From: aforum@moose.uvm.edu (Autonome Forum)
Subject: Anti-Columbus Actions in Burlington, Vermont
Organization: University of Vermont -- Division of EMBA Computer Facility
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 1992 21:24:30 GMT

Anti-Columbus Actions in Burlington
     by Jan Kraker

     Greetings from "Progressive" Burlington! Well, a good
working relationship has been forming here lately between the
local Earth First!ers of the Biodiversity Liberation Front (BLF),
yours truly of Autonome Forum, AYFers and other anarchists who
want to see a little action in the Burlington area. Columbus Day
was our first time really working together, and things went
pretty well.
     On Friday October 9, some Greens, Earth First!ers, and
anarchists organized a rally outside of the Supreme Court
building in Montpelier in support of the Abenaki, a native
peoples whose land is now called "Vermont". The Abenaki have a
really militant history; they are not recognized by the Bureau of
Indian Affairs, because they never signed any treaty with the
white settlers of North America. The BLF are on very good terms
with the Abenaki, something which the government doesn't like to
see: natives and white radical environmentalists working
together! The Vermont Supreme Court recently ruled that the
Abenaki have no basis for aboriginal claims due to the
"increasing weight of history". Well, protesters responded to
this by placing a dozen 60 pound bags of sand outside the court
chambers, effectively locking the judge and his cronies inside.
     On shit-head "Columbus Day" itself, about 25 protestors
gathered across the bridge from Burlington in Winooski near the
site of the idiotic Winooski One Hydro Project: a stupid,
ecologically destructive dam that some self-righteous former-
hippie-turned-capitalist is building, much to the delight of
Burlington's "progressives". After causing some minor havor in a
nearby shopping mall, we marched across the bridge and fucked up
the heavy traffic. Unfortunately, one of those caught in the mess
was an off-duty Burlington pig. He radioed for back-up, and then,
macho-man that he was, he began yelling at us all. With the help
of a Winooski pig, he jumped on a woman Earth First!er and
arrested her. A bit of a scuffle ensued. Attempts to block the
cruiser from leaving the bridge almost left one AYFer squashed on
the road.
     Well, although we suffered one arrest, we later learned that
one Burlington pig was given a reprimand for losing his wallet
and badge. According to a salmon swimming near the Winooski One
dam, the badge and wallet were hurled into the river by persons
unknown. 
     Undaunted, the march proceeded through the UVM campus, down
Main Street - causing a major traffic jam - and into Burlington's
shopping district. Some shops, decorated the night before with
posters and paint, were further embellished with hurled tomatoes.
Most of the happy shoppers looked on rather dumbfounded, as did
the cops. (I am convinced that there are sedatives in Ben and
Jerry's Ice Cream; there's no other way to explain the inactivity
and blank expressions of most of the annoying people in this
"progressive" city). Some on-lookers were supportive, others just
didn't get the connection between Columbus and 500 years of
genocide and oppression. The Burlington pigs decided to leave us
alone, rather than risk a big scene in front of lots of smiling
consumers. After we got bored with street theatre, an old TV was
smashed to bits in front of the shopping mall. That was cool.
     In short, in this town of boring BOOKchinites and Saab-
driving Bernine Sanders' "progressives", a decent working
alliance of left-radical direct action folks is coming together.
Native issues are still hot up here. We hope to stay active with
that, and fuck up some shit before the election.
Newsgroups: alt.activism,talk.politics.misc