Four people — ages 20, 39, 58, and 79 — now face criminal charges in Vermont after taking part in a nonviolent sit-in protest at a building housing a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office in Williston. Vermont State Police charged them with criminal trespass and resisting arrest. They are scheduled to appear in court on June 30.

The protesters were part of a group called ICE Tours, which organized what it described as a "multigenerational nonviolent civil disobedience." They brought tombstones representing people who have died while in ICE custody.

Among those arrested: a 79-year-old man from Burlington, a 58-year-old from Jericho, a 39-year-old from Montpelier, and a 20-year-old from Massachusetts. Their only shared act was refusing to leave a building where they had gathered to be heard.

Throughout American history, nonviolent civil disobedience has been a cornerstone of social change. People who stood their ground — and accepted the legal consequences — for a cause they believed in are now recognized as essential voices in our democracy. What happened in Williston stands in that tradition.

We are calling on Chittenden County State's Attorney Sarah George to drop all criminal charges against the four arrested protesters. Using the court system to punish peaceful political demonstration sends a chilling message to every person who wants to raise their voice on an issue they care about.

Sign this petition to demand Vermont drop the charges now.

Photo by Glenn Russell/VTDigger