Below are excellent photos of a November 9 peace rally at Umass Amherst, and another peace rally in Greenfield on November 12. With 4 percent of the world's population, the USA spends as much money on war as the rest of the world combined.

Madhura Sengupta wrote a speech. She and Arsema Kifle read the speech at the Amherst rally, which about 35 people attended. The speech reads, in part, “At this moment in time, the wealthiest 1 percent of Americans possesses approximately $50 trillion that could be used for food, education, healthcare, housing, and community services.”

In Brattleboro on June 24 about 150 people attended an abortion rights rally, Eileen Sullivan told the Valley Post. She works for Planned Parenthood. In Northampton on the same day about the same number of people attended a rally for the same cause, organizer Debby Pastrich-Klemer told the Valley Post. Two groups helped her: Valley Women’s March and Indivisible Northampton. “150 people is great for a last-minute event,” Pastrich-Klemer said. The protests were in response to a supreme court decision issued hours earlier. Now it's up to Biden and congress to over-rule the court.

On January 6 in Northampton about 175 people attended a rally to demand Congress pass three voting rights bills. “People were somber and serious but also hopeful. It was uplifting. So many people care about getting these voting rights bills passed,” organizer Larry Pareles told the Valley Post in a voice phone interview. He said people should go to www.IndivisibleNorthampton.org for more information. The below photo shows the rally. It was taken by Pareles. To enlarge the photo click on it, then scroll down and click "see full size image."

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About 100 people attended a rally to demand politicians provide good quality homes for homeless people. The rally was in Montague, Massachusetts, which borders Greenfield. It was on December 24. Cate Woolner organized the rally. In her speech at the rally she said, “Welcome and thank you for choosing to spend some of your Christmas Eve here, shining a light on the fact that on any given night, not just Christmas Eve, there are 30 – 40 community members sleeping in cars and tents, couch surfing from friend to friend or in the hospital or other facility with no where to go upon discharge.

This photo was taken in downtown Holyoke on December 26, 2021. To enlarge the photo, click on it, then scroll down and click "see full size image." Last year, hundreds of people of color attended a march in Holyoke to protest police brutality. Photos of the march are at:

https://valleypost.org/node/1593

In 2014, activists in Holyoke permanently shut down a coal power plant in the city. Every DAY it burned 1,200 tons of coal. It did that for decades.

On November 23 in Hadley, Massachusetts there was a protest rally outside Whole Foods. Hadley borders Northampton and Amherst. Whole Foods is owned by Amazon. About 10 people were at the rally, organizer Jackie Velez told the Valley Post. They handed out fliers to customers. Velez works for Massachusetts Jobs With Justice.

According to a press release from the group, Amazon's “demands are so high that people working at Amazon warehouses collapse from exhaustion and some have died on the job. All the while, Amazon shareholders and executives rake in outrageous profits.”

About 950 people attended women's marches in Northampton, Brattleboro, and Keene on October 2. The goal was to protect abortion rights. About 800 people marched in Northampton. That event was organized by Deborah Pastrich-Klemer, Planned Parenthood, and a group called the Valley Women's March.

About 125 people marched in Brattleboro. That event was organized by Tracy Donahue and others.

The number one cause of climate change is overpopulation.

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After decades of fighting for a crosswalk to be installed at the corner of the Hannaford supermarket driveway and Route 5 in Brattleboro, bike-ped activists are celebrating. The "walk/don't walk" buttons were turned on September 22. The activists have a web site at www.LocalMotion.org.

About 60 people attended a September 13 rally in Springfield. The rally was to call on congress to tax the rich and use the money to address climate change and pay healthcare workers more. One of the groups that organized the event has a web site at www.AriseSpringfield.org.

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In Brattleboro on September 12, about 40 people marched for abortion rights. One of the photos, below, shows some of the marchers. To enlarge the photo, click on it, then scroll down and click "see full size image." photo by Diana Whitney

In Springfield on July 31 there was march to call on the commissioner of the city's police department to resign. About 50 people were at the march, Juanita Batchelor told the Valley Post. She runs a group that has a web site at https://SpringfieldJustice.org. Members of the Massachusetts Senior Action Council (www.MassSeniorAction.org) marched. A photo of some of the marchers is below. To enlarge the photo, click on it, then scroll down and click “see full size image.” photo by Massachusetts Senior Action Council