The Western Mass Resistance Calendar and Supplemental Reading List

Art Keene April 25, 2025 1
We will resist. Resistance

Toronto, November 19, 2024. Photo: Shutterstock

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Welcome to the Western Mass Resistance Calendar, a listing resistance to Trump-Musk/pro-democracy actions throughout Western Massachusetts. This week we have added a separate section listing trainings for resistance and political action. Please send your listings for the calendar to amherstindy@gmail.com. This resource is in addition to our occasional column What Now? which explores resistance strategies.

Western Mass Actions

FRIDAY April 25 – I-91 Overpass Standout – Mountain Park Road, Holyoke. 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. Come out to show that ordinary people can raise their voices against the chaos and destruction of this Administration. Help remind folks that they, too, can stand up for their beliefs – and that there’s lots and lots of people who aren’t on board with the “cruelty as entertainment” behavior of Trump and Musk and the GOP.  More information

Here’s the info for the coordinated overpass standouts – all the locations and links! (from south to north) Click here for a Google Map showing the route

FRIDAY APRIL 25: HANDS OFF OUR STUDENTS! Peaceful Visibility Standout, 4 pm – 5:30 p.m., Kendrick Park, Amherst: https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/778646/

FRIDAY April 25 (and every Friday) Jewish Voice for Peace Weekly Northampton Standout. 4:00-5:30 p.m. at the Route 9 roundabout at the Northampton side of the Coolidge Bridge. Join us in demanding a ceasefire & arms embargo. Signs & banners provided. Park at the Norwottuck Rail Trail, 446 Damon Rd. Click here for access info.

SATURDAY April 26: Divest Northampton at the Farmer’s Market: Teach-in. 10-11am, Gothic St, Northampton. Come learn about the Divest Resolution, to divest from Israel human rights abuses. 

SATURDAY April 26 UMASS Tribunal: Put UMass on Trial. 11am-4 pm, Place TBA. The UMass system has gone to great lengths to protect its partnerships with war profiteers and involvement in the genocide in Gaza, arresting hundreds of students, staff, faculty, and community members who sought to stop it. The people of UMass will expose the full severity of UMass’ participation in mass murder at the UMass People’s Tribunal.

SATURDAY. APRIL 26 Spring into Solidarity – Greenfield Organizer Meet-up. 11a.m. – 1p.m., Greenfield Grange Dining Room, 401 Chapman St., Greenfield, Come meet your fellow organizers to strengthen local webs of solidarity! Register here.

SATURDAY APRIL 26,  SPRINGFIELD TESLA TAKEDOWN,
1:00 p.m. – 2:30 p.m. Springfield Tesla – Corner of Cadwell Drive & Page Blvd, Springfield, MA RSVP and more information.

SATURDAY APRIL 26. Greenfield for a Ceasefire Standout. 11am-noon, On the green by Court Square, 

THURSDAY. May 1: May Day RALLY No Business as Usual During a Genocide Rally. 4:30-6:30pm, 50 Prince St, Northampton Join Demilitarize Western Mass, Veteran’s for Peace 413, and STOPL3Harris. Gather at 4:30, at 5:30 march to City Hall. 6:15pm rally.  

THURSDAY MAY 1: SPRINGFIELD MAY DAY MARCH. 5 p.m. beginning at the Springfield Post Office and Marching to City Hall. Join this important  May Day march along with labor organizers, workers, and movement organizers speaking about shared economic and political struggle across Western Mass. We’ll start at the Post Office on Main Street, march to the School Department, then to City Hall, chanting and sharing solidarity in the face of the present moment!

FRIDAY MAY 2 (and every Friday): Jewish Voice for Peace Weekly Northampton Standout. 4:00-5:30 p.m. at the Route 9 roundabout at the Northampton side of the Coolidge Bridge. Join us in demanding a ceasefire & arms embargo. Signs & banners provided. Park at the Norwottuck Rail Trail, 446 Damon Rd. Click here for access info.

FRIDAY MAY 2 in GILL – May Day Strong: We Are The Many. 4:30-5:30 p.m. Main road and Route 2 intersection in Gill (map). This May Day, we will turn the page. This is the beginning of a new era—one where working families lead, immigrants are protected, and no one is left behind. This is not charity. This is not a request. We are reclaiming our power from corporate elites, and we will not be intimidated by Trump, Musk, or their billionaire backers. They’ve ruled for too long. Their time is up. More information

Saturday May 3: March with People’s Pride in the Hampshire Pride Parade 10 a.m. gather at Sheldon Field, Northampton, march at 11am. Join the Democratic Socialists of American Pride Contingent with your Palestine flags, anti-capitalist messages, noisemakers, and revolutionary queer energy! 

