Current Media
GREENFIELD RECORDER, February 28, 2022
Local residents join chorus of protests calling for peace in Ukraine
Protests have spread around the world as the Russian military lays siege to Ukraine, and now, residents from the Pioneer Valley have joined the call for peace with standouts in Greenfield and Northampton Saturday. (Full text with photo)
GREENFIELD RECORDER, August 10, 2021
Vigil calls for end of nuclear weapons, honors victims of atomic bombings
The Traprock Center for Peace and Justice and Franklin County Continuing the Political Revolution (FCCPR) called for the end of nuclear weapons during a vigil Saturday, the 76th anniversary of the U.S. atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. (Full text with photos)
GREENFIELD RECORDER, July 28, 2021, p. 1
Activist shares HEART vision for alternative to police
Cambridge team working to shape transformative nonviolent response option
Activist Queen-Cheyenne Wade shared her ideas for replacing traditional policing and carceral systems with nonviolent responses with the Greenfield community on Monday as part of a virtual program organized by Racial Justice Rising and the Traprock Center for Peace and Justice. (Full text with photo.)
GREENFIELD RECORDER, June 2, 2021, p. 1, 8
Peacemaker Awards honor student activists
Twelve Franklin County students and two student groups have been recognized for their efforts in making a difference in the community through activism and outreach. The 21st annual Peacemaker Awards, held virtually on Zoom, were presented to eighth- through 12th-grade students for their positive involvement in the community over the past year. The awards are sponsored by the Interfaith Council of Franklin County and the Traprock Center for Peace and Justice. (Full text with photo)
GREENFIELD RECORDER, Tuesday, May 11, 2021
Saturday vigils focusing on use of taxes
With the new deadline for filing federal taxes now May 17, area peace activists are focusing on where the public’s money goes during two vigils this month. (Full text with photo)
WWLP, Northampton, MA January 25, 2021
Rally to stop war in Yemen held outside Congressman McGovern’s office Monday
The Latin America Solidarity Committee of Western Massachusetts is supporting a Global Day of Action to stop the ongoing war in Yemen according to Mass Peace Action (Full text and link to video)
GREENFIELD RECORDER, January 11, 2021
Demonstrators’ common interests: justice, democracy and removal of Trump from office
About two dozen community members gathered on the Greenfield Common on Saturday, as part of an effort to counter white supremacy and call for the removal of President Donald Trump from office. (Full text with photos)
GREENFIELD RECORDER, January 9, 2021
Vigils organized in effort to counter white supremacy, oust president
Local social justice organizations are organizing vigils on the Greenfield Common this morning, in an effort to counter white supremacy and call for the ousting of President Donald Trump (Full text with photos)
Saturday vigils focusing on use of taxes
GREENFIELD RECORDER, Tuesday, May 11, 2021
Staff Report
GREENFIELD — With the new deadline for filing federal taxes now May 17, area peace activists are focusing on where the public’s money goes during two vigils this month.
The Tax Day vigils, called by members of Franklin County Continuing the Political Revolution (FCCPR) and the Traprock Center for Peace & Justice, began on Saturday, May 8, and will continue on Saturday, May 15, from 10 a.m. to noon on the Greenfield Common, according to a Traprock press release.
According to Pat Hynes of the Traprock Center for the Peace & Justice, 55 cents of each dollar in taxes “went to support the military, our wars, weapons and bases, including 800 military bases abroad and military operations in an estimated 150 countries. A few pennies of each discretionary tax dollar went to support each of these essential human security needs: environmental protection, education, housing, public health, food and agriculture, research on renewable energy, road and bridges,
public lands and parks, diplomacy and more.” Organizers of the two Saturday vigils call for examining and cutting the United States military budget, the release states. Information will also be available at the common about the National Campaign for a Peace Tax Fund’s efforts to pass the Religious Freedom Peace Tax Fund Act. This legislation would create a fund through the federal treasury to receive taxes of objectors that would be used for non-military programs.
