Tag: democracy

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Events & Actions: Monday 3/20-Sunday 3/26


(Photo credit: FANG Collective)

Monday, March 20th

  • 5:30-7:00 p.m. – City Council meeting for Cambridge at City Hall–there will be a vote on including more affordable housing in future development plans.
  • 6:00-7:00 p.m. – Know Your Rights Training for Immigrants at The Parenting Journey (366 Somerville Ave). The Political Asylum/ Immigration Representation Project – PAIR is co-hosting this event for immigrants and supporters. There will be interpretation in Spanish, Portuguese, and Haitian Creole. RSVP to info@parentingjourney.org
  • 6:30 p.m. – Community meeting with Rep. Jeffrey Sanchez on the 6th floor of MCPHS University (670 Huntington Ave.) in Boston
  • 7:00 p.m. – The Community Church of Boston (565 Boylston Street, Boston) is showing “Thirty Seconds to Midnight,” a movie which covers three threats to all life on this planet: nuclear weapons, nuclear war, and the ongoing climate catastrophe. It features interviews with activists and authors as Dr. Helen Caldicott; Ray McGovern; Chris Hedges; Ann Wright; Peter Kuznick; and David Vine.  Regis Tremblay, the director, will be at the showing.

Tuesday, March 21st

Wednesday, March 22nd

  • 6:00 p.m. – Future City Building Projects & Net Zero Goals at Somerville High School (tentative)
  • 6:00-9:30 p.m. – Intro to NVDA for POC, presented by the FANG Collective at their office in Pawtucket, RI (545 Pawtucket Ave – Park in the lot and enter building through lots entrance and follow the wolf signs!). This is a brief workshop for People of Color ONLY that offers an introduction to the history of Nonviolent Direct Action and its implementation as well as examples of intersectionality within our community/movements, affinity groups and their formation, consensus decision making, and a discussion on self-care and community care. Register here: https://goo.gl/forms/QuTsyfLkPG5q3S4U2 and contact Sherrie for any childcare/accessibility needs.
  • 6:30-8:30 p.m. – Boston CosechAllies monthly meeting at 120 Boylston St, 10th Floor. If you’d like to join or start a circle but don’t know where to start, this is the meeting for you! IMPORTANT: For this location, we’ll need an RSVP list for the building, so definitely let them know if you can make it & they’ll add you!
  • 7:00-8:00 p.m. – DSA electoral group meeting at 1370 Cambridge Street in Cambridge w/ Mike Sylvester, DSA member and Maine State Senator, speaking about his experience running for office.
  • 7:00-8:30 p.m. – Commission on Energy Use and Sustainability meeting (every two weeks on Wednesday) at 167 Holland St, Somerville
  • 7:00-9:00 p.m. – Boston Food Not Bombs has its weekly planning meeting during this time at Encuentro 5 (9 Hamilton Pl Suite 2a) in Boston. This is, of course, the long-running, non-sectarian, but definitely radical free food organizations that’s been serving in MA for decades now.
  • 7:00-9:00 p.m. Black & Pink has weekly volunteer drop-in hours on Wednesdays, as well. They’re at First Baptist Church (633 Centre St) in Jamaica Plain. “Bring a laptop, if you can. If not, you can help write birthday cards!”

Thursday, March 23rd

  • 12:00 p.m. – Boston City Councilor Andrea J. Campbell & Prisoners’ Legal Services Present: Mariposa & the Saint, a play about ending prolonged solitary confinement written by longtime friends and current collaborators, Sara (Mariposa) Fonseca and Julia Steele Allen, through the prison wall, crafted only by letter over the course of three years. The play will be presented in the Ianella Chamber on the 5th Floor of City Hall (1 City Hall Square, Boston).
  • 6:30 p.m. – Community meeting with Rep. Jeffrey Sanchez at First Baptist Church (633 Centre St.) in Jamaica Plain.
  • 6:30-7:30 p.m. – Healthcare 101 – Teach-In for Single Payer and how to make a difference presented by Mass-Care at their office (9A Hamilton St) in Boston. Learn about  the History of Single Payer, Republican health reform plans, Speaker training, Questions to ask at Town Halls, Volunteer opportunities with Mass-Care.
  • 7:00 p.m. – Educational Forum on Immigration at Greater Framingham Community Church (44 Franklin St.): a forum on the issues faced by immigrants and refugees in our community and how we can advocate for them. Several community resource partners, including MetroWest Legal Services and MetroWest Workers Center and a representative from Cosecha, will be presenting.
  • 7:00-9:00 p.m. – Somerville Alderman’s Regular Meeting (every 2nd and 4th Thursday) at Somerville City Hall (93 Highland Ave).

