Above: Locals with signs will again use flags and signs to raise awareness with drivers in Southborough about their call to “Stand Up” for democracy. (image of cropped flyer)
The Southborough-based “pro-democracy group” Stand Up Now (SUN) has scheduled its monthly “Patriotic Standout” at a busy intersection on Route 9.
The event is scheduled for this Friday afternoon, February 6th.
The public demonstration will again feature using signs (and flags) to promote an anti-authoritarian message. This month, a message to email subscribers invites them to “Join with us and Minnesota” in response to actions by ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement).
The public invitation specifies:
Bring signs that protest ICE and support democracy! . . .
We welcome messages that support democracy and oppose authoritarianism & corruption.
Bring your flag or we can give you one!
As I previously shared, the group has been holding the demonstrations at the four corners of the sidewalks at the intersection of Route 9, Oak Hill Road, and Central Street on the 2nd Friday of each month.
This winter, the timing is 3:00 – 4:00 pm.
The SUN group is not affiliated with a political party. They are affiliated with Red, Wine, and Blue, which describes itself as “a national community of over half a million diverse suburban women working together to defeat extremism, one friend at a time”.
SUN organizers are Southborough residents who plan their activities locally. The activities include gatherings and pro-democracy actions between the monthly standouts.
One organizer shared an update about a candlelight vigil the group held last Wednesday evening on Common Street by the Old Burial Ground stone wall.
The vigil was to honor Alex Pretti and Renée Good, two citizens recently shot and killed by ICE agents in Minneapolis. The event was also “in solidarity with Minnesota and all immigrants facing unjust treatment.”
(I’m told SUN chose to not widely advertise the event, due to concern that the gathering area might not be large enough to hold a big group.)
To learn more about SUN, you can read my January post here. To sign up for info about their future events, click here.
Thanks to mySouthborough for reporting on local events and letting residents decide how to engage. This is what civic engagement looks like — people showing up peacefully to express their views.
Oh wow protest the deportation of illegal criminals who have been raging havoc in our cities and towns and sucking up our taxpayer money for years! You folks amaze me!!
I’ve been struggling to come up with a productive response to this comment.
Certainly nothing I write is going to change your thinking. And I don’t want to get into a useless debate with you on this topic. But by not responding, I risk readers thinking that I agree that all residents who protest are just seeking to protect “illegal criminals”.
Many in our community (including me) are disturbed by what you may have dismissed as fake news — the widespread, documented coverage of the violent excesses and abuses of ICE officials, including their treatment of non-criminal immigrants (including ones who came into this country “legally”) or anyone they suspect of being a non-citizen due to their skin color/accent.
Many are also disturbed by racist rhetoric from the administration that seeks to paint all immigrants that aren’t white as criminals or animals.
In addition, there is the clear evidence that ICE officials have been (with the encouragement and lies of the administration) violently trampling on the free speech rights of protesters.
Clear evidence??? By who??Oh ya CNN and MSNBC!!
but don’t and worked there butt off to take care of their families! There was no free stuff in anything back then. Now hard working taxpayers are supporting the large majority of these ILLEGAL immigrants many forever. Granted mistakes are made and need to be corrected. It is a free country and you can say whatever you feel appropriate but don’t tell me to support individuals that many are criminals and looking to do harm. Look at the huge reduction in crime rate by drug dealers and gangs. I support your right to these protests don’t tell me it’s not party related! Pretty Obvious!!
Part of my response was deleted! The part asking where all you folks were when Obama deported over a million illegals during his time in office! Also the part about how our grandparents came here legally thru Ellis Island and worked hard to support the family. No free stuff then!