BURLINGTON — Protesters gathered in Lakeside Park on Thursday evening and called on City Councilor Joan Shannon, D-South District, to change Burlington’s charter to give the city more flexibility to fire police officers.
Shannon chairs the city’s charter change committee, which the City Council charged last month with assessing how the city could revise its system of police disciplinary decisions.
About 100 protesters gathered in the South End park. Organizers said they chose the location because it’s in the neighborhood where Shannon lives.
For months, the protesters have demanded that the city remove Burlington Police Department officers Jason Bellavance, Joseph Corrow and Cory Campbell due to past violent encounters with members of the public.Â
The city reached a settlement agreement with Bellavance, but the others remain on the force.
“They have said they can’t do anything about these individuals because they don’t have the right to hire or fire officers,” one of the protest organizers said.
“That can change, and is changing, and Joan needs to know that we are watching,” the organizer said.
The city’s charter only allows the chief of police to hire and fire officers — which is one of the reasons why Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger has said he can’t remove the three officers protesters have called on him to oust.
The protest organizer, who declined to provide a name, criticized Shannon’s voting record and said she has had “too many things to say against” policies including a racial justice resolution the city passed in June.Â
Shannon voted against the resolution, which approved a 30% cut in police staffing levels.
Protesters first gathered in a basketball court in the park before marching around the perimeter and gathering in the middle of a residential street.Â
Thursday night wasn’t the first time the protesters have targeted a city official in their own neighborhood — they have also gathered outside of Weinberger’s home.
For weeks, protesters occupied Burlington’s Battery Park as they called on the city to fire the police officers. But after more than 30 days, they left the park last week.
Shannon did not immediately respond to requests for comment Thursday evening.
