Boston, MA— On Thursday, April 13th, immigrant, community and labor advocates of Massachusetts announced plans for a major day of resistance against Trump on May Day—International Workers’ Day—with multiple rallies planned across the Commonwealth thousands will join together to say: we stand together and we resist together.
“The Trump administration’s systematic attempt to criminalize immigrants is not only an assault on the civil rights of communities of color but a dangerous path that is already having dramatic consequences in communities across the country as hate crimes against immigrants and those perceived to be foreign continue to spread,” said Roxana Rivera Vice President of 32BJ SEIU.
Speakers laid out plans for this next major day of mobilization demanding an end to Donald Trump’s racist attacks on immigrant, refugee, Muslim and Black communities; good jobs and the right to organize; and a federal budget that reflects our communities’ priorities, without a single dollar for a border wall or unjust immigration enforcement.
“We shouldn’t have armed federal officers breaking up hardworking families’ right here in Massachusetts,” said State Senator Jamie Eldridge (D-Acton). “The freedoms & civil rights we enjoy in America exist because Massachusetts always fights back against injustice and we will fight together to pass the Safe Communities Act.”
This May 1st 2017 immigrants and workers are facing a historical challenge. The challenge is to seize upon the ground swell of opposition to racist and xenophobic politics of the current regime, and build a resistance movement that goes beyond the current administration’s anti-worker policies. Our task is to defy attacks against our communities, and defend and expand the rights of undocumented workers, women, LGBTQI, Muslims, unions, students, and people of color. Defying attacks against our communities, defending and expanding the rights of undocumented workers, women, LGBTQI, Muslims, unions, elders, students, Black and people of color unites us in our common goal; reclaiming Our Democracy.
May Day Rallies in Mass:
Boston
• #HereToStay Rally in Support of the Safe Communities Act
11:45 AM Steps of the MA State House
East Boston and Everett
Chelsea Collaborative March and Rally
4pm marches in East Boston and Everett start.
Boston May Day Coalition Rally
5pm @ Parkman Bandstand
Lynn
• Lynn May Day March and Rally
4pm March starting and ending with rally at Lynn City Hall
Springfield
• Springfield May Day Rally
5:30pm Rally at Springfield City Hall
Worcester
• Worcester Community Labor United
4pm Gathering and tabling, 5pm rally @ Worcester City Hall
Fitchburg
5:30 pm March starting at Fitchburg State University
Framingham
Rally at Town Center at 6pm
With more than 163,000 members, including 18,000 in MA, 32BJ SEIU is the largest property service workers union in the country. N2N has 15,000 community members who take action with us by registering to vote, signing petitions, calling their legislators, and marching in the streets. Over 280 of them volunteer with us each year. Massachusetts Jobs with Justice is a coalition of community, faith and labor groups in Massachusetts who work to protect and promote workers’ rights, along with our sister coalition, Western Mass Jobs with Justice. The Chelsea Collaborative, Inc. originally founded in 1988 as the Chelsea Human Services Collaborative, is an organization dedicated to the needs of the community of Chelsea. Our mission is to enhance the social, environmental and economic health of the community and its people.