Friday, March 24th

  • 5:30-7:00 p.m. – Rally at the State House in Boston to demand that the United States government recognize the Democratic Federation of Northern Syria as a legitimate political unit, and to end all support for the Turkish government and its war on the Kurds. Supported by members of the local Turkish and Kurdish communities and sponsored by the New England Kurdish Association, HDP Boston, and Boston Friends of Rojava and Syria. This is part of the International Michael Israel Week of Action, during which friends remember Michael Israel, a volunteer from the United States fighting alongside the SDF, who was killed in a Turkish airstrike conducted from a warplane provided by the United States.

Saturday, March 25th

  • 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. – Food Not Bombs cooks for its Saturday Central Square Meal in Cambridge. E-mail us for details.
  • 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. – MassAlliance Grasroots Campaign Training (day one of intensive two-day training). Location TBA (in Greater Boston).
  • 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. – City Life/Vida Urbana volunteer canvassing.
  • 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. – Anti-Trump Rally to Counter-Protest a MAGA Event at 193 Salem St in Boston. Few details have been provided, and while there is a MAGA event listed on Facebook and elsewhere on the internet as happening that day, it is unclear if there are any organizations backing this. While we have no reason to believe the folks who created this event are not sincere in their intentions, please keep your wits about you and scope the scene before joining in.
  • 12:00-3:00 p.m. – Black & Pink holds drop-in volunteer hours at this time each week at Swissbakers (168 Western Ave) in Allston.
  • 12:30-4:00 p.m. – Food Not Bombs’ Central Square Meal is served at this time each week.
  • 6:00-10:00 p.m. – Break the Chains: the semi-monthly, all-ages, all-gender radical dance party hosted by queer riot-folker Evan Greer is happening at Make Shift Boston (549 Columbus Ave). This installment will feature Amor Prohibida, DJ Lady Spindrift, Lady Mariposa, and Absinthe Rose. $10 – 20 sliding scale suggested donation to support touring queer artists. No one turned away. Wheelchair accessible.
  • 6:00-11:00 p.m. – Food Not Bombs’ Haymarket Produce Rescue happens during these hours each Saturday. Volunteers meet up near Faneuil Hall at Haymarket (corner of Blackstone and North, across the street from a Hard Rock Cafe) to rescue and sort produce destined for the compost heap or landfill and deliver it, by car, to shelters in the Boston/Cambridge area to stock them with food. Volunteers with cars are especially needed.

Sunday, March 26th

  • 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. – MassAlliance Grasroots Campaign Training (day two of intensive two-day training). Location TBA (in Greater Boston).
  • 12:00-1:30 p.m – Boston Homeless Solidarity Committee weekly meeting at Encuentro 5 (9A Hamilton Pl in Boston). All are welcome, including people who are currently experiencing or have experienced homelessness. For an idea of what will be discussed, including the proposed agenda, or to be added to their mailing list, please email them.
  • 5:00-6:00 p.m. – Black & Pink Family Dinner at Encuentro 5 (9a Hamilton Pl, Suite 2a) in Boston. Food provided by Food Not Bombs. A monthly dinner (last Sunday of each month) during which volunteers and everyone involved with Black & Pink can meet, talk, and share joys and struggles.
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Events: Wednesday 3/1-Monday 3/6

Wednesday, March 1st

  • 7:00-9:00 p.m. – Boston Food Not Bombs has its weekly planning meeting during this time at Encuentro 5 (9 Hamilton Pl Suite 2a) in Boston. This is, of course, the long-running, non-sectarian, but definitely radical free food organizations that’s been serving in MA for decades now.
  • 7:00-9:00 p.m. Black & Pink has weekly volunteer drop-in hours on Wednesdays, as well. They’re at First Baptist Church (633 Centre St) in Jamaica Plain. “Bring a laptop, if you can. If not, you can help write birthday cards!”

