On January 6 in Northampton about 175 people attended a rally to demand Congress pass three voting rights bills. “People were somber and serious but also hopeful. It was uplifting. So many people care about getting these voting rights bills passed,” organizer Larry Pareles told the Valley Post in a voice phone interview. He said people should go to www.IndivisibleNorthampton.org for more information. The below photo shows the rally. It was taken by Pareles. To enlarge the photo click on it, then scroll down and click "see full size image."

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In Greenfield 150 or so people attended a rally to protest Trump. The August 15 event was inspired by a pro-Trump rally that ended up drawing just five people. Katherine Golub was at the anti-Trump rally. “It was amazing,” she told the Valley Post. Trump supports cutting taxes on rich people and cutting programs that help poor people. He feels that climate change is not a problem.

On August 6 a judge ruled that a rape accusation against Trump by E. Jean Carroll can proceed. At least a dozen women are accusing Trump of sexual assault.

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In Greenfield on July 17 at 10 a.m. there will be a rally calling on politicians to raise taxes on rich people and use the money to help poor people and the environment. The rally will be at the Town Common, which is at 8 Bank Row. More information is at:

https://actionnetwork.org/events/greenfield-launch

These photos were taken on January 19. They show the Northampton Women's March. The most frequently seen signs opposed Trump's policies and supported peace, justice, and environmental protection. The event organizers have a web site at www.PioneerValleyWomensMarch.org. To enlarge a photo, click on it, then scroll down and click "see full size image." To zoom in more, click on the photo again. photos by Eesha Williams

In Holyoke, activists are fighting construction of a proposed fracked gas pipeline. “It would go six miles from Agawam to Holyoke,” Jacqueline Velez told the Valley Post in a telephone interview on September 13. She lives in Holyoke. “It would cost $24 million to build. Holyoke is the second worst city in the nation for people with asthma. This would make it worse. We closed the Mount Tom coal plant so we can stop this.”

On March 14, about 250 students at Brattleboro high school walked out of classes to protest politicians' failure to pass strong gun control laws. “Who's got the power?” called out student Lucia Morey. The crowd roared, “We've got the power!” To enlarge a photo, click on it, then scroll down and click “see full size image.” photos by Eesha Williams

In Keene, about 80 people marched against sexual assault. One-third of women experience sexual violence or intimate partner violence, organizers said. Jennifer Tveter marched in Keene. “Even when walking in such a large group there were still people – men – who were shouting profanities at the group, which only made the necessity of such a march more evident,” she told the Valley Post. “If women experience this while in such a large group, of course they would feel even more vulnerable while alone.”

As of September 27, about 250 people had RSVP'd for a march for racial justice. The march will be in Holyoke on October 1. It starts at 12:30 p.m. at 221 Appleton Street. The march is in solidarity with a National March for Racial Justice, the web site of which says, "We are bearing witness to mass incarceration, unequal treatment under the law, and the state-sanctioned destruction of Black, Brown and Native lives...."

People in the Valley are working to raise the Massachusetts minimum wage to $15 an hour. They are gathering signatures on a petition. If they get enough signatures, the question will get on the ballot, so every U.S. citizen over age 18 who lives in the state can vote on it, unless they are in prison for a felony. The activists have a web site at www.RaiseUpMA.org. The site says they have the support of the state's biggest unions.

About 200 nurses in Greenfield are on strike. This photo was taken on June 26 outside the hospital where they work. In the photo, people are listening to a nurse speaking. The nurses are asking the public to support them as they fight for justice. They have a web site at www.MassNurses.org. More information is at www.valleypost.org/node/1289. One of the signs in the photo reads, "Stop corporate greed." To enlarge the photo, click on it, then scroll down and click "see full size image." photo by Eesha Williams