by Merri Ansara
On Saturday, Dec. 14, around 35 people marched a mile and a half through Holyoke to City Hall calling for the elimination of all nuclear weapons and the nuclear threat. Called by residents of Holyoke, people from a number of nearby towns joined the Holyoke residents, representing Back from the Brink Western Massachusetts, NuclearBan.US, Pax Christi Western Massachusetts, Sisters of Saint Joseph Springfield, Greater Springfield Campaign Nonviolence, New England Peace Pagoda, Ban Killer Drones, WM Code Pink, Demilitarize W. Mass, Green-Rainbow Party, Veterans Against War, and Massachusetts PeaceAction.
Finding a spot of sun in the freezing cold, the group stood before a large banner that read Nuclear War = Nuclear Winter = World Famine and Nuclear Weapons are Now Illegal, chanted for peace, sang songs, and listened to several speakers. Holyoke resident and former School Committee member Gloria Caballera introduced the speakers. Sister Clare of the New England Peace Pagoda gave an eloquent plea for peace for the world.
Merriam Ansara of Easthampton and Massachusetts Peace Action read the Easthampton City Council’s 2019 Call to Prevent Nuclear War and to support the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. The treaty was adopted by 122 of the world’s 195 countries in 2017. It entered into force in 2021 when 50 countries had ratified it. It has already been signed by 94 countries and ratified by 73, in which it is international law. .
Kevin Young of Western Mass Area Labor Federation spoke about the role of workers in ending nuclear weapons, noting that all those who labor for wages are workers, not some separate class, and all should unite around the interests of all working people.
Vicki Elson of the Warheads to Windmills Coalition gave the keynote speech, pointing out that the City of Holyoke in 2022 introduced and passed the Back from the Brink Resolution, and Mayor Jushua Garcia signed it. She said that cities like Holyoke and others that have passed resolutions should go further, citing Northampton as an example. Northampton not only passed a resolution in 2017, but then committed the City to divesting from and boycotting the entire nuclear weapons industry.
Divestment meant that Northampton divested from 11 companies involved in the production and maintenance of nuclear weapons. Boycotting proved more complicated due to state requirements to accept the lowest bidder on most contracts, but with the help of State Representative Lindsay Sabadosa and State Senator Jo Comerford, they were able to obtain a home rule petition to bypass that requirement..
The result is that today, all companies bidding for Northampton city contracts must sign an affidavit about whether they are involved in the nuclear weapons business. If they are, they are automatically disqualified from city contracts. Elson noted that other cities are doing similar things to pressure the corporations who influence Congress with campaign contributions and “revolving door” jobs. Most notably, the New York City Council has decided to divest its pension funds from companies involved in the nuclear weapons industry.
The crowd finished by linking arms and singing “This Little Light of Mine” with words calling for peace, climate protection and a livable future for humanity and all creatures.