Lowell ‘sweeps’ homeless camp by Merrimack River
“Members with Solidarity Lowell were staged at one of the camp entrances. They said that the sweeps were “performative” and would do more to hurt the displaced people than help solve the homeless crisis. “This is yet another sweep in the history of sweeps that are basically just forcing the homeless folks here to do musical chairs around the city,” Marissa Dupont, of Solidarity Lowell, said. “They’re just going to go from camp to camp to camp depending on which one is being swept at which time.”” by Melanie Gilbert, The Lowell Sun, April 22, 2025. Read the PDF
11.7. Misc. - Ron Peacetree on behalf of Llama & Solidarity Lowell
Starts at 1:18:51. Members of Lifting Lowellians: Assistance and Mutual Aid (LLAMA) and Solidarity Lowell submitted a petition requesting warming and cooling centers for the unhoused population at the City Council Meeting on August 27, 2024.
Abortion rights advocates gather in Lowell, deliver a warning to anti-choice politicians
“Dozens of reproductive rights activists gathered in Lowell on Sunday to hear from elected representatives and advocates on the path forward in a post-Roe world. State Rep. Vanna Howard picked up a microphone, and along with other state and city elected officials, explained how half of the U.S. Supreme Court and the Republicans who put them there had made a terrible mistake by tossing out nearly five decades of court precedent and overturning Roe v. Wade.” by Matthew Medsger, Boston Herald, June 30, 2024. Read the PDF
NMCOG promotes regional housing approach
“Housing, housing and more housing. That was the message delivered by Housing and Economic Development Program Manager Chris Hayes with the Northern Middlesex Council of Governments during a Sunday meeting hosted by Solidarity Lowell. “Our plan,” Hayes said, “is to address the housing challenges in the region.”” by Melanie Gilbert, The Lowell Sun, March 26, 2024. Read the PDF
Lowell’s adult homeless shelter at peak capacity
““People are coming into the shelter faster than we can house them,” Stephens told a group of service providers and advocates attending a remote meeting of Solidarity Lowell on Jan. 28. Solidarity Lowell is a volunteer group of community members of Greater Lowell working toward social justice in areas such as housing and homelessness.” by Melanie Gilbert, The Lowell Sun, February 21, 2024. Read the PDF
Lowell City Council pushes homeless camping ban
“Resident Marissa Dupont spoke against the camping ban, saying that the council’s actions weren’t “rational” and pointed out the city’s local shelter, the Lowell Transitional Living Center, was already at capacity. “It appears many of you think that if you move the unhoused people around enough that they’ll just decide to move somewhere else,” she said. “We might have more beds than other cities, but it is far from enough. Motions like this are a slippery slope to making homelessness illegal, which is illegal.”” by Melanie Gilbert, The Lowell Sun, November 17, 2023. Read the PDF
5.7. C. Robinson/C. Scott/C. Rourke - Req. City Mgr. Have The Proper Department Consider Expeditiously Adopting An Ordinance Relating To Unlawful Camping On Public Property; Similar To The City Of Boston
Members of Solidarity Lowell spoke out against a citywide ban on overnight “camping” at the City Council Meeting on November 14, 2023.
