A Latina police officer in Springfield was fired for posting in support of Black Lives Matter on Instagram. Florissa Fuentes was fired on June 19, 2020. Yolanda Cancel ran for Springfield mayor last year. She won the endorsement of Planned Parenthood. Tanisha Arena runs the Springfield group Arise for Social Justice. Arena referred the Valley Post to Cancel. In a July 1 interview with the Valley Post, Cancel condemned the firing. Cancel provided the Valley Post with the below photos and comment. Also below is a photo of Cancel from her campaign web site.

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Until now, no news outlet has covered a labor rally that happened in Springfield on June 4. The photo at:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10157733665694565&set=a.64259354...

shows the rally. Photo by UFCW Local 1459. According a post on that union's Facebook page promoting the rally, “Join us for a socially distanced rally in solidarity with Springfield's National Express drivers outside of the PVTA headquarters. It's coming up on a year since (130 or so) National Express drivers organized with UFCW 1459 but they still don't have a contract. The company is stalling negotiations. Join us to show support for these workers and demand that National Express bargain in good faith. Bring signs amplifying the demands of drivers who are fighting for a fair contract, better wages, improved health and safety, and hazard pay. Please wear your mask!”

The union has a web site at www.ufcw1459.com

On average, workers in the USA make 27 percent higher wages when they join a union. That's according to www.bls.gov.

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In Keene on the fourth of July there will be a Black Lives Matter rally. Details are at:

www.facebook.com/events/2445097105780551

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When there is a vaccine, civil disobedience can resume in the Valley and worldwide. UMass Amherst epidemiology professor Andrew Lover told the Valley Post on July 1, “Peaking in the U.S. is almost certainly at least one to two months out, as the current upticks in several large states will take quite some time to get under control, and may well also spark new problems in other states. Globally, until we have an effective vaccine, there will be challenges everywhere, but several countries like South Korea and New Zealand have shown great models for moving forward even in this difficult landscape. We need to rapidly expand and then continue to support all the levels of public health response in the U.S., from testing to case tracing to clinical care to mitigate the impacts.”