Above photo: Provided by the author.
The Massachusetts Peace Action, MAPA, organized a car rally in Boston today to support national and international solidarity as the COVID-19 pandemic rages around the globe. More than 50 cars participated in the rally.
The impact of the Corona-19 pandemic has been overwhelming in our country. It has been especially devastating for the poor and for Black, Brown, and Indigenous communities. At the same time, wealthy elites value their profits more than people’s lives.
Now is the time to imagine and act together for reorganizing society around the needs of all the people, especially of the poor and working people. We invite you to join us and magnify the potential impact of this message by distributing it and acting similarly locally and globally.
Join us in support of the U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres call to waive “the sanctions imposed on countries to ensure access to food, essential health supplies, and COVID-19 medical support. This is the time for solidarity not exclusion. Let us remember that we are only as strong as the weakest health system in our interconnected world.” US sanctions are devastating in ordinary times. But collectively punishing entire populations during a global pandemic is an even more ruthless form of barbarism.
The Rally called for:
· Support frontline staff fighting COVID-19 and essential workers here and around the world
· Bailout small business not corporations
· Fund Medicare for All, Not Wars and Militarism
· End US sanctions on Venezuela, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Syria
· Fund the Green New Deal no subsidies to oil and gas corporations
· End the blockade of Gaza, the largest open-air prison in the world
· Invest in public education and job training not in wars and militarism
· Cancel all student loans by cutting the bloated defense and war budget
· Cooperation with China ‘No’ to War Mongering and Racism
· Support immigrants and refugees ‘No’ to detentions, deportation, and walls
The rally was endorsed by: