Reflecting On Over a Year of the State House Stand-Out

After 14 incredible months, the XR Boston State House Stand-Out has come to an end. What an amazing project it's been!

The Stand-Out began on June 5th, 2023, spearheaded by activists who wanted to highlight the absurdity of our government's continued support of fossil fuel investment, with the key demand of "No New Fossil Fuel Infrastructure." For over a year, on every workday, volunteers held space at the front entrance of the Massachusetts State House with signs, banners, flags, and flyers. These activists, traveling from anywhere between Wellesley, Weymouth, and Winthrop MA, would come downtown to hold a peaceful public protest in the name of climate justice. Activists wrote custom-made postcards to MA legislators and Governor Maura Healey, and handed out brightly-colored flyers to passerby. For 60 weeks, or 289 days, a vibrant vigil was held for "No New Fossil Fuel Infrastructure" (NNFFI).

Peter Watson, one of XR's co-organizers, said "We have shown that a bunch of activists from different cultural backgrounds, ranging in age from teens to seniors, can commit to a year of collective action, mutual support, friendship and reliable presence. The Stand-Out has highlighted and drawn ongoing attention to the state's shameful lack of movement to ban new fossil fuel infrastructure."

Throughout the State House Stand-Out, over 100 people participated. Some volunteers made it to the State House only a handful of times, while others signed up for weekly shifts and gladly picked up any extra slack. College students, teachers, retirees, artists, and scientists found time in their weekday to carry a banner, talk to passerby, and hold space for the climate crisis. Some volunteers brought their friends, a family member, or their own homemade signs. A two-hour shift could be filled with interesting conversations, quiet solitude, bright sunshine, and inspired visitors. Having the time and space to reflect on the state of our world, and what we can do about it, proved to be important to many volunteers.

Creativity for the Climate

This feat could not have been pulled off without a strong team of organizers --- consisting of Julia, Peter, Harley, Jamie, Stewart, and Sophia --- and a diverse team of climate rebels. A blog was kept throughout the project, with tidbits and triumphs from each day: you can access the blog here. Every day, through communication and consistency, the State House Stand-Out educated the public about climate change and the importance of divesting from fossil fuels; thousands of postcards were sent to the offices of Governor Healey, House Speaker Mariano, Senate President Spilka, and others. This was part of an effort to advocate for stronger climate action, beginning with the State House banning any new fossil fuel infrastructure.

"New" is a key word here -- in a time of raging heatwaves and staggering emissions, the first step to take in fighting climate change is to stop making the problem worse. Dr. Andrew Pershing, VP for Science at Climate Central, said: "More than a century of burning coal, oil, and natural gas has given us an increasingly dangerous world. The heat waves popping up around the world this summer are unnatural disasters that will become more and more common until carbon pollution stops."  Fossil fuels are the biggest culprit of this crisis. It is imperative that the voices of concerned citizens be heard.

Committing to "no new fossil fuel infrastructure" would allow a local (or national) government to begin investing in renewable energy, climate resiliency projects, and other eco-friendly actions. In the 2020s, there is no excuse for any more fossil fuel investment. Without endangering anyone's health or shutting down the grid overnight, our economies must move away from fossil fuels as soon as possible. This is the first step in what is known as a "just transition":

The State House Stand-Out was organized by XR Boston, with volunteer support from Mothers Out Front, 350Mass, FRAACS, Our Revolution Massachusetts, and more. The messaging was insistent: alongside NNFFI, there were pink banners saying "Commonwealth failing to address Climate Crisis" and "Governor Healey, do your job on climate". These banners were unfurled everyday, alongside XR flags and smaller, handheld signs that called out the fossil fuel industry's grip on government. The postcards that were delivered every day were designed by the co-organizers, featuring bright colors and animal imagery. Later in the Stand-Out, the idea of "wearable signs" was floated, and our more artistic members began to design fabric signs that could be worn by volunteers. Everyone's environmental enthusiasm was expressed in full force!

There were multiple milestone celebrations throughout the course of our 14 months at the State House. There were vibrant and outspoken events for Day 75 last September, Day 101 last October; our Day 202 in April, and the June 5th 1-year anniversary of the Stand-Out. Musicians played, we sang climate-themed songs, and staged elaborate 'die-ins' outside the General Hooker Entrance. We needed to remind the legislature that we were still here, our momentum was strong, and we were staying put for the sake of a healthy, fossil-free planet. For 289 business days, that's exactly what we did!

Sophia Pinto Thomas, local university student and another member of the Stand-Out organizing team, said in late July: "Organizing like this helps us build community, engage the public, and envision how change can really take place. I am so proud of everything that the State House Stand Out has accomplished, and the connections we have built. As a young person, I am more than afraid for my future --- anything I can do to support activist efforts and bring attention to the crisis we are facing helps me sleep at night. Efforts such as the Stand Out show us what is possible when we put our heads together, speak out, and come together as a community. Even if this particular project is ending, our momentum has only grown."

Celebrations Aside...

Let's address the elephant in the room: the State House Stand-Out did not end because the Massachusetts legislature agreed to our demands. Far from it. Over the course of months, co-organizers decided that the Stand-Out needed an indefinite ending, and a natural date would fall on July 31st, at the end of the legislative session. Throughout the summer, in anticipation of our deadline and in hopes that our state government would heed our demands in an upcoming 'climate bill', the Stand-Out volunteers pushed even harder for strong participation. Extra postcards were written and delivered, encouraging our representatives and senators to make the climate bill strong and comprehensive. We especially hoped that they would lean into legislation that would limit, if not ban, new fossil fuel investment; the "Gas Moratorium" provisions created much anticipation.

The week leading up to Wednesday July 31st, when the session would officially end, was full of apprehension. Rumors floated that the climate bill that was being discussed would still not be enough, it it passed at all. In the end, we were not the only citizens who were disappointed: Of the dozen bills that went into compromise talks at the end of the session, only three made it out. The rest, including our crucial climate bill, died on the floor due to a lack of compromise and conviction, despite the fact that both the House and the Senate are controlled by Democrats. WBUR reported that "All Wednesday night, we reporters who were up at the State House kept hearing how the conference committees tasked with making deals were deadlocked. 'There seems to be a larger game afoot,' state Senator Michael Barrett told us shortly after midnight. By morning, the climate and energy bill he was negotiating was dead." In other words, so much work and effort put forth by activists and citizens didn't inspire the urgency we desperately need.

It is unlikely that any of the bills that were almost passed will be reconsidered for months. 2025 and 2026 will be crucial years in the Massachusetts State House, but the climate crisis can't afford any more inaction. Those of us who are worried about the future of the Commonwealth need to get creative, get loud, and continue putting pressure on our legislators -- clearly, they don't feel the heat!

(Written by Sophia Pinto Thomas)