The release states all are welcome at Saturday’s vigil. Those who attend are encouraged to bring appropriate signs and wear masks.
© 2021 Greenfield Recorder 5/11/2021
WWLP, Northampton, MA 1/25/2021
Rally to stop war in Yemen held outside Congressman McGovern’s office Monday
January 25, 2021
NORTHAMPTON, Mass. (WWLP) – The Latin America Solidarity Committee of Western Massachusetts is supporting a Global Day of Action to stop the ongoing war in Yemen according to Mass Peace Action.
Protesters gathered outside Congressman McGovern’s Northampton office at noon on Monday to encourage the Congressman to stop the war by halting arms deals with Saudi Arabia and demanding an end to the conflict.
Civil issues have been going on for years but this recent war started when the Iran-backed Houthi rebels took control of Sanaa from the internationally recognized government in 2014 and a Saudi-led military coalition intervened against the rebels the following year.
Protestors at Monday’s rally said the U.S. has sold billions of dollars worth of weapons to Saudi Arabia and UAE.
22News spoke with Yoav Elinevsky, a protestor, who said the U.S. should help by supporting negotiations for peace, “Not supply weapons, the U.S. should support diplomatic solutions instead of violence. Then other interests are getting involved and it’s a big mess and it keeps going and going, it’s time to end it.”
Congressman McGovern has previously responded to antiwar and global solidarity protests and protesters hoped to give awareness that leads to action with this rally.
In a statement sent to 22News, Congressman McGovern said:
“Chairman McGovern is deeply grateful to those gathering around the world calling for an end the brutal, Saudi-led war in Yemen. He is proud to lead the fight in the House of Representatives to end U.S. arms sales to the Saudi Government and U.S. support for the Saudi Government’s devastating military campaign against the people of Yemen. The Saudi Government’s brutal war has resulted in the world’s largest humanitarian crisis, pushed millions of Yemenis to starvation, and decimated Yemen’s civilian infrastructure.
Sadly, on its way out the door, the Trump administration took several actions which will only exacerbate this humanitarian crisis, including approval of new U.S. arms sales to Saudi Arabia. Chairman McGovern and House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Gregory Meeks have already introduced two resolutions of disapproval to prevent these arms sales. He looks forward to working with the Biden administration and his colleagues in Congress to put an end to U.S. support for this disastrous conflict.”
Congressman Jim McGovern
According to Mass Peace Action, the war in Yemen is not a localized civil war but a conflict with global ramifications, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates bombings have caused hundreds of civilian casualties.
Mass Peace Action demands are:
Other organizations that are supported the rally are Traprock Center for Peace and Justice, The Resistance Center for Peace and Justice, Codepink Western Mass, Critical Connections, Anti-Imperialist Action Committee and Raytheon Anti-war Campaign.
For more information about the Global Day of Action visit: https://www.stopwar.org.uk/world-says-no-to-war-on-yemen-25-jan-2021/.
GREENFIELD RECORDER, January 11, 2021
Message in wake of Capitol riot
Demonstrators’ common interests: justice, democracy and removal of Trump from office
By MARY BYRNE
Staff Writer
GREENFIELD — About two dozen community members gathered on the Greenfield Common on Saturday, as part of an effort to counter white supremacy and call for the removal of President Donald Trump from office.
Messages on the signs at Saturday’s two vigils— which follow the events in Washington D.C. last week, where Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol Building in protest of the election results — included support for the Black Lives Matter movement, calls to remove Trump from office, and general calls for peace and democracy.
The vigils, which were attended by activists from Franklin County Continuing the Political Revolution’s peace group, Racial Justice Rising and the Traprock Center for Peace and Justice, took place from 10 a.m. to noon. The first was a Racial Justice Rising vigil from 10 to 11 a.m., while the second was a vigil for peace and democracy.
“It’s all about justice,” said Emily Greene, referencing a comment another attendee had made to her that both vigils were, effectively, for the same cause. “It’s really one continuous vigil where we’re speaking out against the injustices we see.”
