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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:24.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Vermont Healthcare Advocates Disrupt Legislature<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><img width=580 height=328 id="Picture_x0020_1" src="cid:image001.jpg@01D02BCD.ABF95A80" alt="Description: Healthcare is a human right Vermont 2011"></span><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><br>By Staff, <a href="http://www.PopularResistance.org" target="_blank"><span style='color:blue'>www.PopularResistance.org</span></a><br>January 8th, 2015<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Above: After building a statewide campaign for healthcare as a human right led by the Vermont Workers Center, Vermont passed a law that provided for universal healthcare. In 2015 the governor said he could not find a way to fund it and abandoned the law (Photo: Vermont Workers’ Center).<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Health care protesters disrupt inauguration, demand healthcare is a human right<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><a href="http://www.commondreams.org/news/2015/01/08/we-wont-back-down-vermont-protesters-launch-sit-statehouse-demanding-universal"><span style='color:blue'>Common Dreams reports</span></a> on a sit-in at the Vermont legislature on January 8, 2015:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="https://www.popularresistance.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Vermont-healthcare-protest-Put-People-First-Banner-Source-Burlington-Free-Press-e1420761497486.jpg"><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:blue;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=380 height=285 id="Picture_x0020_4" src="cid:image002.jpg@01D02BCD.ABF95A80" alt="Description: Vermont healthcare protester holds sign "Put People First" Banner, Source Burlington Free-Press by GLENN RUSSELL"></span></a><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Vermont healthcare protester holds sign “Put People First” Banner, Source Burlington Free-Press by GLENN RUSSELL<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Protesters occupied the chambers of the Vermont Statehouse Thursday afternoon, saying they refuse to leave until legislators meet their demands to respect the first-ever U.S. law for universal, publicly-funded health care, won by social movements nearly four years ago yet stymied by the governor last month.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>The Vermont Workers Center is pushing the legislature to proceed to funding the universal health care plan even without Governor Shumlin. <a href="http://www.burlingtonfreepress.com/story/news/politics/2015/01/08/health-care-protesters-disrupt-inauguration/21457063/%20"><span style='color:blue'>The Burlington Free Press reported</span></a>:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>The protesters, organized by the Vermont Workers’ Center through the Health Care is a Human Right Campaign, demanded that House Speaker Shap Smith, D-Morristown, schedule a public hearing on single-payer financing by Jan. 29.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="https://www.popularresistance.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Vermont-health-care-protesters-disrupt-inaugural.-Source-Burlington-Free-Press-e1420761616753.jpg"><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:blue;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=380 height=267 id="Picture_x0020_5" src="cid:image003.jpg@01D02BCD.ABF95A80" alt="Description: Single-payer protestors disrupt Gov. Peter Shumlin's inauguration ceremony at the Statehouse in Montpelier on Thursday, January 8, 2015. Source: Burlington Free Press by GLENN RUSSELL"></span></a><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Health care advocates disrupt Gov. Peter Shumlin’s inauguration ceremony at the Statehouse in Montpelier on Thursday, January 8, 2015. Source: Burlington Free Press by GLENN RUSSELL<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>James Haslam, executive director of the Vermont Workers’ Center, called the day’s demonstration “incredibly effective overall” and said “it was absolutely peaceful and civil.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>“We came here today with hundreds of people to say … that this is something that is far too important to not move forward on,” Haslam said.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>The protest was designed to coincide with the inauguration of Governor Shumlin. Common Dreams reported:<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>Immediately preceding the occupation, nearly 200 protesters had filled the halls of the statehouse, singing, “We have come too far, we won’t back down. We’ll flood these halls with justice, the time is Now!”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>According to the Burlington Free-Press “As of 5:30 p.m., the protesters remained seated on the floor of the House chamber, long after the sergeant-at-arms had instructed them to prepare to leave the building.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><b><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'>More photos and tweets below.</span></b><span style='font-size:16.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="https://www.popularresistance.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Vermont-Sit-in-at-the-Capitol-January-8-2014-Burlington-Free-Press.jpg"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:blue;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=540 height=380 id="Picture_x0020_6" src="cid:image004.jpg@01D02BCD.ABF95A80" alt="Description: Healthcare protesters sit down in the well of the House chamber after Gov. Peter Shumlin's inauguration ceremony at the Statehouse in Montpelier on Thursday, January 8, 2015. Photo: GLENN RUSSEL of the Burlington Free Press)"></span></a><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#222222'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#222222'>Healthcare protesters sit down in the well of the House chamber after Gov. Peter Shumlin’s inauguration ceremony at the Statehouse in Montpelier on Thursday, January 8, 2015. Photo: GLENN RUSSEL of the Burlington Free Press)<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><a href="https://www.popularresistance.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Vermont-healthcare-activists-hold-sign-The-Time-Is-Now-January-8-2014-from-Burlington-Free-Press.jpg"><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:blue;text-decoration:none'><img border=0 width=540 height=380 id="Picture_x0020_7" src="cid:image005.jpg@01D02BCD.ABF95A80" alt="Description: Vermont healthcare activists hold sign 'The Time Is Now' January 8, 2014, from Burlington Free Press"></span></a><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#222222'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='mso-margin-top-alt:auto;mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto'><span style='font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman","serif";color:#222222'>Health care advocates disrupt Gov. Peter Shumlin’s inauguration ceremony at the Statehouse in Montpelier on Thursday, January 8, 2015. Photo: GLENN RUSSELL, Burlington Free Press<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>