BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) – Protesters who clashed with federal agents and local and state police on March 11 say they disagree with the conclusions of recent internal investigations.
Burlington’s mayor on Monday released the latest internal review of how city officers, along with other local and state law enforcement, handled the South Burlington ICE protest. She concluded police did not use excessive force and did not help ICE agents with immigration enforcement.
Migrant Justice, a Burlington-based advocacy group, did their own analysis and said they are disappointed in Burlington’s response but not surprised.
Migrant Justice was the group that activated its “rapid response network” when they confirmed an ICE presence at the home on Dorset Street. The group said they believe excessive force was used, providing photos and videos of protesters with bruises and other injuries from encounters with officers.
“Look at the videos; any neutral, objective observer will tell you that choking people, throwing people to the ground, that is not objectively reasonable, that is not proportional. It’s clear that there were actions there that were totally unwarranted,” said the group’s Will Lambek.
Police actions that day were measured against established policies for how police can use force in different situations. While Burlington Mayor Emma Mulvaney Stanak stood by her police department, she also said in her statement that she believes there are gaps in existing policies and is committed to leading a constructive evaluation of the city’s existing protocols.
Migrant Justice said they have been actively working with local law enforcement across the state to try to prevent this kind of confrontation from happening in Vermont again.
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