Roughly 30 anti-mask protestors gathered on Church street March 20 to protest the state’s guidelines regarding masking. The group paraded up and down Church street as pedestrians backed up to the walls of the surrounding shops to avoid coming into contact with the unmasked protestors.
The group met on Pearl Street and began their march towards City Hall. Several protestors brought their children.
“Our goal is personal freedom,” said one of the protestors.
“The labeling of people who are anti-mask, the media who’s told you that they’re all racist. I’m wearing Birkenstocks. This is from anthropology. I don’t look like a racist,” said another.
A smaller group of Burlington residents gathered in front of City Hall to hand out masks, water bottles and snacks in a counter-protest effort.
Below is a photo essay depicting the reactions of the protestors, counter-protestors and masked residents of Burlington.
A community pop-up aid event took place outside City Hall as a counter-protest to the anti-mask flash mob March 20 from 2:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.. (Mary Mclellan)Members of Vermonters Against Unconstitutional Lockdowns and Tyranny, also known as VAULT, gather on Church street for an anti-mask flash mob that began at 5:30 p.m. March 20. The flashmob met at 1 Church street and proceeded to walk down towards City Hall. (Mary Mclellan)A child walks down Pearl Street March 20 holding a sign that reads “A new strain of bullshit and a third week of propaganda” as he walks with a group of anti-mask protestors. (Mac Mansfield-Parisi)Church street pedestrians stand with their hands facing the other way as anti-mask protestors surround them at the crosswalk from Pearl street to Church street March 20. (Mac Mansfield-Parisi)A woman leads the group of anti-mask protestors down Church street March 20. (Mary Mclellan)Church street pedestrians stand with their backs touching the buildings watching anti-mask protestors fill the street March 20. (Mac Mansfield-Parisi)A mother helps her child hold up a sign at an anti-mask protest on Church street March 20. (Mary Mclellan)The protestors stop and stand in front of City Place Burlington and a child displays a sign about the COVID-19 vaccine March 20. (Mary Mclellan)
