Nonviolent Direct Action Training

ICE Out Vermont Alliance — a coalition of community, faith-based, and activist organizations from across Vermont — is organizing a series of day-long, nonviolent direct action (NVDA) trainings throughout Vermont for individuals interested in participating in a sit-in at a St. Albans' ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) and CBP (Customs and Border Protection) facility in May 2026.

Nonviolent direct action is part of a strategy of collective action used to achieve political and social change without physical force. NVDA is more than protest—it's a disciplined, grounded approach to confronting injustice through strategic action, moral clarity, and public witness. Participating in an NVDA does not necessarily mean one is risking arrest as there are a range of roles that individuals can play.

At the training, participants will learn about the: principles and history of NVDA, nonviolence as part of an overall strategy for change, details and guidelines for this planned NVDA, legal implications, decision-making structure for the NVDA, the purpose of affinity groups in an NVDA, and specific roles within an affinity group. Participants will gain clarity on: their motivations for participating in the NVDA, what role they want to play in an affinity group, considerations in choosing to participate in the NVDA, and what risks they are willing to take.

The training will include a number of hands-on, interactive exercises designed to engage participants. Toward the conclusion of the training, individuals interested in participating in the sit-in will be invited to create or join an affinity group (or as a member of an existing affinity group). Affinity groups roles include those individuals who: are willing to risk arrest, take other direct risks during the sit-in, and those providing direct support.

The training will be led by Eric Bachman and Dorie Wilsnack who both have decades of experience as nonviolent action trainers around war and peace issues. Please find the training schedule below. Pre-registration is required by sending an email to the location you where you wish to attend a training. Space is limited to 40 people/training.

All individuals who plan to participate in this this action are required to participate in a training for the action.