I and my four knitting comrades, four of us “natural” gas pipeline-impacted homeowners, went to Vermont Gas Systems headquarters last Wednesday to make three reasonable demands, one of which is already agreed upon in a Memo of Understanding with Monkton. We wanted VGS/Gaz Métro to meet them publicly.
VGS/Gaz Métro employees requested we leave the property before I could read them our demands. There are so many better ways VGS/Gaz Métro could have handled the situation. Instead, they chose to strong arm the five of us who sat knitting in their lobby.
I can’t believe VGS/Gaz Métro was foolish enough to have me arrested. Not only did they have the South Burlington Police cite me for trespassing, I was handcuffed tightly behind my back and transported to the police station where I was fingerprinted and photographed. A photo of five policemen taking me into custody went viral on the internet and the overwhelming reaction has been total disbelief and disgust.
I did stay beyond my welcome … but, as is evident from the video posted on the Burlington Free Press website, we were never welcomed to VGS/Gaz Métro headquarters. In fact, we were asked to leave almost immediately. We carried no banners, waved no signs … we came asking to talk to an executive about our demands.
As impacted landowners, we already knew VGS/Gaz Métro is a bully and has no respect for the rights of property owners and is attempting to intimidate and discourage dissent by over-prosecuting protesters. Now the rest of the world knows too.
Jane Palmer
Monkton