legislation to ban guns from bars and other sensitive spaces, to make reckless endangerment with a firearm a felony, and to better fund statewide research on gun crimes and gun violence. To support efforts to change Vermont’s gun laws, think about getting involved with our local advocacy organizations Gun Sense Vermont and Moms Demand Action.
Awartani’s expression of solidarity with the Palestinian struggle against Israel was read to a large crowd of Brown University students Monday night, shortly after they had booed the college president off the stage. Excerpted from the Nov. 30 Brown Daily Herald, the student newspaper for the Providence, R.I. university:
Professor of History Beshara Doumani, who had visited Awartani in Burlington with Vice President for Campus Life Eric Estes, read a message from Awartani to the crowd:
“It’s important to recognize that this is part of the larger story. This hideous crime did not happen in a vacuum,” Doumani recited. “As much as I appreciate and love every single one of you here today, I am but one casualty in this much wider conflict.”
“Had I been shot in the West Bank, where I grew up, the medical services that saved my life here would likely have been withheld by the Israeli army,” Doumani continued reciting, met by cheers and applause from attendees. “The soldier who shot me would go home and never be convicted. I understand that the pain is so much more real and immediate because many of you know me, but any attack like this is horrific, be it here or in Palestine.”
“This is why when you say your wishes and light your candles today, your mind should not just be focused on me as an individual, but rather as a proud member of a people being oppressed,” Doumani concluded.
After sharing Awartani’s statement, Doumani reiterated students’ calls for divestment.