by Guy Page
Vermont State Troopers carrying semi-automatic firearms were joined by Capitol police and other law enforcement Sunday, January 17 at the Vermont State House in Montpelier in anticipation of a rally of armed Trump supporters much-publicized by the FBI. Plenty of press appeared, too. But the protesters were a no-show. No one knows why. Dissuaded by the weekend’s heavy snowfall? Discouraged by the heavy police presence and a united message of “we’re not going and you shouldn’t either” from Vermont Republicans and Second Amendment advocates? Anything’s possible. And maybe the rally was never seriously planned, anyway – just publicized by police “in an abundance of caution.”
A few quiet counter-protesters – including this fellow in the gas mask – remained on site to monitor, but most of the counter-protesters were outside the Montpelier police station and city hall, eating pancakes, drinking hot drinks, and staying out of the way of police at the State House.