By Michael Bielawski
The Pro-Palestinian event at the Statehouse Saturday, December 2 featured several speakers who made statements condemning not only Israel but also the fundamental values of America and capitalism. Crowd estimates were at least 250 people attended.
Michelle Eddlemen McCormick, a chief officer of Cooperation Vermont as well as a worker-owner at the Marshfield Village Cooperative, spoke at the microphone.
“I understand that the exact same forces of oppression are at work there and here,” she said. “When we allow our police forces to receive IDF training, which is being employed all over the country, they are applying the exact same tactics of oppression there that they are applying here, and they have every intention of ramping that up.”
She also included capitalism among these alleged systems of oppression.
“It’s absolutely the capitalist ruling class that is behind all of this, we have to wrench power from the capitalist ruling class back to the workers where it belongs. None of our communities will have the resources that we need until we do that.”
Ashley Smith of Burlington, a socialist writer and activist, was the host of the event. He also joined in the fiery rhetoric.
“We rally in the shadow of Israel restarting its genocidal bombing campaign in Gaza. We rally in the shadow of the political establishment united in support of Israel. Through the Biden Administration the U.S. is supporting, funding, arming, and advising Israel to carry out the collective punishment and ethnic cleansing of Gaza,” Smith said.
Smith implied that all Americans who want a cease-fire in the region are also on the side of Palestine. He said, “We are the majority in this country, 80% of Democrats are for an immediate ceasefire, 66% of people overall are for an immediate ceasefire.”
He also led chants stating “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free,” numerous times throughout the event.
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Jayna Ahsaf of FreeHer Vermont, an organization that advocates for less incarceration of women, also spoke.
“The oppression that is faced by the Palestinian people transcends countries, and we can see similar struggles manifest here in the United States. Imperialists and capitalists interests have created an intricate web of oppression and control which has seeped into every corner of this world,” she said.
She continued, “Black and brown community members have been ringing the alarm that the presumed exceptionalism of Vermont is not accurate. From the vicious assault of the Meli brothers by the Burlington Police Department to the white supremacist who brought an AR15 to a Black Lives Matter rally to the everyday vilification of black and brown leadership, this is not the first time we have seen violence waged against oppressed groups in our state.”
Israel supporters counter-protest
About a dozen supporters of Israel were across the street in front of the Department of Motor Vehicles. Lynne Caulfield of Monkton was among them.
“It sounds like all these gatherings that are happening all over the country and world have been parroting the same ideologies, ‘from the river to the sea Palestine will be free’ and really what they are saying is from the Jordan River to the Mediterranean, they want the world free of Jews and they don’t want any Israel to exist.”
She noted that Hamas as a terror group is not going to respect any peace agreements.
“And I think we all want peace and we all want justice for all, but if Hamas laid down their weapons there would be peace and if Israel laid down their weapons they would be annihilated,” she said.
Steven Stringer of Colchester was also there and he commented on some of the anti-capitalism rhetoric.
“I believe that capitalism is what God would have, that capitalism is accountability, that people rise and fall on their merits,” he said. In contrast, he said that “socialism and communism I believe is demonic.”
The author is a reporter for the Vermont Daily Chronicle
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Categories: Community Events
Well good to know that the Marshfield Village store is opposed to capitalism; I won’t taint their strongly held beliefs with any of my crass capitalist Jew dollars!
I pass by there all the time and USED TO stop in regularly. Agreed, I will no longer challenge their philosophy on capitalism by leaving behind any of that blood-stained US currency.
Too cool for common sense and truth, these groovy Marshfield Merchants of Menace.
Did you see what I did there? I will make it a point to tell others to stay away from the Marshfield-Godddard College-Protest Center for Marxism.
Just to be fair, Goddard is down the road in Plainfield, but there are plenty of moonbats to go around no matter where you roam around Vermont these days…
These are the very same people who just a few years ago were protesting for blm…I didn’t see them protesting against the genocide happening in palesstine a month ago?? I guess Jewish lives don’t matter to them??
“The enemy is already here”. – Dan Bongino
“We all want peace and we all want justice for all, but if Hamas laid down their weapons there would be peace and if Israel laid down their weapons they would be annihilated”.
Unfortunately, (we) does not represent Hamas ((and even some of the Palestinians. October 7th, 2023 there were many Palestinians cheering for the actions of Hamas. However, not all, but how do you differentiate ? There are many Palestinians who want this war to end. But Hamas wants no peace. For America to think they if Israel lays down their weapons is so short sighted. There was no fighting on October 7 when Hamas attacked.
We have never been thru an antisemitic wave in this digital world with all eyes on everyone. Keep that in mind, and whether you would step away if you had to defend a Jew. We saw what teachers did over the last few years to save their jobs.
