Local
Protest the ICE arrests of 5 green card applicants
TODAY, 3-3:30pm, USCIS, 2 Mill Street, Lawrence, MA
Federal immigration officers arrested five people in Lawrence on Wednesday when they showed up for scheduled appointments at a U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) office, most of which were to apply for green cards. Join us for a protest of these arrests!
More information: http://www.wbur.org/news/2017/
Postcards to our elected officials
Saturday, April 1st, 11am-1pm, Gallery Z, 167 Market St, Lowell, Massachusetts 01852
A biweekly event to write postcards to our elected officials about issues important to us. Postcard ideas and some supplies provided, but more ideas and supplies are always welcome!
More information: https://www.facebook.com/
Open Mosque Day at Islamic Society of Greater Lowell
Sunday April 2nd, 2017, 3-6pm, Islamic Society of Greater Lowell (ISGL), 131 Stedman St #9&10, Chelmsford, MA 01824
The ISGL will be among 16 mosques across Massachusetts holding an Open-Mosque Day to provide an opportunity for the wider public to meet their Muslim neighbors. Attendees will have the opportunity to tour a mosque, hear a brief introduction to Islam, and witness a Muslim prayer service.
More information: https://docs.google.com/forms/
Solidarity Lowell General Meeting
Monday, April 3, 2017, 7pm, Pollard Memorial Library, ground floor meeting room, 401 Merrimack St, Lowell, MA
Russ Davis from Jobs for Justice will join us to talk about the organization. Jobs with Justice is a national organization that works with local groups to fight for a decent standard of living, rights to collective bargaining, and other progressive goals. Also on the agenda: updates on immigration actions, postcard actions with the Rapid Response Team, and more!
More information: https://www.facebook.com/
Go door-to-door for Lowell Alliance
Please join the Lowell Alliance and help with outreach to residents. The upcoming Attorney General’s Community Action Hours for residents can help them get legal needs met on some of the following issues: housing, civil rights, and discrimination, and we need to spread the word. Areas for canvassing, scripts, materials, and support provided. Tabling outside of Market Basket for this is also encouraged. Will try to place a Spanish and Khmer speaker with you if possible. Please contact Mary Tauras at mtauras@ywcaoflowell.org if you would like to volunteer.
More information about Lowell Alliance: http://www.lowellalliance.org/
State
Ask Governor Baker to stand up for the environment
617-725-4005
Trump just undid the Clean Power Plan, a critical part of our country’s plan to address the climate crisis. This is a key moment for state leaders to stand up for our livable climate future, but since Trump’s election, Gov. Baker has played it safe by staying silent.
Sample Script: “Hello, my name is ______ and I’m calling from _______, Massachusetts. Please denounce the Trump administration’s dangerous energy policy and get our state back on track to meet 25% carbon reduction by 2020 as required by Massachusetts law. Thank you!”
More information: http://www.
Our Revolution Rally
Friday, March 31st, 7-9pm, The Orpheum Theatre, 1 Hamilton Place, Boston, MA 02108
Partnering with Raise UP Massachusetts, the Jobs Not Jails Coalition, and immigrant rights groups, Our Revolution is taking the next step to organize an unprecedented grassroots effort in Massachusetts around issues such as a $15 minimum wage, paid family medical leave, criminal justice reform, immigrant rights and wage inequality.
More information and to RSVP: https://go.ourrevolution.com/
We March On: Continuing the Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr
April 4, 2017, 3-4:30pm, Parkman Bandstand, 50 Chestnut St, Boston, Massachusetts 02116
On April 4th, 1968, civil rights and social justice leader Martin Luther King was assassinated while in Memphis to support black sanitation workers who were on strike. On April 4th, the anniversary of his death, we will march on the Boston Common in his memory. Join us as we call on elected officials to recognize the struggle of people of color in Boston by supporting a progressive minimum wage of $15 for all workers.
More information: https://www.facebook.com/
Immigrants Day at the State House
April 5, 2017, 9am-2pm, State House, Hall of Flags, Boston, MA
Now more than ever immigrant voices must be heard at the state level. This year the advocacy of the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Coalition will focus on the Safe Communities Act, a bill to protect the civil liberties and safety of ALL Massachusetts residents.
More information and for RSVP: https://www.miracoalition.org/
Active Bystander Intervention Training
Saturday, April 8, 2017, 12-4:30pm, ISBCC, 100 Malcolm X Blvd, Roxbury, MA 02120
Join the Islamic Society of Boston Cultural Center, the Boston Workmen’s Circle, and True Story Theater (an improvisational troupe) for an afternoon of interfaith connection followed by an interactive workshop based on the theories of Bystander Intervention Training. This workshop will train participants on safe and effective ways to intervene, explore feelings and actions involved with being an ally, and more.
More information and to RSVP: http://www.circleboston.org/
Federal
Demand Devin Nunes step down from the House Intelligence Committee
House Select Committee on Intelligence – Majority Staff: 202-225-4121
House Intelligence Committee Chair Devin Nunes has consistently demonstrated an unwillingness to seriously investigate allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 election cycle. He has dismissed evidence of Russian election tampering and attempted to redirect attention to “leaks.” Nunes leads the committee charged with investigating purported Russian interference in our government, yet his actions indicate he cannot carry out this responsibility impartially. He must step down from his committee chairmanship and recuse himself from all investigations of the Trump-Russia connection.
Sample Script: “Hello, my name is _____ and I’m calling from ______, Massachusetts. Devin Nunes should step down from his chairmanship of the House Intelligence Committee. Nunes has repeatedly demonstrated that he is more committed to partisan politics than to investigating potential threats to our democracy, including the Trump administration’s potential ties to Russia. Thank you!”
More information: https://5calls.org/issue/
Urge organizations to support funding of the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program
LIHEAP serves a vital, life-saving role, protecting millions of families from America’s cold winters and hot summers. Strong LIHEAP funding is necessary if this program is to continue to allow states and their charitable partners to serve America’s most vulnerable households. Solidarity Lowell has already signed this letter, but please ask the leaders of other organizations that you are a part of to sign on as well!
More information: http://neuac.org/advocacy/
Positive Postcard Action of the Week
Thank the Congressional Black Caucus for standing up for the 22 missing children in DC
Address:
Senator Cedric Richmond
200 Derbigny St # 3200
Gretna, LA 70053
For weeks, activists have been concerned about the 22 children and teens of color in Washington, D.C. who have been missing since February. However, the media has been mostly silent about the situation. After members of the Congressional Black Caucus learned about the situation, they asked for the FBI’s help to “devote the resources necessary to determine whether these developments are an anomaly or whether they are indicative of an underlying trend that must be addressed.” Please send a postcard to Congressional Black Caucus chairman Cedric Richmond to thank him for his efforts in finding these young citizens.
Sample Text: “Senator Richmond, Thank you to you and the entire Congressional Black Caucus for standing up for the 22 missing young people of color in Washington, DC. It is deeply disappointing that little has been done until now and I thank you for asking the FBI to investigate. Sincerely, ________, from ________, Massachusetts”
More information: https://www.dailydot.com/irl/
The RRT (Rapid Response Team) Action List compiles action items from the week into one place. If you would like to add anything to the weekly update, please send it to Marissa Dupont on Facebook or at marissa.dupont@gmail.comusing subject line “RRT”, or use hashtag #RRT in the Solidarity Lowell Facebook group.