SATURDAY MAY 3 in SOUTH HANDLEY : May Day! May Day!: South Hadley Stands up for Democracy on the National Day of Action. 10 a.m. – 11 a.m. South Hadley Town Commons Across the street from US Post Office. Join us in South Hadley to stand united for our democracy against Trump, Musk, and billionaire profiteers. They’re defunding our schools, privatizing public services, slashing important programs and funds, attacking our rights, and targeting immigrant families with fear and violence. This is a war on working people—and we will not stand down. We want a future that works for us. Our union has always been a work in progress, but when faced with threats, our democratic values have prevailed. Let us not be the generation that fails to stand up for our cherished democracy.We are the many. They are the few. Join the fight. More information

Saturday, May 3: Greenfield for a Ceasefire 11am-noon, On the green by Court Square, 

WEDNESDAY MAY 7 in EASTHAMPTON: Standout for Palestine at the Pond. Easthampton for Ceasefire is back with a standout in support of Palestine and an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Join us on Tuesday, May 7th, from 4:30 pm – 6:00 p.m. at the corner of the Pond. Bring signs, banners, flags, and friends! Kids and families are welcome and encouraged to participate. This will be the first of many events by this group as we enter the next phase of our work. JVP Western Mass supports this event!

FRIDAY MAY 9 (and every Friday): Jewish Voice for Peace Weekly Northampton Standout. 4:00-5:30 p.m. at the Route 9 roundabout at the Northampton side of the Coolidge Bridge. Join us in demanding a ceasefire & arms embargo. Signs & banners provided. Park at the Norwottuck Rail Trail, 446 Damon Rd. Click here for access info.

Saturday, May 10: Greenfield for a Ceasefire 11am-noon, On the green by Court Square in Greenfield.

Ongoing:  Tesla Takedowns: Elon Musk is destroying democracy around the world, and he’s using the fortune he built at Tesla to do it. We are taking action at Tesla to stop Musk’s illegal coup. Tesla Takedown is a peaceful protest movement. We oppose violence, vandalism and destruction of property. This protest is a lawful exercise of our First Amendment right to peaceful assembly.  In the valley – Tesla Takedowns have been held at the Tesla charging facility at the Pride Station on the Hadley side of the Coolidge Bridge.  Find a listing of Tesla Takedown
actions here.

TRAININGS AND WORKSHOPS

TUESDAY APRIL 29: WORKSHOP- DIGITAL DEFENDERS: SECURING OUR RESISTANCE, A CRITICAL TRAINING ON INFOSECURITY FOR EVERYDAY ACTIVISTS.  From doxxing to digital surveillance, our movements are under threat. Join us as Dr. Heather Woods and Dr. Leslie Hahner break down the basics of infosecurity—and how we can protect our data, defend our people, and keep our resistance safe
online. More information and Registration

WEDNESDAY APRIL 30: THIRD ACT TRAINING SERIES. BACKING UP TARGETED COMMUNITIES. 6 p.m. (ET) online. Learn how you can take action and offer support in solidarity with oppressed communities, including immigrants, refugees, and trans people. Register and More information

WEDNESDAY APRIL 30: INFORMATION SESSION ON THE JUNE 7 MOMS OUT FRONT CLIMATE LEADERSHIP ACADEMY. Join us for an info session about the Mothers Out Front Leadership Academy — a one-day virtual bootcamp happening on June 7th! You’ll learn: • What to expect from the training • Who it’s for • How you can apply • What support (like stipends + accessibility) is available This is your chance to strengthen your power, connect with other motivated moms, caregivers, and others, and get the skills to start or strengthen your local team. ?? RSVP now and bring your questions! Register here.

WEDNESDAY MAY 14: KNOW YOUR RIGHTS TRAINING ON THE SCHOOL TO PRISON PIPELINE.
5-7 p.m. Bangs Community Center, Room 101, 70 Boltwood Walk. The Amherst Department of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion is hosting a workshop about the school to prison pipeline led by Citizens for Juvenile Justice. This educational event is part of a Know Your Rights Training series open to student in grades 6 to 12. Pizza and snacks will be provided. Register Here.


Other Listings and Calendars
Comprehensive WMASS Actions/ Events Calendar by Indivisible
Rise Up Western Mass Facebook (with postings of upcoming events)

Good Reads

The State We Are In: Tracking the Atrocities
The assaults on the rule of law and on well-established civil rights have been coming so quickly that it’s hard to absorb how dramatic the changes to our society have been.  I have been following four blogs that help me to track the proliefating atrocities and to help direct me toward the malfeasance that is most consequential.