Thursday, March 2nd

  • 5:30-6:30 p.m. – Black Lives Matter vigil (with speakers from Cosecha who will be talking about immigrant organizing under the current administration) at First Baptist Church (633 Centre Street) in Jamaica Plain.
  • 5:30-8:30 p.m. – Union United, which is a coalition of Somerville stakeholders based in the Union Square area, is meeting. I’ll find out whether that’s a public meeting, or if there’s a better time for interested folks to wade into the discussion and post that info ASAP.
  • 6:00-8:00 p.m. – Meeting for a marijuana dispensary on Broadway at Somerville City Hall (93 Highland Ave).
  • 6:00-8:00 p.m. – Opening for Palestinians in Cambridge: Stories from the Diaspora at the Gutman Library at Harvard (6 Appian Way, about 2 blocks from Harvard Square). The photo portrait exhibit will be up through March 28th. Check out the Gutman’s hours.
  • 6:30-8:30 p.m. – Join the Cambridge Forum for the Feminist Discussion of Masculinities to discuss the ways masculinities affect the body image of men and people of other genders. This discussion will take place at the YMCA in Cambridge, in the library on the 2nd floor. This location is accessible for folks with mobility concerns, and the event is free and open to people of all genders. You can find more info in their Facebook group.
  • 7:00-9:00 p.m. – An Impeach Trump! Event, featuring speaker John Bonifaz, the co-founder and President of Free Speech For People is happening directly after the BLM vigil mentioned above. I don’t know FSFP, and can’t speak to their politics, so you’ll have to do your own homework on that.

Friday, March 3rd

  • XFest Begins! This is three days of improvisational sound, movement and video, including both workshops and performance. Kind of a DIY weirdo’s dream. Friday-Sunday at Holyoke City Hall (in the ballroom)- 536 Dwight Street Holyoke Massachusetts. Times, lineups, more info on workshops is at http://www.xfestma.com

Saturday, March 4th

  • 9:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. – Food Not Bombs cooks for its Saturday Central Square Meal in Cambridge. E-mail us for details.
  • 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. – Getting Ready to Run is an introductory workshop presented at the Boston Teachers Union (180 Mount Vernon Street) by Mass Alliance and intended to prepare “prospective candidates” for local elections. While the NEU does not have faith in the electoral system, this might be of use for understanding how candidates campaign, and building one’s organizing skill set. Of course, unlike the radical events we tend to post, this costs money and you must register for it in advance.
  • 11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m. – MassCare is holding a rally at the bandstand on Boston Common to protest proposed funding cuts to Planned Parenthood.
  • 12:00-3:00 p.m. – Black & Pink holds drop-in  volunteer hours at this time each week at Swissbakers (168 Western Ave) in Allston.
  • 12:30-4:00 p.m. – Food Not Bombs’ Central Square Meal is served at this time each week.
  • 4:00-5:00 p.m. – For those interested in local elections, Jesse Clingan, a progressive candidate for Somerville’s Ward 4 Alderman seat, has a campaign kickoff at Casey’s Grille (173 Broadway in Somerville). He is an activist for prevention and treatment of addiction, paid sick leave, and the use of union labor in local construction projects. If he is able to help push Mayor Curtatone on some important development issues, helping him get elected might be a good strategic move.
  • 6:00-11:00 p.m. – Food Not Bombs’ Haymarket Produce Rescue happens during these hours each Saturday. Volunteers meet up near Faneuil Hall at Haymarket (corner of Blackstone and North, across the street from a Hard Rock Cafe) to rescue and sort produce destined for the compost heap or landfill and deliver it, by car, to shelters in the Boston/Cambridge area to stock them with food. Volunteers with cars are especially needed.

Sunday, March 5th

  • 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m. – Local Environmental Action Conference at the Curry Student Center of Northeastern (360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115), hosted by MCAN and Toxics Action Center. Community leaders, environmental advocates and activists from across New England will be on hand for skills training, networking, and inspiration at this annual event. Newcomers welcome. (Note: while it appears to be organized by progressive orgs, it is unclear as to whether this conference will address radical direct action as a tactic in environmental defense.)
  • 12:00-1:30 p.m – Boston Homeless Solidarity Committee weekly meeting at Encuentro 5 (9A Hamilton Pl in Boston). All are welcome, including people who are currently experiencing or have experienced homelessness. For an idea of what will be discussed, including the proposed agenda, or to be added to their mailing list, please contact massbhsc@gmail.com.
  • 12:00-3:00 p.m. – RISE UP! With Trans and Queer Students rally and march, starting at Boston Common. This is organized by Mass Trans Political Coalition and will feature speakers from across MA. These are the same folks that organized the last-minute rally in response to 45’s revoking of federal protections for trans and queer students.

Monday, March 6th (Early Warning!)

  • 9:00 a.m. – SURJ Boston is requesting that folks PACK the hearing to PASS the Jim Brooks Community Stabilization Act at Boston City Hall on the 5th Floor. Ahead of time, they need folks to make calls to City Councilors to support the Act and vote YES for affordable housing and for reigning in developers looking to flip buildings in neighborhoods with vulnerable low-income populations. Arrive right at 9 to be sure that you get seats and help to fill the chamber and the rest of City Hall. Phone numbers, etc, are on their Facebook event page.