UVM racism protests: Students leave street, but vow further action

Students protesting racism at the University of Vermont stopped traffic during the evening rush hour Thursday near campus, demanding university president Tom Sullivan come meet with them.

Demonstrators stood in the intersection of Main and South Prospect streets, beside the UVM green just west of the Dudley H. Davis Center. Police told drivers to find other ways in and out of the city.

A group of protesters stretched across the heavily traveled corridor, with several of the demonstrators holding Black Lives Matter banners and signs. The action was a continuation of protests and other events this academic year, including earlier this week, regarding racism at UVM.

For about three hours, group members vowed to occupy the intersection until UVM President Tom Sullivan met with them — something that Burlington police told the protesters he was unable to do Thursday night.

As the sun set, temperatures fell into the 20s. Supporters, including some university staff, brought blankets, hot beverages and chemical hand warmers. Between chants of "black lives matter" and "we’re standing in the streets until Tom comes to meet," students danced to stay warm.

Around 7:30 p.m., Vice Provost Annie Stevens spoke briefly with the students, who then moved to the Waterman Building.

A university spokesman said earlier this week the school and Sullivan have made significant progress toward addressing student concerns. But Harmony Edosomwan, one of the protest organizers, disagreed.

“If progress is defined by doing absolutely nothing, then yes, he’s made progress,” she told the Burlington Free Press on Thursday night.

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She urged alumni to stop donating to the school and said she would like the people of Burlington to know the protesters were not doing this for fun.

“Come join us,” she said.

After the students decided to move off the streets, she said the university president's decision not to come meet with the students showed his lack of care about people of color on campus.

"If he were really for racial justice and inclusion like he says he is, he would have come out here in the first 30 minutes," she said.

In a statement Thursday night after the protesters moved, university spokesman Enrique Corredera said the president would be reaching out Friday to schedule a meeting with demonstrators and will remain focused on advancing its diversity and inclusion goals.

He added that it was the "sincere hope" of the administration that "mutual respect and civility" would guide further actions.

"The University does not condone any activity that can result in serious unintended consequences," he said. "Taking over a major intersection in the city of Burlington, and impacting the lives of thousands of individuals and families is such an activity."

Another organizer, Angelica Crespo, said the racism on campus is unacceptable. “We need to address these bias incidents,” she said at about 6 p.m., vowing the group would remain in the street until Sullivan presented himself for a meeting.

"We stand with John Mejia," one banner read, a reference to a UVM employee on hunger strike over issues of race relations and racial justice on campus.

Traffic was snarled on most nearby streets, according to real-time data from Google Maps. South Burlington police also warned that the congestion was spilling into their city, and the Vermont State Police said an unrelated car crash on Interstate 189 near Shelburne Road just before 7 p.m. was causing delays there, too.

Ambulances heading toward the UVM Medical Center were reporting 15-minute delays as the protest clogged traffic on and around Main Street. "It has started to become an issue," hospital spokesman Michael Carrese said at 7:40 p.m. Thursday as the protest was just starting to break up.

Carrese said five ambulances were headed toward the hospital during the time of the protest. None had patients in critical condition, he said, and no patients were placed in jeopardy because of the delays.

"I'm sorry that you were delayed. I'm also sorry that people of color are suffering on this campus," Edosomwan said when asked about the disruptions. "Our lives have been disrupted ever since we stepped onto this campus."

During rush hour, Burlington police Chief Brandon del Pozo asked the protesters what it would take for them to move, given the traffic concerns. By a little after 7 p.m., though, vehicle congestion had abated, and the demonstrators were engaging in peaceful civil disobedience, del Pozo added.

"We're very hesitant to get in the middle of this," he said.

After the students left, Burlington police tweeted that the students' civil disobedience had been resolved without incident or arrest. Police also credited the students for cleaning up after themselves.

A Burlington Free Press reporter who was stuck in the traffic jam around 5 p.m. said it took more than 30 minutes to travel west from Interstate 89 to the Davis Center on Main Street. Police cruisers were stationed on Main Street, and officers were turning cars around or diverting drivers to University Place.

Burlington police said in a statement at 5:40 p.m. Thursday that Main Street was closed in both directions in the area of South Prospect.

City police said drivers should leave Burlington via Shelburne Road to the south or Riverside Avenue to the north.

Shortly before moving, students shared their ideas for how to continue the action, and are planning another protest on campus Friday.

When asked about next steps, Edosomwan replied, "One word: Escalation."

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Contributing: Alex Abrami, Trevor Chase, Brent Hallenbeck, Ryan Mercer and Adam Silverman of the Free Press.