Greene, a member of Racial Justice Rising who helped to organize the event Saturday, said although the group regularly holds vigils at the common, Saturday’s offered an opportunity for the group to “expand” its message beyond the Black Lives Matter movement.
“We are saying, ‘Trump needs to go now,’” she said. “We should never see a Confederate flag in our Capitol again, and it would be nice if we could just never see the flag again.”
Greene was referring to images of the Confederate flag inside the U.S. Capitol Building on Jan. 6. She noted it is important for people to recognize what it means for a Black person to see that flag.
“A lot of people (I talked to) are really troubled over the division in our country that the election showed,” Greene said. “(President-elect) Biden won, for sure, but there were 74 million people who voted for Trump.”
Greene said those on the common on Saturday didn’t only feel strongly about what Trump has done, but what he could do between now and the inauguration on Jan. 20.
“There’s all kinds of things he can still do that could be very dangerous for our countr y,” she said. “I’m hoping, somehow, we’ll be able to put some restraint on what he can do.”
That’s why many attendees held signs calling for the removal of Trump from office. At least one sign referenced invoking the 25th Amendment, which would require Vice President Mike Pence and a majority of the Cabinet to vote on his removal.
Greene spoke instead of impeachment, explaining that after Trump’s remarks that some believe incited the riots last week, and after pressuring the Georgia secretary of state to overturn the election results in a phone call on Jan. 2, the president has “absolutely done impeachable offenses.”
“One of the things that can happen if we don’t have the impeachment is he can run again in 2024,” she said. “That’s not something I want to see happen.”
According to the Associated Press, an impeachment by the House and a conviction by the Senate could prevent Trump from running for office again.
Overall, she said, Saturday proved to be a good turnout, “for our little town.”
“I do want to see our town … willing to look at the fact that we have our problems here — just like anywhere else —with racism and white supremacy,” she said. “I think it’s top of the list that we as a country need to find some resolution on.”
Community members gathered on the Greenfield Common on Saturday to hold vigils calling for the ousting of President Donald Trump and to promote equality, peace and democracy.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/EMILY GREENE
Community members gathered on the Greenfield Common on Saturday to hold vigils calling for the ousting of President Donald Trump and to promote equality, peace and democracy.
STAFF PHOTO/MARY BYRNE
Copyright © 2021 Greenfield Recorder 1/11/2021
GREENFIELD RECORDER, January 9, 2021
Vigils organized in effort to counter white supremacy, oust president
Staff Report
GREENFIELD — Local social justice organizations are organizing vigils on the Greenfield Common this morning, in an effort to counter white supremacy and call for the ousting of President Donald Trump.
“We must never again see a Confederate flag in the nation’s capital,” Racial Justice Rising organizer Emily Greene said in a press release, referring to the storming of the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington D.C. on Wednesday. “Our Saturday morning vigils have focused on the Black Lives Matter message, but we must directly counter white supremacy, too.”
Racial Justice Rising will hold a vigil today as well as on Jan. 16 and Jan. 23, from 10 a.m.
to 11 a.m., according to the release. A second vigil for peace and democracy will take place from 11 a.m. to noon on those dates.
“Removing Trump is also necessary because he is clearly out of control, yet has the sole power to launch nuclear weapons,” added Pat Hynes, a member of the Traprock Center for Peace & Justice in Greenfield.
Activists from Franklin County Continuing the Political Revolution’s peace group, Racial Justice Rising and the Traprock Center for Peace & Justice are inviting community members who wish to get involved to bring a sign or to get one on the common.
Masks and social distancing are required.
People gather on the Greenfield Common as part of a Racial Justice Rising vigil in March 2019. Activists from Racial Justice Rising and two other groups are inviting community members to join in a vigil on the common today to counter white supremacy and call for the ousting of President Donald Trump.
STAFF FILE PHOTO/DAN LITTLE