Counterprotest to Back the Blue Rally in Arlington, MA: Solidarity Rally on Mass Ave

***LOCATION CHANGE: WE WILL BE AT WHITTEMORE PARK ON THE CORNER OF MASS AVE AND MYSTIC ST***
***DETAILS ADDED***

Due to the high number of RSVPs to this event (THANK YOU!), as well as COVID and other safety concerns, we are moving the event to Whittemore Park, which is down the street from Arlington Town Hall.

Schedule of the counter-protest:

3:45pm - Meet at Whittemore Park.
There will be some sign-making stations with cardboard and markers, and chalk available, so think about what messages you want to share (read the event description below for more details).

4:00pm - Speeches, chants, music, and marching along the cross-walks will happen throughout the event. We will also make safety announcements if necessary.

At the end of the counter-protest (~6pm), you are welcome to join us as we march to Calvary Church (300 Mass Ave, Arlington). You are also welcome to join the daily 6-7pm BLM vigil at Calvary Church.

The current forecast indicates a chance of showers. We will update the event page if we need to reschedule due to weather, especially if there's a chance of thunder. Check back here on Thursday morning.
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Fascism is coming to Arlington MA and the people united must demonstrate in no uncertain terms that we will not allow white supremacist violence to go unchecked in our communities.

Join us in a counter protest of an America Backs the Blue rally. The Back the Blue campaign originates from an organization called Act for America, a hate group promoting racism, xenophobia, and Islamophobic sentiment. We aren’t fooled. Back the Blue is a dogwhistle for normalizing racist police terror in our communities, and serves as a slap in the face to all victims of police brutality.

We are seeing open violence in the streets as far rightwing militias are being enabled by police to undertake executions on the street and then have the privilege of going home. This is one of the most urgent and compelling symptoms of fascism. Back the Blue messaging and rallies encourages vigilante violence.

Join us in a counter-demonstration. We will chant, bump music, listen to poetry, make sidewalk art with chalk, and declare here in Arlington our message to the Greater Boston Area: we will not welcome fascist messaging in our communities. We will push back against fascism wherever we see it.

Join us! The time to act is NOW! We must love and protect each other, we must build strong communities in the fight against white supremacist terror!

This rally is now being co-sponsored by Arlington Fights Racism. AFR was founded in 2019 in response to hate-filled and violent writings by Arlington police officer Lt. Rick Pedrini.

• social distancing guidelines will be observed
• please wear a mask and bring sanitizer
• show up at 3:45 for music and signmaking!
• please do not interact with the Back the Blue rally
• for accessibility needs, some folding chairs will be available
• car caravans are encouraged for people who are high-risk and unable to come out and demonstrate on the street, put some signs up on your car and honk in protest with us! 🎶
• RSVP list has been hidden to protect attendee privacy; organizers will post periodic crowd size updates

#BlackLivesMatter

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