We Will Continue to Press Our Representatives to Stop the Genocide in Gaza!

Taken at the Statewide Rally in Newton, MA Photo Credit: Anicca Sullivan, MAPA

On March 7th, Massachusetts Peace Action organized rallies across the state in each congressional district to press our representatives on their complicity in the genocide in Gaza. Over 100 people protested at various representatives’ offices to pressure the U.S. government to meet our demands: support a permanent ceasefire, reinstate UNRWA funding, stop sending weapons to Israel, and support the removal of the Israeli aid blockade! Protestors in multiple congressional districts talked with their representative’s aides and delivered letters to them, listing our demands. In the wake of Netanyahu’s coming offensive on Rafah, it is now more important than ever to raise our voices and demand that the United States take a strong stand against Israel’s attacks on Gaza. Below is more information (updates) regarding each congressional district’s rally.

Lowell

As part of MAPA’s statewide “Stop the Genocide” events, constituents of Congresswoman Lori Trahan, MA CD3, held signs near her office in Lowell, with messages including, “Genocide Makes No One Safer” and “Rest in Peace Aaron Bushnell – STOP the Genocide”.  

A staff member of the Congresswoman met with 22 constituents in her office lobby and listened to points made in 3 letters we presented – two had been signed by over 160 residents of CD3. The letters cited why Congress should demand a ceasefire, asked the Congresswoman to support the reinstatement of UNRWA funding and to vote against military aid to Israel, and lastly thanked Rep. Trahan for calling for a ceasefire.

We also explained that the demand for hostages to be returned, must include the Palestinian hostages imprisoned in Israeli prisons. Many of them are children who were kidnapped from their beds during the night, taken to interrogation, without telling the parents where they were taking them, and are then held for months without being charged with any crime. 

Photo credit: Siena Moskun, MAPA

Her constituents, including a member from each the SEIU union and the MA Teachers Union – both unions have voted for ceasefire – told personal stories of family members who’ve been killed and how every day they check the updated lists of people who’ve died – 30 members of the family of one constituent have died in Gaza; a Christian explained who this is (settler colonialism) and reminded people that Jesus opposed the Roman occupation as we are doing today; a mental healthcare worker reported clients who are suffering here because of this ongoing genocide; and one person quoted Congresswoman Trahan after she visited Gaza saying she wished she could wave a magic wand to make the pain go away – reminding her that she has the power to use her voice and her vote to end a lot of this pain.

We gave the staffer a present for the Congresswoman – a “Free Palestine” mug with a hand knitted mug warmer in the shape of a turtle, for Turtle Island, a name indigenous people have called on our continent.  The staff person reminded us that visits like these and calling and writing to the Congresswoman is how to make our voices heard.

-Pat Westwater-Jong

 

Springfield

Photo Credit: Mehlaqa Samdani

As part of MAPA’s statewide, ‘Stop the Genocide’ efforts, CD1 met with Congressman Richie Neal’s aides, Jack Chamberland and Jack Woodbury, at the Springfield office. It was a 5-member delegation that included representatives from MAPA (Merri Ansara) Community Alliance for Peace and Justice (Mehlaqa Samdani), Pax Christi (Doug Hostetter) and River Valley PSL (David Feliciano and Ivana Ortiz).

The meeting lasted almost an hour, where we spoke about the dire humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and presented the aides with our list of four demands. Doug Hostetter shared the text exchange with his friend, Magad Amgad, in Gaza who has lost his father and two siblings in this carnage.  An excerpt:

 

 

For stop war here

And if war not stop

We need safe

 

We need leave we not need die

Family all time worried

We last see father, sister, and brother die

We not need more 

We need safe

If gaza not safe

and they need rafah ok help palestine

We not hamas

 

We Palestine

 

We also asked them to communicate our deep disappointment with Congressman Neal at his refusal to meet with constituents calling for a ceasefire, as well as his failure to respond to the hundreds of emails/calls that have been made to his office. The aides assured us that they would convey our concerns to Richie Neal and guaranteed a response from him. They mentioned that Neal’s current position is to call for a ‘negotiated ceasefire’ and facilitate humanitarian assistance to Gaza.

-Mehlaqa Samdani

 

Worcester

Photo credit: Claire Schaeffer-Duffy

Twenty two people showed up for the stand-out on Shrewsbury Street, the long artery that runs by McGovern’s office. We had some new faces which was very nice to see and requests to be added into the information loop for events concerning the war on Gaza.

Members of our CD2 Central MA group met with Representative McGovern Monday morning. He was noncommittal when asked of withholding US military aid to Israel. He did say that he was considering going to Rafah in the next two weeks. Yesterday, Rep. McGovern sent many of us a letter enumerating the actions he has taken on the war.

