Willie Burnley Jr. for Mayor of Somerville
by Brian Garvey
Massachusetts Peace Action is proud to endorse Willie Burnley Jr. for Mayor of Somerville. Burnley, who currently serves as an At-Large Somerville City Councilor, has consistently connected local issues facing the people of Somerville with the causes of peace and justice that Massachusetts Peace Action works on every day. His support for the constitutional rights of Somervillians, through opposition to Trump Administration ICE attacks and the unwavering support for the right to boycott institutions involved in genocide, prove that Willie Burnley Jr. is the choice to lead the City of Somerville.
In March, Tufts University student Rumeysa Ozturk was abducted by ICE agents in Somerville. Her “crime” was coauthoring a piece in her student newspaper encouraging that Tufts disclose its investments and divest from companies with ties to Israel. In response to this assault on free speech and due process, Willie went into action.
Calling out the outrage, Councilor Burnley joined the call for Rumeysa’s release and threw his weight behind an initiative to back her demand. Councilor Burnley became an outspoken supporter of Somerville for Palestine and the Palestine Solidarity Ballot Question, which MAPA also supports. Question 3 on the ballot, this initiative will encourage city officials to divest the city’s pension funds from the companies that make weapons for the Israeli military.
Burnley is crystal clear about his support for this important measure saying, “as a voter, I have signed the petition. As a city councilor, I have stood up for the right to put it on the ballot. And, as mayor, I will implement the voters’ will.” He is the only candidate for mayor to do so.
To defend the Bill of Rights for all Somerville residents, Willie Burnley Jr. has committed to limit the sharing of data with ICE, to reject federal agreements that would require the city to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and to fully train our traffic guards, parking officials, and waste management teams to identify and report suspected ICE activity. These measures will lead to fewer neighbors being abducted by federal ICE agents and help to stop the spread of fear emanating from the Trump Administration. They will make the residents of Somerville, including international students and immigrants of all walks of life, feel the safety and security they deserve, the safety to live, work, and express themselves freely.
After returning from a Witness for Peace delegation to Cuba in 2022, where I first met Willie, Councilor Burnley introduced, championed, and passed a resolution calling on then President Biden to remove Cuba from the State Sponsor of Terrorism List and encourage the US Congress to end the “failed policy of regime change.” The measure also encourages scientific and medical collaboration between the US and Cuba, to share information and technology like targeted vaccines to treat cancer. Burnley has also been an outspoken advocate for the right to travel freely to Cuba, especially for students. Councilor Burnley spoke at a MAPA event, sharing his experiences in Cuba and laying out his plan to take action.
Councilor Willie Burnley Jr. has a long track record of connecting the fight for peace and justice to local issues in the City of Somerville. Massachusetts Peace Action is proud to endorse Willie for Mayor of Somerville.
Brian Garvey is executive director of Massachusetts Peace Action.
Julia Mejia for Boston City Councilor at Large
by Hayat Imam and Rosemary Kean
We endorse City Councilor Julia Mejia for re-election because our priorities at Massachusetts Peace Action match well with Ms. Mejia’s own commitments, from transparency in government, violence and addiction prevention among youth through a process of youth engagement, to the urgent need to develop affordable housing in Boston for all its citizens.
We appreciate that Councilor Mejia seeks to address the root causes of problems, not just the symptoms, and she follows up her words with deeds. She founded the Government Accountability, Transparency and Accessibility Committee on the City Council. For vulnerable youth she envisions safe places for seeking help. To tackle big goals such as rent stabilization, she has not been afraid to take on fights with big adversaries, such as BPDA.
Mejia is a strong advocate for involving the grassroots in policy making. We especially like her thinking about housing, i.e. to use land trusts and coop housing to solve our lack of housing for people who can’t afford or don’t want to live in “luxury condos”.
We are endorsing Ms. Julia Mejia because we can count on her to amplify the voices of ordinary citizens who are often shut out by special interests. Not only is she an effective legislator who has helped pass 20 pieces of legislation, we are pleased to note that she is very accessible to her constituents and will represent us all well in our city.
We share her hopes of peace for all Boston residents.
Hayat Imam and Rosemary Kean are clerk and co-chair respectively of Massachusetts Peace Action.