Clyde Grubbs /Photo by Matthew J Shochat

On February 27^th, over 100 people attended an inspiring Community Gathering hosted by the Decolonize to Liberate Working Group of Occupy Boston. The Gathering was convened in order to help the Occupy Boston community understand the meaning of Decolonization and how the story and goals of the Occupy movement are related to centuries of indigenous resistance to colonialism.

The large group gathered on Monday sat in a large circle around the hall of Christ Church, in Cambridge, a venue which heard the words of the Rev. Martin Luther King in April of 1967, when Harvard wouldn’t let him speak (about protesting Vietnam). The evening’s program started with a jubilant blessing and an introduction to the founding of the working group and the meaning of “decolonization.” “Decolonization looks different for each person, and it’s an ongoing process. If we’re going to create a society that works for everyone, we need to reexamine the cultural programming and assumptions we received through colonization.”

Laurie Leyshon /Photo by Matthew J Shochat

Attendees were then brought through the history and context of colonization of the land now called Boston. They were reminded the origin of many local cities and streets: Chicoppee, Mashpee, Mattapan, Shawmut. A traditional oration was broken up by several multi-media “episodes” looking at specific instances of colonialist exploitation and resistance to it, including a live painting depicting the history of the slave trade, and a dramatic telling of the massacre at wounded knee. The overarching story gave attendees an understanding of the legal foundation for the ongoing exploitation of indigenous populations and their land.  The Doctrine of Discovery, is a Papal Bull from the 15^th century that was expounded by the U.S. Supreme Court – the imperative and legal justification for the occupation of indigenous lands by Christians. The presentation shared this story and several ways to understand how the history of indigenous resistance relates to that of Occupy, a now global and popular movement for justice and an end to corporate exploitation for profit.

The Community Gathering in itself was listed as part of the “#F27 Occupy your Food Supply” international day of action, in which more than 60 Occupies participated. Event attendees were greeted with a generous offering of good, whole and local foods. As a petition for labeling of GMO’s went around the circle, people were reminded that “the commodification and exploitation of Mother Earth and all Life for profit, what’s being carried out by companies like Monsanto, is a continuation of a long history of colonialism.”

After a round of lively small group discussions, the evening ended with one large circle, holding hands.  It was an incredibly informative and moving Gathering which clearly demonstrated why the work of Decolonize to Liberate is such an integral part of Occupy Boston.

Clips from the evening can be found here, here and here. The groups wiki, which contains many resources, links and updates, is found here.

Additional edit and contributions provided by Martin Dagoberto of the Decolonize To Liberate Working Group.

Photo by Matthew J Shochat

On March 1st, 2012, members of Occupy Boston, Occupy UMass Boston, Occupy Harvard, Students Occupy and others gathered at Dewey Square for a Day of Action against Student Debt. It was a spirited turnout despite the cold and rainy weather.

Photo by Matthew J Shochat

After marching through the Financial District, the group went to City Hall.

Photo by Matthew J Shochat

From Boston City Hall, the group marched to the State House where White Ribbon Day Events were taking place. A moment of silence was observed in solidarity with these events.

Photo by Matthew J Shochat

The march then took to the streets around the Common.

Photo by Matthew J Shochat

Everyone then gathered at the Hooker Entrance of the State House for a speak out.

Photo by Matthew J Shochat

The speak out  then moved inside the State House.

Photo by Matthew J Shochat

Activists celebrated a successful day of action before dispersing at 4:00 PM.

T Riders came from Worcester, Saugus, Natick, Newton, Arlington and many more towns and cities – not just from Metro Boston, but from the entire state – to say “NO!” to service cuts and fare hikes at a rally and march on Saturday, February 25. The rally was held in Copley Square.

A T Rider from Worcester uses the commuter rail to get to work in Boston. He said he is not alone in doing this and that ending weekend commuter rail service would cost him his job and mean he would stop attending concerts or going to restaurants in Boston. The rider stated, “This temporary solution will cause long term damage to the state’s economy.”

A school bus driver stated that most other industrial countries don’t expect public transportation to pay for itself. Like roads and bridges, good public transportation is part of the infrastructure required for a growing economy. He stated that the T proposal would amount to a wage cut for working people, and would be a 25% pay cut for his daughter who relies on the MBTA. Less take home pay would mean students who drop out of school, fewer restaurant meals, and a slowed-down economy.

Another speaker used the T to come to the rally from Beverly. She stated that if the T’s proposal had passed, she would have been unable to come to the rally. She said that in less than 10 years, the cost of a round trip from Beverly has increased 250% and that she cannot continue to absorb that kind of fee hike. She is sure that if the MBTA hikes rates this year, they will just come back for more next year.

Another speaker shared that cuts to “The Ride” would be devastating. Many seniors and people with disabilities rely on “The Ride” to get to appointments or to go anywhere. The co-pay for the ride may increase from $2.00 each way to $4.50 each way, which means disabled people on a fixed income may have to choose between eating and appointments like physical therapy.

If banks can get bailouts, why not the MBTA? Too much is riding on the MBTA for the T to be allowed to fail its riders.