It is annual tradition of the SS. Francis and Therese Catholic Worker in Worcester to hold an enormous peace banner along the route of the city’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade. Painted on the banner, which is a bedsheet affixed to two wooden beams, is an enormous icon of the saint himself with a quote to the warring chieftains of his day: “Killing cannot be with Christ.” This year’s parade stand-out also includes messaging focused on Gaza. From Ireland to Palestine, Occupation is a Crime reads one banner. And we have on order lawn signs with the words: “St Patrick says, No U.S. $ for bombing Gaza’s babies.” You can be sure we will wave these high when Rep. McGovern and all the politicians process down Park Ave past us.

– Claire Schaeffer-Duffy

 

Salem

We had a very good turn out for a cold, windy and rainy day.  

There were about 60 people from various organizations including: MAPA, NFP, JVP, Palestinian House of New England, Ipswich House of Peace, and Lynn United for Change.

We did a silent procession from downtown Salem to Moulton’s office. We walked 2×2 holding effigies and blocked traffic until reaching Moulton’s where we laid the effigies down.  

Photo Credit: Matvei Mozhaev

Overall it went very well and we felt it made an impact on those that participated and observed.

-Jill El-Ashkar

 

Boston

Photo credit: Cole Harrison, MAPA

About 30 people showed up at the JFK building in downtown Boston, where both Senator Warren and Senator Markey’s offices are located. Three aides from the senators’ offices, one from Warren and two from Markey, came to listen to our demands, and guaranteed that our concerns would be discussed with the Senators. The aides also received letters we had written addressed to the senators, listing our concerns and demands: that the senators call for a permanent ceasefire, vote against military aid to Israel, restore UNRWA funding, support the removal of the Israeli blockade, and overall end their complicity in the genocide in Gaza. 

Of those who spoke at the rally, a few were planned, but many were moved to speak to the crowd and to the senators’ staffers. Our speakers emphasized the importance of the No Preference Campaign’s results (over 60,000 no preference votes), citing how important the crisis in Gaza is to Massachusetts constituents. 

Many brought their own signs, some honoring Aaron Bushnell, others saying “Stop the Slaughter in Gaza” and “Free Gaza, Israel Stop the Massacre of Children”. 

Overall, it was a great turnout (considering the weather), and am hopeful that these continued actions will push our representatives to end their complicity in the genocide. 

-Grace Sanford

 

Newton

More than 30 activists gathered together in front of Rep. Auchincloss’s office in Newton. We came to express our solidarity with the Palestinian people under attack and to protest U.S. complicity in the humanitarian catastrophe unfolding in Gaza.

Photo Credit: Anicca Sullivan, MAPA

We carried signs, sang songs, and shared our thoughts, feelings, and demands. Dana Hanson, District Manager for CD4, joined to listen to our voices on behalf of Representative Auchincloss and promised to deliver our message. Our demands, formulated in a letter, and expressed vocally during our gathering, were the following: an immediate ceasefire with no assault on Rafah, a complete halt to U.S. aid, including weapons, to Israel, removal of the Israeli aid blockade to Gaza, and a resumption of U.S. funding for the United Relations Relief and Works Agency.

Many protestors also could be seen standing by the sidewalks and streets toward the end of the rally; this strategy was very effective since so many cars stopped and became interested in the rally. 

-Anicca Sullivan

 

 

 

Malden

Even though it rained, the rally outside Clark’s Malden office had around 20 in attendance.

I had emailed her office the evening before, and her district aide Wade came out around 12:30 pm.

A constituent from Watertown (Emmett) gave Wade a major earful, about Clark’s stance being in serious conflict with the Judaism he grew up with, that she did not represent him, or for that matter, her constituency, in which many – perhaps a majority – oppose what Israel and the US are doing in Gaza.

Photo Credit: Noble Larson, MAPA

Wade was squirming. 

Emmett brought up the issue of Clark being in the tank with AIPAC, however Wade said he couldn’t address “campaign” issues. Wade and Kelsey Perkins (District Director, currently on maternity leave) have tried to use the “campaign” approach on us before.

Towards the end there was a heated discussion between a rally attendee who held a sign reading “Palestinians are not Hamas” and several others. The latter insisted that Hamas can be viewed as a resistance group. It was pointed out that resistance groups are almost always deemed “terrorist” by colonial regimes. 

 

New Bedford

Photo Credit: David Mintz

On a bright and very windy Friday, members of the Southeastern MA Coalition for a Free Palestine (@SEMA.FreePalestine) held a spirited protest in solidarity with the Stop the Genocide statewide actions on March 8th. In addition to stalwart coalition members from as far as Martha’s Vineyard, we met new friends from social media and were joined by a construction worker who ran to us on his lunch break from across the street.

 As he proudly unfurled a large Palestinian flag, he explained that as a Cuban immigrant he takes it with him everywhere!

-Maryellen Kurkulos