This rally drew about 1,000 people – in a town of 14,000!
Check out this story from the local paper: Bedford ‘Hands Off!’ Rally Attracts 1,000 People (Bedford Citizen, April 8, 2025)
And here are reflections from Third Act MA activist Marjorie Roemer, who co-organized the Bedford rally:
I thought that people my age (86) would not want to go into Boston for the big rally, especially those with canes or walkers. So, I decided to plan a smaller rally here in Bedford. Rick Johnson and I have done many smaller rallies focused on the climate, protesting the Bank of America’s investments in fossil fuel, and opposing the expansion of Hanscom here in Bedford for private jet travel. These rallies have generally been for 50 to 100 people.
We always give the local police a heads up. We haven’t been asked to get a permit, but they have kept an eye on the assemblage. I started letting our Third Act group here at Carleton-Willard Village, a retirement community, know, providing a map for a convenient drop-off and info about parking in the mall lot across the street, arranging car pools as needed. We have chosen the Veterans’ Memorial Park as a location because it’s in the center of town, a pleasant tree-filled spot with benches and convenient parking.
I advertised on Mobilize, through our Third Act MA newsletter, on Next Door, the local Mothers Out Front, Bedford First Parish UU Church, and through our local paper, The Bedford Citizen. 400 people responded on Mobilize, but 1,000 people showed up! It was cold and drizzly, but the spirit was amazing. We lined both sides of the street for almost a mile. People were jubilant to get this opportunity to be part of something. And I felt great to have organized something so big with so little effort.
Of course, a necessary part of our demonstration was Peggy McKibben, Bill’s Mom, who is a resident in our retirement community, and faithfully and enthusiastically attends our protests. It is great to have the McKibben spirit with us as we wave our signs and make some noise. The non-stop honking in our support from a steady stream of passing cars showed how many people share our views and appreciate what we are doing.