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It gives us hope that the postcards, phone calls, texts and donations mattered.  The Wisconsin Supreme Court could not be bought.  Susan Crawford’s decisive victory following Cory Booker’s marathon filibuster will, we hope, help energize the largest national mobilization since George Floyd’s murder sent people to the streets when Boston joins a thousand other rallies and marches on Saturday demanding HAND’S OFF!

Susan Crawford quoted Thurgood Marshall in her victory speech:

“We cannot play ostrich. Democracy just cannot flourish amid fear. Liberty cannot bloom amid hate. Justice cannot take root amid rage. America must get to work. In the chill climate in which we live, we must go against the prevailing wind. We must dissent from the indifference. We must dissent from the apathy. We must dissent from the fear, the hatred and the mistrust. We must dissent from a nation that has buried its head in the sand, waiting in vain for the needs of its poor, its elderly, and its sick to disappear and just blow away. We must dissent from a government that has left its young without jobs, education or hope. We must dissent from the poverty of vision and the absence of moral leadership. We must dissent because America can do better, because America has no choice but to do better.”
― Thurgood Marshall

Follow links for more information and to register for these events:

• Tonight, Wednesday April 2  8-9pm  De-escalation training for Hand’s Off. 
• Saturday, April 5,  11-2pm  Hand’s Off Rally and March  RAIN OR SHINE (We are New Englanders and know how to dress for weather, no excuses!) March from Parkman Bandstand on Boston Common to Rally at Government Center.  11-2   Activist Evenings will be meeting at the Coolidge Corner T stop to walk or ride at 9:45, at the Longwood T at 10:15 and on the steps of the Arlington Street Church at 10:40. Follow this link for more information and other locations about the National Day of Action.  
• Monday, April 7, 7-8:30 pm  A representative of the ACLU answers your questions about their response to Trump 2.0:  A lawless administration and your rights.  NOTE: This is taking place at First Parish Church 382 Walnut Street in Brookline.
• Monday, April 14, 6:45-8:45, Wake Up Virginia postcard writing at United Parish Church near Coolidge Corner

Protests do make a difference. A Stanford sociologist reported in 2021, “Because protest threatens to raise political and material costs to elites, protest increases the chance that elites will make concessions to protesters’ demands. Furthermore, a high volume of protest raises the visibility and recognition of protester demands, amplifying these costs. This implies that concessions by elites to protester demands will be more likely during peak cycles of protest.”

The protests we’ve attended over many years have generally been very peaceful and even joyful experiences.  Acton Indivisible prepared this list of what you need to safely participate Saturday or in any demonstration.   If you’ve never attended a protest before, or if it’s been awhile, or you just want a reminder check it out.

• Saturday, April 5:  Hand’s Off in Boston and 1000 other locations throughout the country (and the world!)  People still are unaware and even if you can’t or don’t want to go, you can make a difference by sharing widely (social media tools), calling news outlets to insist on coverage or even joining the visibility brigade to hold a banner over Storrow Drive. 
• Every Saturday, Tesla Takedown rallies at dealerships and even charging stations.  There were 600 people at the Prudential Center last week where we ran into many friends from Activist Evenings. 

This is what activism does: not one, but two important wins in Wisconsin, dramatically reduced margin of victories in Florida, Cory Booker’s inspiring 25 hour speech, falling sales impacting the value of Tesla and more. Jess Craven says it all so well today in Chop Wood, Carry Water. 

• Senator Cory Booker, in a record breaking filibuster filled with moral outrage, held the Senate floor for more than 25 hours and ended with a call to the American people to make good trouble.  Here are the last few minutes of this heroic speech.
• We were recently reminded that beauty and community are not the only reason why we are activists, but living in a world without them is much much harder.   Here’s a moving demonstration of what trust, respect and connection can create.   In a live performance, Jacob Collier (who we’d never heard of) facilitated the National Symphony Orchestra in an improvisation that was a delight to watch.  We won’t be surprised if these 18 minutes bring your blood pressure down.  
• On the other hand, if you need to get a little fired up and Cory Booker didn’t do it, Timothy Snyder spoke briefly outside the Lorraine Hotel after Trump signed an executive order on March 31 “Restoring Truth and Sanity to American History.”( Join us in eye rolling.)  The birds singing as he speaks are a sweet counterpoint to the message about the risks to our country as Trump and his minions attempt to erase history.

They want us to feel powerless, alone, scared and overwhelmed.  The truth is that we are not powerless or alone and that together we can manage our fear and shoulder the burden of fighting for our future.  Coming together to write postcards, make calls, help our neighbors, learn at forums, celebrate victories and demonstrate our power are all acts of resistance. 

Together for Democracy,

Marjorie Siegel, Sandy Wixted, Laura Walters, Barbara Weiffenbach, Suzette Abbott

volunteer co-leaders

Activist Evenings, An Indivisible Group

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