Homelessness, Cambodia on Lowell City Council agenda
“Solidarity Lowell, which presented a petition to the council at its April 11 meeting, requesting more input to the city’s decision and policymaking process on the unhoused issue, said in a statement that the motion was “in direct opposition to our petition. City Councilor Corey Robinson has put forth a motion to make tenting in Lowell illegal in certain areas, which basically makes homelessness illegal in those areas. After we pointed out that making homelessness illegal in Massachusetts is illegal.”” by Melanie Gilbert, The Lowell Sun, August 5, 2023. Read the PDF
Fiery, vocal crowd rejects Lowell-Cambodia sister-city motions
“Several other speakers, including School Committee member Susie Chhoun; community activist Tara Hong, a program coordinator with Project LEARN; Justin Ford, a civic engagement coordinator at the Cambodian Mutual Assistance Association; Coalition for a Better Acre CEO Yun-Ju Choi; and supporters from the social justice organization Solidarity Lowell all spoke out against sister-city agreements with Cambodia.” by Melanie Gilbert, The Lowell Sun, July 28, 2023. Read the PDF
Lowell officials consider how to respond to city’s growing homeless population
““They are all kind of just closing in on South Common because there’s nowhere else to go,” Dupont said. Dupont said while drug use may be prevalent in this area, it does not “necessitate this huge police presence.” Rather, she said the city should hire more social workers to “respectfully and safely” offer support to people without homes.” by Casey Choung, WGBH News, July 11, 2023. Read the PDF
Lowell faces backlash after clearing out small homeless encampment
“Joseph Boyle, a Lowell resident and member of Lowell Solidarity, said he and several others petitioned the city to offer more services at homeless encampments in the past, which yielded minor results. “The encampments appear to be a target for some local politicians to make big public displays about how tough they’re willing to be against weak people,” Boyle said.” by Casey Choung, WGBH News, June 28, 2023. Read the PDF
City plans sweep of homeless camp; unhoused, advocates cry foul
“Solidarity Lowell is a volunteer group of community members of Greater Lowell working toward social justice by defending the human rights, dignity and equality of all persons against all forms of hate and discrimination. They joined members of the group LLAMA, which stands for Lifting Lowellians: Assistance and Mutual Aid, who gathered Sunday morning in nonviolent opposition to the anticipated sweep. “We want these people to have homes,” Dupont said. “(The city) says, ‘We have four beds’ (in Lowell) but that’s not 23, and there’s no mention of getting them into hotels or anything. They say they are going to get vouchers.” Some of those beds, according to Dupont, are in Worcester.” by Melanie Gilbert, The Lowell Sun, June 26, 2023. Read the PDF
In Lowell, debate over homeless encampment behind park
“The protesters, waving signs with messages including “Lowellians Over Luxury” and “Stop The Sweeps,” said they didn’t like how City Hall was handling issues of homelessness. In January, according to the Lowell Sun, the city began an effort to get rid of homeless camps. “They need to treat them like human beings,” Joseph Boyle of Solidarity Lowell said at the encampment Sunday.” by Sean Cotter, The Boston Globe, June 25, 2023 Read the PDF
Lowell Stands for Democracy in Cambodia
“Solidarity Lowell member Dee Halzack was next at the podium. “As an American, I believe that any threat to democracy needs to be stood up against. One of the best ways we can stand up against it in other countries is to not pretend to be friends or act as if we’re friends with a repressive government.” The audience clapped. “I would also tell you that we should be leery of being friends with a country that is friends with China.”” by Marissa Dupont, Progressive Mass, April 28, 2023. Read the PDF
11.8. C. Robinson - Req. City Mgr. Have Appropriate Department Provide A Detailed Report On Feasibility Of Implementing A No Overnight Camping, Sleeping Or Loitering Ordinance In Our Business Districts, As Well As, In The Summer Street, Gallagher Terminal
Starts at 1:23:12. Members of Solidarity Lowell spoke out against a ban on overnight “camping” in areas of downtown Lowell at the Lowell City Council meeting 0n April 25, 2023.
9.4. Misc. - Joseph Boyle - Citizens' Requested Changes To Lowell Unhoused Persons Liaison Protocol.
Starts at 48:16. This was when Solidarity Lowell presented our petition for changes to the city’s protocol for interactions with the unhoused population. Read the full petition here. Presented at the Lowell City Council meeting on April 11, 2023.
