UPDATED Aug. 1: The following ongoing report began with an appeal from Arlington residents Betsy Leondar-Wright, Eric Segal and Anne Wright, members of First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church, as are some of the other seven members of the Don’t Mourn, Organize Affinity Group. Segal is a member of YourArlington’s advisory board. It continues, including information from Indivisible LAB. YourArlington welcomes alternative views and comments.
One Million Rising: Fight authoritarianism
We were thrilled to see so many people at this week’s One Million Rising Watch Party and want to thank our allies at Lexington Alarm! for handling all the logistics for the meeting and providing refreshments! We’ll be discussing how to put the ideas from the session into practice at our August Action Hours. Get details on how to join us below.
Indivisible LAB action hours
Daytime Action Hours
Thursdays, Aug. 7 and Aug. 21
10:30 am – 11:30 am
Parker Hall (First Floor) at First Parish
7 Harrington Road, Lexington.
These summer gatherings will be a chance to share what’s on your mind with other Indivisible LAB members and discuss the new guidance from Indivisible National’s “One Million Rising” sessions on fighting authoritarianism. Bring your ideas for actions and future meetings.
RSVP to get location details and parking information.
Evening Action Hours
Tuesdays, Aug. 12 and Aug. 26
7:00 pm – 8:30 pm
Robbins Library, 700 Mass. Ave, Arlington
Join us to share updates, discuss ideas, and plan effective actions together. We’ll draw on expertise and resources from Indivisible National’s “One Million Rising” sessions on fighting authoritarianism. Bring a friend if you’d like! We’ll also have postcards to sign and information to browse.
This summer, we’ve been asking people to sign postcards to their state legislators in support of several bills including the Location Shield Act. Now we’re organizing a field trip to hand-deliver some of these postcards to our state reps and senators.
We’ll also be delivering a petition asking the Massachusetts State Legislature to demonstrate support for Harvard University in its fight for survival.
Use this form to let us know if you’d like to join us and if you’re interested in participating in a carpool.
Help staff our space near Arlington Farmers’ Market
At our space near the Arlington Farmers’ Market, we’ll share information about Indivisible LAB and upcoming actions.
We’ll invite people to sign up for our newsletter, and to take immediate action by completing postcards, sending emails, and learning how to use 5 Calls. See shifts and sign up here >>
Highway overpass standout
Wednesdays, Aug. 6, and Aug. 13, 4:30 to 6 p.m., Lexington
We’ll be holding our next standouts on an overpass over Route 95/128 in Lexington on August 6 and August 13. Signs will be provided by our friends from the Happy Hour Bridge Brigade, but feel free to bring your own flags, signs, or banners and join us to wave to passing motorists. You don’t need to be present for the entire standout – arrive when you can, and leave when you must.
Sign up here to get location and parking details and be notified in case of any weather-related changes. The standout planned for this Wednesday was rescheduled to August 6 because of the extremely hot temperatures this week.
Pressure state government
On Beacon Hill, the state has already taken the first step by providing funds for immigrant legal representation. The next steps are protecting immigrant rights during the judicial process, and prohibiting cooperation between state/local law enforcement and ICE. These three bills will accomplish those goals:
The Safe Communities Act – S.1681, H.2580 (Senate sponsors, House sponsors)
Dignity Not Deportations – S.1122, H.1588 (Senate sponsors, House sponsors)
Ensuring Law Enforcement Identification (prohibiting ICE and other law enforcement from wearing masks) – HD.4886 (House Sponsors, no Senate bill yet)
Have your state senator and rep sponsored these bills? (To find who they are, click here.) If you don’t see their names on the lists of sponsors above, call or email them now to ask them to co-sponsor both bills.
If you do see them on the list, ask them to urge the Joint Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security to endorse the bills and bring them to the floor for a vote.
Public pressure works: it was calls from people like you that got funds for legal representation in the 2026 budget.
Successes!
No ICE flights from Hanscom Airfield – ICE flew 545 detained immigrants out of this Bedford airport in early 2025, but local demonstrations made clear that ICE was not wanted there. ICE has now announced there will be no more flights out of Hanscom Field.
Support from town government in Burlington – Town officials have demanded access to the ICE Field office, amid allegations that people are being detained there (contrary to agreement with the town) and that conditions are unsafe.
Resources we recommend
Choose Democracy – great tacticians and activists with ongoing recommendations for action.
One of their projects is Boycott Central: So many boycotts! Here’s its annotated list of boycotts. Look for the ones with lots of green check-marks.
Anne-christine d’Adesky writes about resisting Project 2025 and how to survive 4 years of Trump.
Robert Hubbell substack advocates for grassroots resistance actions and analyzes developments.
Blue Sky: Social media for progressives; includes much you will not find on NPR or the NY Times, for example.
Chop Wood Carry Water substack – often lists resistance actions
Pro-Democracy Organizations we are monitoring
Indivisible
Movement Voter Project
MoveOn
People Power United
Poor People’s Campaign
Protect Democracy
Showing Up for Racial Justice – “First 100 Days Training and Action program”
UU Mass Action
Working Families Party
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This opinion column was published Friday, March 21, 2025, and updated Aug. 1.