Capitalism and the free market system are what generate the assets that allow us “western” people enjoy the highest quality of life and standard of living for the greatest percentage of the population in human history. It is also what allows our society to provide so much free stuff for the leftist deadbeats and freeloaders to exist without contributing anything. This is a battle between the basic philosophies of a merit-based society and one that incentivizes and bestows benefits based on perceived or claimed victimhood. The moonbats boil it down to their overly simplistic: you are either oppressed or an oppressor. Jewish persons tend to be driven for success and hence well-educated and financially well off, so they are “oppressors”, and anyone nearby who insists on living a 12th century Islamic existence are “oppressed”. It gets more complicated when you look at an LGBT person living in Gaza determining who is the oppressed and the oppressor.
Liberalism is a mental disorder.
The moonbats and liberals who abor capitalism are basically too lazy to get education and jobs and be part of a capitalist system. For them it’s gimme gimme all you got. Lazy is the operative word. If you get elected you can become a Sanders model.
The beatings will continue until moral improves…..
Meaning?
It just sounds better than the beatings will continue until I get tired!
One lie is that Palestinians in Israel are mistreated. They have equal rights and are exempt from the draft. It is absolutely fundamental.
@ Scott
Truth doesn’t matter to these people. Their truth is whatever they say it is.
Marxism believes only in revolution. Not in the stated goals of that revolution.
WELL STATED
These people are nothing more than lap dogs to what ever liberal b.s. is in the air
This is the same Progressive communal narcissist mob that show’s up at all of the socialist, marxist, maoist rallies. The same people who stake the “hate has no home here” lawn signs but are certainly willing to tacitly support the murder of innocents that don’t subscribe to their ideology. These people are the worst in society. The problem is that Vermont is infected (and ruled) by these sociopath terrorists.
I couldn’t have said it better!
Ahhh, and they’ve played their hand, just as Conservatives have rightly suspected for years now: God, Capitalism, Religion of ANY kind except for Islam and the USA are ALL evil and need to be annihilated!
You people, yes, YOU people have destroyed a once great state and your lack of repentance and your further calls for violence & the ruination of this nation will eventually be punished.
I am forever disappointed by anti-war activists and their movements who use the tragedy of war to promote the socialist agenda. As if socialists are immune from waging war and committing war crimes. History proves overwhelmingly otherwise.
I was opposed to the Bush Wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. I happened to be a Democrat in those days. There was an movement to put a stop to these wars. As soon as Obama was elected this movement completely disappeared. When Bush was using extrajudicial killings of foreign combatants and civilians using drone strikes the left went wild in protest. When Obama ramped up this program the left was silent. https://www.cfr.org/blog/obamas-final-drone-strike-data The hypocrisy never ends with these people.
Of course in all of the noise is lost the message of President Thomas Jefferson, “Peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations…entangling alliances with none”
“I am forever disappointed by anti-war activists and their movements who use the tragedy of war to promote the socialist agenda.” Here Here! Well said/stated/written.
Every story and news item published on VDC today is directly related to Vermont’s current political and social condition. From this article describing protests condoning the rape, murder and torture of Israeli citizens to “safe” drug sites, to Burlington’s many serious ills- liberal, leftist and marxist ideology has directly caused or greatly exacerbated an existing problem- yet in loud bombast- we are told we are the “problem”.
It is difficult to understand the logic behind a LBGTQ protester supporting Hamas, Hezbollah or any extremist islamic hate group, when same that LGBTQ person would have a very short lifespan living in or under extreme islam.
“Societies are far gone in depravity when toleration is considered a good in itself, without regards to the thing tolerated.” A.K. Chesterton
Anyone in America waving the Flag of a Foreign country at this point in History is Seriously Warped .
Left , Or Right ,
We have the American flag and the Constitution.
Get real Clowns 🤡🤡
I understand, but BELIEVE waving an American as well as an Israeli flag are good things. Afterall, Israel is daily, 24/7, 365 days a year The civilized world’s Numero Uno tested spearhead against Islamic terrorism. They are surrounded by mad mahdis and other Islamo-bombers.
“It’s absolutely the capitalist ruling class that is behind all of this, we have to wrench power from the capitalist ruling class back to the workers where it belongs.” So How much power does the working class have in Russia, China or even Venezuela? I’m asking for a friend
six unsolved murders in vermont three persons shot in burlington last week among the other shootings in the last two years vermont needs to clean out the sewer rats running this state
And the disillusioned, delusional brainwashed left continues to set the soulless Hamas evildoers on a pedestal…take the time to be informed in order to understand and comprehend the absolute evil of these terrorists. Thankfully, the Bible assures us that Israel will always prevail regardless of the number and scope of its enemies.
These people touting collectivist ideologies are the products us allowing liberal infestation into our public education system. There really is no hope for them and only one cure, the revolution they yern to start. These people are the enemies of America, Freedom, Liberty, Independence and Everything we fought, died, and raised generations for. Treat them as the enemies they are.