Citizens petition Lowell City Council for input on unhoused policies
“The request was submitted by Joseph Boyle, of Lowell, on behalf of Solidarity Lowell, a coalition of community members of Greater Lowell working towards social justice. Boyle is a member of the group’s coordinating committee, and the citizens’ petition requests changes to Lowell’s unhoused persons liaison protocol, which is administered by the Director of Homelessness Initiatives Maura Fitzpatrick.” by Melanie Gilbert, The Lowell Sun, April 10, 2023 Read the PDF
Advocates address needs of unhoused population in Lowell
“A public petition being circulated online by Solidarity Lowell specifically asks the City Council to address the issue of homeless encampments, the cleaning out of which it states the city administration carried out in a way that was “inconsistent with the values of a city.”” by Melanie Gilbert, The Lowell Sun, April 4, 2023. Read the PDF
Hong racks up endorsements
“From Solidarity Lowell, a chapter of Progressive Mass: “Tara’s platform includes a focus on adequate funding for schools, constituent services, affordable healthcare and housing, support for local business, and addressing climate change. Tara is a strong advocate for transparency in legislative work and will actively seek constituents’ opinions to help inform his decision making.”” The Lowell Sun Staff Report, July 30, 2022. Read the PDF
Lowell City Council seeks further review of possible mechanism to remove elected officials for egregious conduct
“Earlier Tuesday, DEI Consortium-Lowell said more than 130 residents had signed onto a letter, penned in conjunction with Solidarity Lowell, Lowell Education Justice Alliance, Latinx Community Center for Empowerment and Afro-American Community Council, that asked the City Council to reconsider the specifics of Elliott’s original motion.” by Alana Melanson, The Lowell Sun, March 10, 2021. Read the PDF
Last Tuesday’s CC vote on racism as a public health crisis
“An online dictionary defines “white fragility” as “discomfort and defensiveness on the part of a white person when confronted by information about racial inequality and injustice.” We saw that much on display Tuesday night in the City Council meeting. People of color, through the Lowell Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Consortium, told us that they needed to hear our city join the ranks of the “woke” cities in this country by declaring that racism is the public health crisis that it is.” by Dee Halzack, Solidarity Lowell Coordinating Committee Member, in a Letter to the Editor of The Lowell Sun, July 22, 2020. Read the PDF
Support the Safe Communities Act
“I write in support of the Safe Communities Act. Contrary to misinformation flying around, the bill makes our communities safer, and our public safety budget stabler, by preventing the disruption of local established priorities and budgets in order to do the work of the Federal government. It does this by allowing our public officials to focus on a crime being reported, a safety violation being ignored, or an infectious illness potentially left untreated, instead of prioritizing checking the immigration status of a person who might report those things.” by Dee Halzack, Solidarity Lowell Coordinating Committee Member, in a Letter to the Editor of The Lowell Sun, January 30, 2020. Read the PDF
Endnote 4: How the Alt-Right is Like an Abusive Relationship (live)
Ian Danskin of Innuendo Studios speaking at a Solidarity Lowell meeting about “How the Alt-Right is Like an Abusive Relationship” in December, 2019.
Q&A with Ian Danskin of Innuendo Studios
Ian Danskin of Innuendo Studios answers questions about how men become “incels” or “MRAs” at a Solidarity Lowell meeting on December 2, 2019 (YouTube).
