BURLINGTON, Vt. -
After violent protests in Burlington last weekend, police and protestors say they want to learn more about what happened, to help the community move forward.
The protests came before a conference of New England Governors and Canadian Premiers. Several police officers and protestors were hurt in a clash.
"The bruises I sustained Sunday will heal over time," says Jonathan Leavitt, a protestor.
But Leavitt says it will take longer to repair the trust that was lost .
"These were Vermonters with rights and privileges under the laws of Vermont and the Constitution of Vermont and the United States," says Jared Carter, an attorney for the Vermont Community Law Center
On Wednesday, Carter says his group asked police to answer questions on everything from policy to weapons to training.
"Who are the people involved in policing us?" asked Carter.
Burlington's police force is led by Chief Michael Schirling.
"We've seen something different in the crowd than we've seen before and I just want to be clear, it was just a few people," says Schirling.
Confronted with aggressive protestors, Schirling says as of right now it appears officers followed their crowd control policy. He says the decision to respond with force is a last choice.
"Those kind of things evolve so fast with so many different variables that each individual instance is unique," says Schirling.
The chief says police have started two investigations. One will look to see if protestors broke any laws. The second is a broader look at the police response to the protest.
"It's rare for things to get to this level," says Schirling.
The chief says it could take weeks to finish both investigations. One thing that is clear: the price tag for all the extra security for the governor's conference.
The chief puts it at around $40,000.
