By Julia Beauregard
Hometown Weekly Editor
On Monday, January 20, at precisely noon, the Peace Abbey Foundation hosted a peaceful demonstration at Pacifist Memorial Park. This event coincided with Inauguration Day and the Martin Luther King Jr. National Day of Service. Participants gathered to stand in solidarity against the global rise of authoritarianism and dictatorship, which organizers argue threaten democracy.
According to the Peace Abbey Foundation, the gathering was a call to action, honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s legacy while advocating for justice, equality, and freedom. Organizers highlighted the importance of peaceful protest as a means to safeguard democratic values and resist initiatives like Project 2025 and the MAGA agenda.
The demonstration featured twelve speakers who voiced concerns about issues they believe are under threat from the MAGA agenda and Project 2025. Topics included gun violence, healthcare, homelessness, civility, freedom of the press, animal welfare, capitalism, women’s rights, climate change, and religion. Protesters also condemned what they described as a rise in fascism, attributing its influence to policies associated with President Trump.
Lewis Randa, the founder and director of the Peace Abbey Foundation, emphasized the need for continued vigilance and activism to counter these perceived threats to democracy, “When President Trump took the oath of office, which he clearly has no intention of upholding, we presented 12 grievances that will be documented in court records as we advance our necessity defense. This defense asserts that our actions serve as a clear warning that our nation is heading toward fascism and authoritarianism.” These powerful speeches brought those who braved the freezing cold temperatures together as they stood closely to listen into their words.
After each speaker concluded their speech, they joined together to chain hard copies of their commentaries to a steel Peace Chain. Once the Peace Chain was fully assembled, Lewis Randa directed the protesters to move into the street, where they held the chain as an act of civil disobedience to amplify their message. Randa reminded participants that acts of civil disobedience do not need to be violent in order to be powerful.
More than a dozen participants received citations for civil disobedience after blocking Main Street in Sherborn. A trial date has yet to be scheduled.
