Progressive West Roxbury/Roslindale (PWRR) held an organizing meeting last week to prepare for local and nationwide demonstrations scheduled in upcoming weeks, specifically the “No Kings” rallies planned for Saturday, March 28 throughout the country.

As a chapter of Progressive MASS and the national Indivisible group, PWRR states it works at the grass-roots community level to build accountability for elected officials, advance progressive policies through electoral engagement, and stop the encroachment of authoritarianism in the U.S.

About 15 people attended, some long-standing volunteers and a few first timers new to the neighborhood looking to get involved and hear updates. Rachel Poliner of PWRR invited everyone to sign candidate petitions, pick up a list of recent PWRR actions, grab a snack, work on making signs for the March 28 rally and introduce themselves, and talk about what brought them to the meeting.

“It’s important. That’s why I’m here,” said one attendee who’s been in the area less than a year and wanted to get involved.

A Roslindale neighbor said he’s been participating “as a ‘planner’ and a safety person for a number of the actions that we've all done, and I was out distributing the flyers.” Another Roslindale resident said, “I'm here tonight because I just have felt a compelling need to up my activism because of events in our world.” Others mentioned the fear of authoritarianism, wanting to be involved with others who shared their beliefs, and general curiosity.

Poliner asked for what sources of independent media those present relied on for information and started with her own suggestions. “‘The Contrarian’ on Substack. Jen Rubin left the Washington Post, Norm Eisen left CNN on the same day, and they started ‘The Contrarian’ a week exactly before Donald Trump was inaugurated… Their motto: truthful, not neutral.”

Other sources mentioned were Boston College historian Heather Cox Richardson and her daily newsletter “Letters from an American,” The Meidas Touch podcasts, “The Guardian” newspaper (online), and David Roberts on Volt. Lawrence O’Donnell’s “The Last Word” on MS NOW was recommended as one who is “calling it out and takes the moral high ground.” Also on MS NOW, Rachel Madow, who often shows videos of demonstrations across the country during her Monday night shows. Satirist Andy Borowitz of “The Borowitz Report” was another favorite if you wanted to laugh.

Poliner discussed the list of Progressive Mass legislative four agenda goals (with assigned bill names and numbers) for 2025-2026: a Shared Prosperity Agenda, which includes funding education, debt-free higher education, rent stabilization, and Medicare for all; a Racial and Social Justice Agenda with a prison moratorium, visitation rights, safe communities (limiting local and state collaboration with ICE); a Sustainable Infrastructure Agenda with fines for polluters and an end to expanding gas infrastructure; and a Good Government/Strong Democracy Agenda including same day registration, greater transparency of legislature.

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Poliner says there is a reason for why the Trump administration is moving in numerous directions quickly.

“Fast with the executive orders, fast with the corruption and the stealing, fast with the trying to take over elections, fast with dropping bombs, because they're trying to go faster than we can organize against them. That's the race. Autocracy is a race.”

She said she believes those in power now keep breaking the law. To fight them she pointed to Norm Eisen’s four P’s Proceedings (the courts), Poles (elections), Public protest, and the Political (leadership).

“Jamie Raskin, Chris Murphy, Maxwell Frost, Elizabeth Warren – like people really speaking out,” she said. “One of the signs of autocratic threat breaking through, taking over, is when these people have no choice but to be quiet.”

She said these representatives are still loud and others should join. She would also add amendments with “Protecting people” “Alternatives,” like having the New England states have their own vaccine schedule, and “Accountability,” so those involved in breaking the law have to face the consequences.

Some at the meeting mentioned initiatives like Crimson Courage, a group of Harvard University alumni supporting the university’s stand against the Trump administration attacks and attempts to control what is taught and done at Harvard. Their other goal is to help other institutions to do the same. “We think of higher education as a pillar of democracy, to help efforts at other colleges and universities to create organizations that are of their alumni,” said Jack Mills. “I do think that alumni across the country are taking up the effort to protect their colleges and universities. For more information on PWRR, go to https://gvimes.link/qrppxa