The People's State of the State calls for an unhoused state of emergency and a tax on the one percent

The rights to assemble, speak, and protest - even loudly - are fundamental freedoms, regardless of the Governor’s or the President’s thoughts.

Last night, the 125+ people participating in the People’s State of the State at the Rhode Island State House cut across race, class, gender, and politics as they loudly rejected Governor Daniel McKee’s austerity policies in his State of the State Address. They also called on the Governor to declare an unhoused state of emergency as the number of people living outside continues to skyrocket.

In response to the protest, Rhode Island Capitol Police, reinforced by the State Police, blocked off access to both the rotunda and the second and third floors of the State House. Initially planned to take place on the rotunda, the raised circular area under the State House dome, the protest moved to the Bell Room on the first floor. An hour before the protest started, Capitol Police told organizer Harrison Tuttle, executive director of the Black Lives Matter RI PAC, that he was not allowed to access the rotunda by order of the Governor. Others were allowed up and down the stairs at will.

After more than an hour of public comment, where directly affected people and advocates called for a public health emergency to protect unhoused neighbors from extreme cold and increased taxes on the State’s top 1% of high-income earners to blunt the austerity the Governor has promised in response to a budget shortfall, the crowd shifted to marching and chanting, rocking the capitol dome with shouts that could be heard within the House Chamber where the Governor was delivering his address to members of the legislature and the judiciary.

As happens when a protest triggers those in power, our civil rights are abused. Television crews were allowed to go up and down the stairs at will, but independent reporter Pat Ford was denied access.

The crowd marched through the halls of the State House, restricted to the first floor by the Capitol and State Police until they were told they were creating a disturbance and were unlawful. At this point, the police kettled the protesters in the Bell Room, telling them that they would only be allowed to the other side of the State House if they were leaving the building.

The idea that this protest was somehow “unlawful” is ridiculous. The rights to assemble, speak, and protest - even loudly - are fundamental freedoms, regardless of the Governor’s or the President’s thoughts.

As stated in the press release, the goals and objectives of the People’s State of the State were to:

1. Call on Rhode Island Governor Daniel McKee to declare a public health emergency to protect unhoused neighbors from extreme cold.

2. Urge the Rhode Island General Assembly to increase taxes on the State’s top 1% of high-income earners.

3. Invite residents to share their stories about economic challenges in Rhode Island.

The protest was loud, but at no point did the crowd surge in a threatening manner or use anything but their voices to protest. It was noisy, but it was an entirely peaceful protest

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