Vermont Demonstration Blasts Trump's Order on Refugees

The group expressed support for peace-loving Muslims living across Vermont and elsewhere, and raised concern about other causes, including environmental protection and reproductive rights

Several hundred people marched and spoke out in Burlington, Vermont Sunday against President Donald Trump's executive order limiting access to the US by refugees and others from a list of foreign countries the administration deems risky to national security.

The grassroots demonstration wound down Burlington's Church Street Marketplace toward City Hall Park, with participants chanting, "No hate, no fear, refugees are welcome here!"

The large group also expressed support for peace-loving Muslims living across Vermont and elsewhere, and raised concern about other causes, including environmental protection and reproductive rights.

The Trump administration insists bold steps are needed to protect the nation from terrorism, and has said limiting travel, immigration, or refugee resettlement from countries like Syria, Yemen, Iraq, and Sudan is a fair step considering the seriousness of protecting the United States from violence.

However, the demonstrators in Burlington blasted that theory, saying the executive order violates the welcoming tradition of Vermont and the rest of the country.

Many participants in the march and rally also argued that President Trump's order was unconstitutional and worsens our standing on the global stage.

"Rise up!" shouted rally participant James Ehlers from the steps of Burlington City Hall, to an echo from a crowd of several hundred. "We fight! This is our country, not his country!"

In a written statement Sunday, Gov. Phil Scott, R-Vermont, said he will always stand up for human rights, including against any executive order from Washington he sees as crossing legal, ethical, or moral lines.

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