On May 1, International Workers Day, hundreds of people trekked for miles to advocate for the rights of immigrants and workers. The Massachusetts Coalition for Occupational Safety and Health (MassCOSH) led hundreds of protestors from Everett, Chelsea and East Boston on a march to Liberty Plaza, where they held a rally. The collection of workers,…
Braintree resists denser development that would add to affordable housing
Braintree Town Hall. Hundreds of Braintree residents filled the town hall on March 25, standing and sitting wherever they could, as the town opened the public hearing process for extensive changes proposed for Braintree’s zoning laws. Before the hearing, more than fifty protesters were outside town hall holding signs with slogans such as “say no…
Activists lobby state house for sexual health issues, education
On January 17, at 10 a.m., people of all ages and gender, donned in formal attire, gathered at the Great Hall of Massachusetts State House to lobby their district representatives for greater access to reproductive rights and sexual education for youth. Calling January 17 ‘Sexual Health Lobby Day,’ 70 organizations – including NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts,…
Walsh introduces housing and economic mobility bills to legislature
Mayor Martin J. Walsh announced his comprehensive housing security and economic mobility legislative package on Jan. 7. The 14 bills are the first of four legislative packages that the City of Boston will be submitting to the Massachusetts Legislature. The six housing bills concern programs and issues such as the Linkage Program, the Community Preservation…
Tufts dining hall staff march for higher wages, better working conditions
Tufts dining hall workers marched with students to Ballou Hall, Tufts University’s central administrative building on Nov. 16, demanding fair living wages, better healthcare, an end to workplace harassment, and a number of other demands. Zahra Warsome, a 31-year-old dining hall employee who has worked for Tufts since she was 18-years-old, said she and her…
Homeless children program hosts women’s breakfast
Nine-year-old Christian and 12-year-old Miguel received a standing ovation from 1,200 people after performing a moving cello and violin piece at the 20th Annual Women’s Breakfast at Boston Marriott Copley Place. They are both alumni of Horizons for Homeless Children early education program, a non-profit serving more than 1,600 homeless children in Massachusetts each week.…
Boston shows solidarity with Pittsburgh, rallies against antisemitism
Glowing softly amid the wave of candle lights, hundreds of progressive Jews, interfaith allies, and others gathered in a circle next to the Boston Holocaust Memorial on November 1, holding Shiva in remembrance of the murders of the 11 Jewish elders at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, two black people in at a…
Ayanna Pressley Urges People to Vote and Pine Street Inn Registration Drive
Ayanna Pressley. File Photo Boston City Councilor and Democratic Congressional Candidate Ayanna Pressley spoke at a Pine Street Inn voter registration forum on Oct. 10, to encourage homeless people to vote. Pine Street Inn, an organization which provides housing, food and job training for people experiencing homelessness, addressed misconceptions about voting rights and helped people…