Mercier draws familiar ally in fight against sanctuary state
“BRINGING A hot button national issue to the Lowell City Council Chamber hasn’t always worked out for councilors. This week, Councilor Rita Mercier asked the City Council to support a resolution against the Safe Communities Act, a bill moving through the state legislature that would limit how state and local communities interact with federal immigration enforcement. Before speaking on her motion, about a dozen opponents unleashed on the veteran councilor for 45 minutes.” by Lowell Sun Staff, The Lowell Sun, September 1, 2019. Read the PDF
Protesters rally in Lowell to support Mueller investigation
““We want to echo what MoveOn is doing and let the Trump administration know that we’re not going to stand for obstruction of justice,” said Marissa Dupont, a Lowell resident and a member of Solidarity Lowell’s coordinating committee. “Trump deliberately timed this for after (Tuesday’s) election when he knew we were all going to be exhausted and he thought he was going to get away with something. He’s not getting away with anything, and we want him to know that.”” by Chris Lisinski, The Lowell Sun, November 8, 2018. Read the PDF
Lowell Solidarity March was about more than wearing pink hats
“Thank you for The Sun’s coverage of the Lowell Solidarity March on Jan. 21. I would like to add to the picture by drawing attention to some oversights in coverage. Our panel featured many speakers, all people whose voices and experiences need to be respected. Setti Warren spoke about the importance of fighting for living wages and higher taxes on the wealthy. Vesna Nuon spoke about how Trump’s administration has made life perilous for so many immigrants and racial minorities. Karen Cirillo talked about the importance of her grandmother starting a small business and about women being able to secure quality public education and intergenerational wealth for their families.” by Ryan Hammond in a letter to the editor of The Lowell Sun, January 2018. Read the PDF
Pink hats, signs show support for women’s rights in Lowell
“A group of around 120 people paraded around the city on Sunday — several donning pink hats, and brandishing signs with phrases like “Girl’s rule, Trump’s a tool,” and “The price of apathy is to be ruled by evil men.” Marissa DuPont, of Solidarity Lowell’s coordinating committee, which organized the march, said support was given to marchers in the form of car horns blaring and people waving.” by Aaron Curtis, The Lowell Sun, January 22, 2018 Read the PDF
UNITED AGAINST HATE: At Lowell rally, sharing message of tolerance, hope
“About 50 residents held signs, sang “This Land Is Your Land” and flashed peace signs at the busy intersection in front of City Hall and the Police Department. Many drivers honked their horns and waved in support of the rally. It was organized by Solidarity Lowell, a coalition of community members who stand together against hate and discrimination. “All communities are struggling with racism and other issues,” said Lynne Lupien, of Solidarity Lowell. “And people need to know they can be safe in their communities.”” by Rick Sobey, The Lowell Sun, August 18, 2017. Read the PDF
200 protest Trump presidency in Lowell
“The anti-Trump rally was organized by a young Facebook group called Solidarity of Lowell, which held a similar event in late November. Organizers say the group is serving as a sounding board for those that want to bring attention to the freedoms they feel will be curtailed under the Trump administration.” by Brendan Lewis, The Lowell Sun, January 21, 2017. Read the PDF
‘Funeral march’ to protest death of democracy
“A Lowell group is staging a mock funeral for democracy Friday in protest of President-elect Donald Trump’s inauguration. “We’re mostly concerned with all the rights we’ll be losing,” said Marijane Bujold, who is leading the funeral march. “Human rights, health care, freedom of the press.” She said members of Solidarity and the Art Action Committee came up with the idea.” by O’Ryan Johnson, Boston Herald, January 18, 2017. Read the PDF
Rally to ‘Resist’ new president
“A “Resist Trump” rally is scheduled outside City Hall Friday evening, the day Donald J. Trump will be inaugurated as 45th president of the United States. The rally, organized by the group Solidarity Lowell, will begin at 6 p.m. The informal group was formed after the election and has goals to help those threatened by a Trump presidency, including women, immigrants and minorities.” by Grant Welker, The Lowell Sun, January 17, 2017. Read the PDF
Lowell solidarity event: ‘This is what democracy looks like’
“Dissatisfaction and alarm following the presidential election results prompted some Lowell residents to come together Sunday afternoon for a solidarity rally to stand against hate and discrimination. Roughly 100 people gathered outside Lowell City Hall to voice their thoughts on the election before marching down to Mill No. 5, at 250 Jackson St., for an organizing meeting.” by Kori Tuitt, The Lowell Sun, November 22, 2016. Read the PDF
Stand up against transgender bigotry
“This year will be particularly difficult for the transgender community, which has been targeted in a number of states with bills designed to prevent their full participation in public life, and has experienced an increase in violence directed at them. With the current surge in intolerance in this country, it is important for their allies to show up and let transgender people know there are people who care about them and stand with them. Lowell’s observance is structured so that people can participate in any or all segments.” by Dee Halzack, Solidarity Lowell Coordinating Committee Member, in a Letter to the Editor of The Lowell Sun, November 17, 2016. Read the PDF