Letters from an American by Heather Cox Richardson – Richardson, an historian, offers her daily dissection of a single Trump Administration atrocity and then places it in the context of American history. Each day offers a compelling read, that includes citations. Read the blog or subscribe here.

Today’s Edition Newsletter by Robert Hubble.  Hubble offers a daily summary of the worst of Trump from the previous day and then reports on what folks are doing to resist Trump’s edicts and actions.  Read past editions here.

The Daily Briefing by Rick Seltzer.  This blog provides a daily rundown of Trump’s assault on Higher Education – providing the most comprehensive tracking of Trump’s war on universities that I have found.  This one is behind a paywall but if you’re concerned with where Trump’s attacks are going and where the resistance is forming, this is the place to stay on top of those issues. The blog is a feature of the Chronicle of Higher Education and can be found here

Democracy Docket: Tracking the Legal Fight Against Trump. A great blog for keeping tabs on where Trump’s actions are being challenged in the courts.  Read a sample or subscribe here.

And here’s an article by Kelley Hayes that sums up where we are at the moment.

Fascism Isn’t Coming: It’s Here Now.  Now What?  By Kelley Hayes (4/17/25).  We’re not just contending with right-wing movements. We’re talking about movements that have reached one of their goals, which is to take over the government,” says organizer and grassroots strategist Ejeris Dixon. In this episode of “Movement Memos,” Dixon and host Kelly Hayes discuss fascism, coalition building, and the compassion and shared knowledge we need to create safety and justice in these times. (Truthout)

Resistance

A Map of Protests, April 19-27. by K. Starling (4/17/25) A(mostly) complete list of (almost) every protest across the country this week. (We The People Dissent /Substack)

The People’s Toolkit by Women’s March. Don’t just watch from the sidelines – join a community ready to take action. This power-packed toolkit developed by organizations behind the 2025 People’s March will connect you directly to movements making change on the issues you care about most. We’ve gathered concrete actions and individual demands from grassroots partners across the movement. Whether you’re passionate about voting rights, gender equity, or economic justice – there’s a clear path to make an impact.

17 Ways to Disprupt the Status Quo in Your Hometown by K. Starling (4/21/25). Whether you live in a sea of blue or are a blue dot in a red county, any one of us can dissent from our hometown. Here are 17 ways you can disrupt the status quo and make an impact in your town. And don’t forget—invite others to amplify your impact. (We The People Dissent / Substack).

How to Protest Safely by Courtney Lindwall (10/26/22). we must bear in mind that protesting in person is a privilege that not everyone shares. Some cannot chance gathering in groups due to health vulnerabilities. Some cannot afford run-ins with police due to their immigration status, family responsibilities, or job. And protesting remains uniquely dangerous for people of color—especially Black people—who continue to face intentional targeting and violence at the hands of police. For those who are willing and able to show up and speak out, here is your guide to protesting safely and effectively. (NRDC.org)

What Would a General Strike in the US Actually Look Like by Jeremy Brecher (4/8/25). Calls for a general strike in the US are growing. It’s important to understand how to organize one, given their key role in overcoming tyrants around the world. (Waging Nonviolence)

Mutual Aid in the Age of Fascism by Judith Levine (4/10/25). As people are being deputized to do violence, building connections is political resistance. (Boston Review)

How Civil Resistance Can Topple A Dictator by Erica Chenoweth ((2/1/25). It may only take 3.5% of the population to topple a dictator – with civil resistance. (Portside / The Guardian)

Resistance is Alive and Well in the United States by Erica Chenoweth, Jeremy Pressman, and Soha Hammam (3/19/25). Protests of Trump may not look like the mass marches of 2017, but research shows they are far more numerous and frequent — while also shifting to more powerful forms of resistance. (Waging Non-Violence)

So You Want to Be a Dissident: A Practical Guide for Courage in Trump’s Age of Fear by Julia Angwin and Amy Fields-Meyer (4/12/25). Sometime in the past two months the United States crossed into a new and unfamiliar realm—one in which the consequences of challenging the state seem to increasingly carry real danger. The sitting President, elected on an explicit platform of revenge against his political enemies, entered office by instituting loyalty tests, banning words, purging civil servants, and installing an F.B.I. director who made his name promising to punish his boss’s critics.Retribution soon followed. (The New Yorker)

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1 thought on “The Western Mass Resistance Calendar and Supplemental Reading List”

  1. Thanks for doing this, Art.

    The stand out on the overpasses today was great. It’s a good entry into the world of protest. The cars are not close, they’re traveling quickly, and the ratio of happy honks and waves to petulant middle fingers is VERY high.

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