On June 3 outside the hospital in Northampton about 200 nurses and their supporters held a union rally for justice, a union spokesperson told the Valley Post. The workers have a web site at www.MassNurses.org.
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In Northampton and the neighboring town of Easthampton on June 1, workers at River Valley Co-op held a rally for justice. About 150 people were there, despite rain. Details are available by contacting the workers via their web site www.ufcw1459.com.
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About 80 people were at a pro-democracy rally in the Pioneer Valley town of Northfield on May 24, Al Norman told the Valley Post. Norman has lived in Greenfield for decades. He led a successful movement to keep Walmart out of Greenfield. He runs a group that has a web site at https://sprawl-busters.com.
On June 14 in Springfield, Northampton, Greenfield, and Brattleboro, there will be marches and rallies to protest Trump. Details are at www.NoKings.org.
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On May 13 in the Pioneer Valley town of South Hadley, about 100 janitors, dishwashers, other workers, and supporters held a rally. “This is my second year working at Mount Holyoke college," Philip Bernashe told the Valley Post in a voice phone interview on May 21. He is one of 170 workers at the college who are members of a union, SEIU Local 32BJ.
On May 13 in the Pioneer Valley town of South Hadley, about 100 janitors, dishwashers, other workers, and supporters held a rally. “I've worked as a cook at Mount Holyoke for seven years – it will be eight years in August,” Rich Sugrue told the Valley Post in a voice phone interview on May 16. He is one of 170 workers at the college who are members of a union, SEIU Local 32BJ.
About 13,000 people watched the Pride parade in Northampton on May 3. “About 2,000 people were registered in the parade,” Clay Pearson told the Valley Post on May 5. Pearson runs the group that organized the event. The group has a web site at:
The Valley Post asked Pearson, “To what extent was this event a protest of Trump's policies?”
Pearson replied, “This year Hampshire Pride partnered with Northampton Resists to make a political rally the kick off event of our festival.”
About 2,000 people marched and rallied to protest Trump on April 19 in Northampton and other cities and towns in the Pioneer Valley, according to one of the groups that organized the events. The group has a web site at https://in-slwm.org. Photos and video of the marches and rallies are on the group's Facebook page.
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In Brattleboro on May 1, there will be a workers' rights march, starting at 5 p.m. outside 193 Main Street. Details are at:
https://www.mobilize.us/indivisible/event/780852/
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In the Pioneer Valley town of Williamsburg, two land trusts are working to protect a 288 acre defunct golf course from development. If they succeed it will go back to being a forest. The land trusts need donations and volunteers. Details are on the Facebook page of one of the groups, Hilltown Land Trust. The other group is the Trustees of Reservations.
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About 2,000 people marched in the rain April 5 in Brattleboro to protest Trump. One of the groups that promoted the event has a web site at:
The Valley Post has posted many photos in the past but our "content management system" (Drupal) is not letting us post photos anymore. We are seeking donations to hire an expert to fix this problem. Meanwhile, the photos are at:
https://www.facebook.com/eeshawilliams/posts/pfbid02L5wsFkJdufkJcidwhuED...
In the Pioneer Valley town of South Hadley about 400 high school students walked out of classes on March 31 to protest public school funding cuts. The National Education Association (NEA) is the nation's biggest union, and a major donor to the Democratic party. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is a Democrat and a member of congress from New York who, with Bernie Sanders, attracted 30,000 people to an anti-Trump rally in Colorado on March 21. Amy Foley is president of the NEA chapter in South Hadley. On April 1, she told the Valley Post that about 400 students took part in the protest.
In Northampton about 800 people attended an outdoor rally to protest Trump's policies, an organizer told the Valley Post. The goal was to resist fascism. “If you’re tired of the barrage of news and want to do something, you’re not alone! We strive to mobilize, and more events are coming!” according to the organizers' web page:
www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61572916231647#
The rally was on March 9. A photo is at:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=122117806232763874&set=pb.615729...
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