VERGENNES — Dozens of protesters gathered at a Vermont weapons manufacturing complex on Monday afternoon to demand that the United States government stop arming the Israeli government and call for a permanent cease-fire in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war.
The demonstration coincided with a shift change at the Vergennes Collins Aerospace weapons manufacturing facility, a subsidiary of the defense contractor RTX, formerly Raytheon Technologies.
Waving Palestinian flags and banners that said “Stop Arming Genocide” and “Stop The War Machine,” among other things, protesters blocked the facility’s three entrances to prevent new personnel from entering the building in an attempt to shut down production for the afternoon.
The demonstration took place just over 100 days into the Israel-Hamas war, as Israeli forces continue their assault on the Gaza Strip, which so far has killed over 24,000 Palestinians and displaced about 2 million. Israel launched the offensive in response to a Hamas attack on Oct. 7 in which about 1,200 Israelis were killed and 250 taken hostage.
Amidst the ongoing bombardment and concerns about disease and famine, South Africa has accused Israel of committing genocide in a case currently being heard by the International Court of Justice. Protesters Monday echoed that charge and argued that Collins Aerospace and its parent company, RTX, are complicit for providing weapons to Israel, chanting slogans like “F-16s and F-35s, Raytheon profits from Genocide.”
RTX and its subsidiaries produce parts that are used in the F-35 stealth fighter jet, which Israel has said is used in combat by its air force, as well as parts that are used in Israel’s Iron Dome defense system.
“We are here today to disrupt the production of weapons at Raytheon,” said April Fisher, an organizer who identified herself as Jewish, in an interview, using the former name for RTX. “Raytheon is profiting off the genocide of the Palestinian people. I am appalled by the people in power like the heads of Raytheon that want to back a genocide in the name of Jewish liberation.”
Over the course of 90 minutes Monday afternoon, at least 10 people who had apparently shown up for work at the facility were forced to drive away. Some shouted expletives and honked loudly as they approached the protesters in their cars. A pair of police officers watched the event nearby.
It was unclear whether the protesters successfully disrupted production at the factory. No formal representatives of Collins Aerospace addressed the protest, and VTDigger’s attempts to enter the facility and speak to a representative were unsuccessful.
RTX could not be reached by phone and an email was not returned on Monday afternoon.
By about 7 p.m. on Monday, no arrests had been made and the protesters still remained outside of the facility, according to Will Lambek, an organizer.
Correction: An earlier version of this story misidentified one of the chants protesters were saying.
