XR Boston & Friends Celebrate One Year of Standing Out At The MA State House

On Wednesday June 5th, activists with Extinction Rebellion Boston (XR) publicly celebrated the one year anniversary of the State House Stand-Out. For 52 weeks, participants in the Stand-Out have gathered at the Massachusetts State House every business day, from 11 am to 3 pm or longer, to put relentless pressure on the Governor and legislators to ban new fossil fuel infrastructure immediately. Most often, these volunteers stand outside the General Hooker entrance of the building, but they have also been found at the Ashburton entrance or in the lobby of the Executive Office. The Stand-Out bears witness to climate inaction from the state government, engages the public on the climate emergency, and demands a strong push away from fossil fuel infrastructure. Every day, volunteer participants hand out fliers to passersby, speak with visitors and State House staff, and write postcards to Governor Healey, Senate President Spilka, and House Speaker Mariano. To celebrate one full year of daily participation and ongoing organizing, XR Boston hosted an exuberant celebration of their efforts to honor the activists involved. 

The celebration began at noon, with participants waving colorful banners and flags outside the General Hooker Entrance. Activists arrived and started talking to one another, writing personal postcards to Governor Healey, and listening to speeches by community organizers. Some of the speeches were given by organizers of the Stand-Out, who reminded the crowd of the importance of this ongoing action, and uplifted all the volunteer effort that has made it continue for over 52 weeks. Music played, and an organizer led the group in a choreography rehearsal for a climate version of Harry Belafonte's "Jump In The Line," before breaking into a conga line and eventually a raucous dance party. Laughing and out of breath, the collected group of around 50 participants filed through security into the State House. Once assembled into the State House, participants pulled whistles and kazoos out of their pockets and conga-lined upstairs to the Executive Office to deliver their postcards directly to Maura Healey's office, singing lyrics including:

[Chorus 1]
"Ban, ban, ban, Ms. Maura, ban those fossil fuels

Keep, keep, keep, Ms. Maura, keep the planet cool

Ban, ban, ban, Ms. Maura, ban those fossil fuels

Keep, keep, keep, Ms. