To the editor: A letter to the Chester Select Board on how two rallies were organized for the Green
The Chester Telegraph | May 19, 2025 | Comments 4
An open letter to the Chester Select Board:
What follows are responses to the incomplete and misinformed comments presented at the May 7, 2025, Select Board meeting.
Comments made at the meeting implied that the organizers and attendees at the April 5 and May 1 rallies on the Chester Green were not concerned about the welfare of local businesses and that continued protest rallies would cause severe harm to the town of Chester. There were also accusations of negative, frightening behaviors during the event. None of these assertions is based in reality.
On March 15, national organizations sent email invitations to participate in the Hands Off! demonstration. I discussed the possibility of holding a Saturday, April 5 rally on the Chester Green with friends and then with Town Manager Julie Hance.
Julie explained that no permit was required and no other events would conflict with a rally from 10 a.m. to noon on Saturday, April 5. I estimated we might have 50 to 75 participants to which Julie suggested parking locations and that we might gather on the Information Booth side of the street to minimize interference with local businesses.
On March 17, I officially registered Chester Hands Off! on the mobilize.com website. Following Julie’s suggestion, I shared our plans with Chester’s Police chief and Ambulance Service head. Both responded that there would be coverage scheduled during that day.
Soon thereafter the Chester Town Democratic Committee decided to participate in the rally. The issue of parking near the Green area during the event arose and we agreed that communications to participants should suggest that they park in the Cobleigh Field lot or on-street but not near the Green. We also agreed to encourage participants to patronize the cafés and businesses during the event.
We publicized the Hands Off! rally with letters to the editor in The Chester Telegraph, Vermont Journal and Front Porch Forum and posted flyers around the town and on several Chester-related Facebook pages.
Surprisingly, in the days preceding April 5, registrations increased, reaching 170. We sent this information to the Police chief and Emergency Services director, while recognizing that these numbers would force us to use both sides of Main Street.
Zoom sessions teaching best safety practices and de-escalation tools and techniques were scheduled. Four volunteers were designated to wear yellow vests and act as safety coordinators during the event.
Due to the forecasted heavy rain, we set up our public address system in the gazebo on the Green. Surprisingly 450+ participants showed up at the event. Neutral observers including Chester’s Police chief — who spent the morning at the rally — agreed that it was peaceful, with no need of support by the police or emergency services.
Several organizers walked the parking area multiple times during the two hours and observed empty spaces at all times.
The speakers included two of our three Windsor County senators and several Chester residents. Event master of ceremonies, Evan Parks repeatedly reminded people not to park by the Green, to cross at crosswalks, and keep out of the road.
The only excitement I observed during the two-hour rally was when Mr. Keller drove his service truck with a large Trump flag back-and-forth every 10 minutes, honking all the way. Some people attempted to interfere with his passage. I immediately reprimanded them and reminded them not to engage and to stay behind the white line. Mr. Keller was not bothered again.
The rain began around 11:30 a.m. and the rally broke up at noon. There was very little litter to pick up and demonstrators were gone by 12:20 p.m. Any interference with business took place only from 10 a.m. to noon.
Nationwide there were over 1,300 Hands Off! events in all 50 states and several in foreign countries. Reports on the total number of participants in Hands Off ranged between 600,000 and 3 million. I have seen no reports of any violence, arrests or property damage associated with Hands Off!
We later learned that several businesses were not aware of the event scheduled and that one
that had actually closed down during the event. One of our organizers met personally with several of the concerned business owners, apologized and assured them that we would inform them well in advance of any future rallies and redouble our efforts regarding parking for businesses. The businesspeople expressed gratitude for the apologies and the promise to meet with them before other events.
Thus, before Chester’s May 1 May Day Strong day of support for workers, workers working families and unions, those who organized the event in Chester met with town officials and business people, planned for parking (including a sign that read “Parking for Shoppers Only Please”), and chose 4:30 to 6 p.m. on Thursday afternoon for the event to avoid interfering with business activities.
The organizers again publicized the coming event on news outlets and flyers.
Only 275 people joined the demonstration, with speakers who highlighted the role of workers in the history of America. Mr. Keller drove back and forth with this Trump truck honking, and several dozen pro-Trump protesters chanted and waved their signs just to the west on Rt. 11. May Day Strong concluded promptly at 6 p.m. and the Green was quiet and dappled in sunlight by 6:30.
Any protests generated by the CTDC in Chester will certainly not cast a shadow over the town. If anything, they make it clear that many active and engaged residents of Chester and other demonstrators care deeply about the well-being of the United States, Vermont and the town of Chester.
Sincerely,
Steve Dock
for the CTDC Communication Committee
Filed Under: Commentary • Letters to the Editor
I posted this on another post the other day when called out about some of our previous uses of the green for political reasons starting last September. Although at least one person has called me out for “false information “ which is totally bs I think it is important to put this out to people that don’t frequent the Facebook circus that is going on in Chester.
The use of the thru way around the Green being shut down for a political event was called out and questioned. It was originally set up to be a debate for the whole town to attend between the two Chester House Candidates. We notified the town hall and the police and the select board asked us to check with the businesses on the green. We personally went around and talked to everyone. They said it was ok with them as our time was planned after most everyone was closed but the Inn.
The debate part didn’t happen as we had asked the Chester Telegraph to moderate to be fair and Heather Chase still refused. We went on with it anyway so the public could hear what Tom had to say.
Honestly, the Dem-Progressive following here in Chester is quite pissed that there is another voice in town and silly us thought we were getting into politics to give some of us that have not had a voice in town and in Vermont the last 20+ years another viewpoint. We were not met with a fair and balanced media including SAPA tv (Ludlow has been very good about putting out balanced programming) and people did really start to get out the pitchforks.
We intentionally did not put out Trump signs when we did our booth when the Sale on the Green was happening. We knew it was polarizing and even though I am a Trump supporter -shocker! We wanted to keep it focused on our local politics. We were called out on the internet for that too!
There are some of you that are hell bent on making simple things more political. So if someone doesn’t agree with you-you can’t treat them with basic human dignity in any capacity? I have plenty of friends and family that don’t agree with me politically- but they are still my friends and family. We try to have a mutual respect and there is no way that politics should ever end a friendship.
We had the whole Santa -Gate debacle. Roy and I were having Tom’s Community party on December 7th. Julie called us desperately looking for a Santa as Santa was sick. We finagled some things and Roy was able to fill in to be Santa. He left from the Inn because he was helping me set up and came back to the Inn because we were having the event. Facebook warriors made a plea to the Telegraph to investigate why the Republicans took over Christmas. Seriously???
In the past both sides were able to use the green for sign waves without problems. Yes the occasional finger or black smoke (both sides!) but that is a public thing anywhere. There were sometimes 50-75 people depending on whose team was there and not always at the same time and these were usually an hour or an hour and a half. This has been mostly local people out expressing what they believe in in a non-confrontational manner – that’s what we all believe in! And also, they to my knowledge did not effect the businesses on the green in a negative way -actually positive for some!
As of late, the dynamic has changed. The national rhetoric is making its way to Chester. The left has organized protests planned all over the US many times in the last few months and in the future. These protests have brought 100s of people into Chester for a few hours at a time. It has been reported by the organizers and attendees that it has been peaceful. That very well be the truth on the green but there have been incidents that have been reported that happen on the outskirts.
When you have hundreds of people invade a town multiple times it gets to be a bigger less manageable mob. If it happens once and is over. Ok. But this is happening multiple times. And even though it is denied, there are lots of people that really aren’t from around here attending. Honestly it is my opinion that that has amplified the hate because they are here for a cause but don’t have a connection here.
Who in the town of Chester would block Gail Stewart’s driveway and beat on the hood of her car with a protest sign??? What very elderly lady in the town of Chester would moon people on the street on the way back to their car?? Who in the town of Chester would mouth FU and give the finger out their closed car window to my 6+ foot 270 lb Santa biker looking husband and I after the event going into the Inn for dinner???
There is a problem in Chester that is beyond free speech. People have become nasty and while preaching that they are all about peace and love and all that crap out of one side of their mouth in person they are the first ones riling up the hate on the internet. These large protests just fuel the hate. They also should have to meet large gathering requirements like appropriate bathrooms and real security as the sale on the green has too.
My husband has been called out by name many of times especially in the past few weeks on many different forums about a lot of stuff that is simply not true and only perpetuated in the rumor mill. I really don’t do a lot of social media as it is just too toxic and I don’t need the negativity in my life.
The recent select board meeting and the school board meeting take the cake. The way people are so righteously flinging hate is just so wrong. You profess caring about people but your actions are the opposite. The comments on the school board chat and other internet sources dealing with select board members, school board members and candidates is highly inappropriate. These people give countless hours of their own personal time to make Chester a greater place!
This is gone way beyond “ concerned citizens” to a hateful few that are loud and obnoxious and throw a tantrum when they can’t control the situation and things don’t go the way they want anymore.
Chester is going to have Republican representation -we are not going away. We try to take our community in to account when we do things and be respectful to people. We are getting bigger as people are sick of putting up with this crap. Hopefully in the future we can learn to coexist without the hate and believe that if someone doesn’t agree with you it’s ok!
Amy McPheeters Is an individual. A resident of Chester. Not an organizer of any rallies or protests.. The organizers of the rallies support Patronizing all of our merchants and cafés.
Just to clarify: The comments Ms. Merrow refers to apparently were made on social media and not during any meeting or rally. And the “story” is actually a letter to the editor.
What about Amy McPeters attacking Songbirds Owner Amber?
Labeling her as a Racist and telling people to stay out of her Shop?
When Amy had never even set a foot inside. And it’s pointless to even make a comment on this “story”
Because Amy even went to the town meeting and is pictured in a photo talking about the
Non existence of Violence. Violence comes in many forms.
How easy to forget her own words! And act as if it was nothing.
It wasn’t nothing. It was Rude and uncalled for. But block it out,
Erase it from your memories, keep speaking as these things never happened.
That will make it feel like You Are telling the truth. And Erase this comment too!!
Make sure only Your Side gets told.