Information posted here is part of a blog originally written for the Indivisible Mass Coalition's IndivisiBlog. The whole blog can be found at this link.
Not Your Standard Standout
The current Bearing Witness gathering is a powerful expression of community action and people learning together about peaceful, nonviolent protest. A primary goal is to offer hope to those detained when they arrive, so they see they are not alone — that not everyone in America agrees with ICE.
Along with Jared and Laurie, the standout relies on help from dedicated participants. The organizing is collective, with attendees bringing signs, water, marshal’s vests, audio equipment, American flags and other supplies to share. Several volunteers marshal each week.
One feature that makes this standout unique is a group welcome and orientation. It fosters camaraderie, and participants learn how to protest peacefully and de-escalate any negative responses from passersby. Leaders provide an update on individual detainees and other information pertinent to the gathering.
When the standout begins, Jared and others read segments of the Constitution over their speaker system while facing the field office. They are speaking to standout participants, people being brought in and detained inside, and field office staff, many of whom are likely unaware of detainees’ legal rights.
At the end, the group walks up the street and back, occasionally singing or chanting. They pass the other offices and businesses in the office park, pass people sitting outside local restaurants, and stand for a few minutes at a busy intersection before circling back and disbanding.
Has the Standout Made a Difference?
Positive outcomes are resulting from these standouts on several levels. Participants talk and learn from each other, often prompted by the orientation.
Jared and Laurie have been approached and thanked by former detainees, their family members, and lawyers. People call out across the parking lot saying, “Thank you” or “God bless you,” or they may give a thumbs up. Passersby from nearby businesses are also taking notice and stop to thank people for standing out. Many local people were unaware of the ICE detention facility in their midst.
There is solidarity in larger numbers, and ICE agents have apparently noticed. Regular participants have seen a reduction in the incidence of ICE agents and others rolling down their vehicle windows to yell at them from the parking lot or while driving by. ICE agents often record while passing by in their unmarked vans and SUVs.
The group has gained the attention of local media. Newspapers, online publishers and Burlington Cable Access Television have covered the standouts.
More Is Happening
When the facility first opened in 2008, the town of Burlington received assurances — recently reaffirmed — that no one would be held there overnight. When Milford High School student Marcelo Gomes Da Silva’s recent five-day detention at the field office became headline news, the town paid attention. “We were lied to by the current duty officer,” said the Burlington Select Board chair. Following two recent meetings, it was announced that the office building was not zoned for a detention center and that the Select Board had submitted a demand for inspection of the facility to both ICE and property owner Robert Murray.
On June 26, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Ed Markey led the entire Massachusetts congressional delegation in writing to ICE officials, pressing them on whether ICE has been violating agency standards. Warren said, “We’re sounding the alarm. ICE’s abuse of power has to end.” The lawmakers requested a congressional briefing in July and pushed for answers regarding the reportedly inhumane conditions at the Burlington Field Office. As of July 16, there had been no reply.
About the Author
Dawn Olcott is a writer for Indivisible Mass Coalition’s IndivisiBlog, on the Steering Committee of Indivisible Maynard Area, and a member of Indivisible Acton Area.
Dawn Olcott is a writer for Indivisible Mass Coalition’s IndivisiBlog.