Mass says, again, No Kings!
On October 18th, Mass 50501 came together with ACLU Massachusetts and Indivisible Mass Coalition, along with other coalition partners, to host an event in Boston Common that was part political rally, part activism fair, part music festival, and all resistance to a lawless regime coopting patriotism to justify their abuses. We all know that the true patriots were out with us on the Common and at the hundreds of other protests across the state. Thank you for standing with us, whether you were in Boston or in your hometown; we hope that you deepened connections to your community, came away with some other ways to take action, and had an awesome day that refilled your cup to redouble our fight against authoritarianism.
No Kings Day on October 18th was celebrated by more than 7 million people at more than 2,700 registered events across all 50 states, D.C., and cities worldwide. In Boston, we hosted over 125,000 attendees and over 30 organizations with a focus on building connections and sharing information about nonviolent civil resistance. There was something for everyone, including speakers, musical performances, and two original guerilla theater plays created and performed by Mass 50501 volunteers (don’t worry if you missed them—they’ll be back!). The day of protest was peaceful and joyous. In Boston and across the state, people showed up in their inflatable costumes inspired by the Portland frogs (though of course, we had to give it a bit of a New England twist—our costumed attendees included multiple unrelated lobsters), music played, kids passed out candy, and grandparents brought their grandbabies. No Kings was a peaceful pro-America, pro-democracy rally, far from Mike Johnson’s comments that painted No Kings as an “Anti-America Rally.” Photos are still flowing in from our volunteers. We encourage you to join the conversation on our Discord or tag us on your No Kings photos on social media.
Photo via Mass50501 Volunteer
At the tables, people took direct part in democracy by signing to get two different measures on the ballot next year: one for representative stipend reform and the other for rent stabilization. People also learned about many places to volunteer, get support, and upskill in activism. Introductions between people from different groups helped build our network of networks. At our table, we offered assistance in joining a team and getting involved in nonviolent civil resistance, basic movement and deescalation tips, information about how civil resistance works, and flags and buttons (while supplies lasted).
We’re carrying the energy from Saturday forward as we continue to develop ways to protect our communities (we recommend you get involved with LUCE if you’re able!), fight authoritarianism (with our dollars), and demand that our officials do all they can to safeguard our institutions and our liberties against the forces that threaten them (even if it’s not their standard operating procedure—it’s their job). We also urge everyone to remember something that we were reminded of Saturday, surrounded by all the individuals displaying their resistance in creative and unique ways: Movements are made up of people—people who need to make sure they’re taking care of themselves first, in order to keep fighting the fight tomorrow, and who have the power of connecting with other people to amplify their impact. Make sure you’re making liberal use of both tools!
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