On Thursday April 11th, Massachusetts Peace Action held statewide “Stand with Gaza” rallies in seven out of nine Massachusetts congressional districts. Our demands, elaborated upon in a letter hand-delivered to Congressional district offices, continue to include supporting a permanent ceasefire and reinstatement of funding to UNRWA, voting against additional U.S. weapons to Israel, refusing AIPAC funding, and letting Gaza live. With the help of co-sponsors including Doctors Against Genocide, Massachusetts for Palestine, and Jewish Voice for Peace Boston, this is Massachusetts Peace Action’s third round of statewide rallies calling for an end to the United States’ complicity in the genocide in Gaza. We will continue to protest against our government until the U.S. follows international law and stands with the people of Gaza.
Below are reports given from each rally, giving each group’s experience when protesting in different parts of the state.
Boston
JFK drew about twenty people, down from thirty to thirty five the previous two times. We had two representatives each from Markey and Warren staff listening, but they did not speak. We read the letter and Bernie’s op-ed in the Boston Globe, and a few others made remarks. There was an energetic photographer, and a few people walking by joined us, helping hold our signs and banners.
– Cole Harrison
Lowell
Attendance at our rally was about 25 people at its peak. Jake is the district office liaison we usually meet with. This time his boss was there as well. Both of them listened well. I heard from a contact who works inside Trahan’s office that they thought the meeting went very well.
We were able to articulate sincere anger in a way where the staffers didn’t get too defensive or shut down. I physically went to the office a few times in person beforehand, which I believe helped get Jake’s boss there. Jake also wasn’t initially going to meet with us – he said they couldn’t make it. Then I replied to the email and cc’d Trahan’s chief of staff. Then they reconsidered and we got to meet with him plus Jake’s boss, the district office lead.
This event was an excellent lobby visit, but it wasn’t really effective as a rally; in order to do that we need more people in attendance.
-Glen Cote
New Bedford
Nearly 30 people, including four children, one as young as three years old, attended the spirited afternoon rally outside of Bill Keating’s New Bedford office. People came from several area communities including from as far as Falmouth, Wellfleet and Martha’s Vineyard! A few passersby joined spontaneously, including one enthusiastic man from work who came waving his large Palestinian flag. The rally gained us 16 additional signatories to the letter/petition to Keating we circulated for a final tally of 52 constituents who signed on to our demands!
-Maryellen Kurkulos
Newton
The rally in Newton had around 12 people, but we were immensely outnumbered by a pro-Isreal counter protest. Peacefully protesting alongside one another proved nearly impossible: while many pro-Israel protesters calmly held signs and flags, a handful of very aggressive individuals decided to follow us everywhere we went, subjecting us to verbal harassment and relentless provocation. A few of us engaged with the counter protesters, which in hindsight, we regret. We discussed that should a similar situation occur again, a silent protest would be most powerful. However, we still managed to deliver the letter listing our demands to one of Auchincloss’s staffers.
-Attendee of the Newton rally
Malden
We had a great rally in Malden. Turnout was at least 45, maybe 50.
There was very good energy, chants, etc. Good reactions from cars passing by. We had great speakers, including Linda Cohen (Revere), Nichole Mossalam (Malden Islamic Center, Massachusetts State Representative candidate), “The Might Wiltor” (Boston IWW, MA Labor for Free Palestine), Lara Jirmanus, and Emmett Yael (challenging Katherine Clark in the Massachusetts Primary in District 5). All were very good, especially Nichole from the Islamic Center, who related a devastating story of a young boy (<10), pulled from rubble in Gaza, both legs amputated (without anesthesia, likely), severely burned, lost his entire family, and was then transferred to a hospital in Boston. No one present will forget that story.
Letter delivery to Clark’s office was complicated by the fact that staff would not come out and meet with us. I left a packet with the letter, Bernie’s recent op-ed, and the Castro-Escobar letter, with a building attendant, who said he’d give it to the office. Our relations with Clark’s local staff are a bit frayed at the moment, to say the least.
-Noble Larson
Salem
Overall it went well. The major issue was there were three different start times circulating so that was confusing. I think more time to
plan and get signatures would have been helpful. We had about 15 – 20 people attend which considering the weather and time confusion was satisfactory. Sunny, Bob and Tess from NFP gave great statements as did Fawaz. The mood was somber so not chanting or marching this time.
-Jill El-Ashkar
Plymouth
Six of us from Plymouth for Palestine went to Keatings Plymouth office, which was closed (at 4:00 pm). We made a video statement at the door then had a standout on a busy corner outside the office building – more honks and thumbs up than middle fingers, which we count as a win.
-Ann Perry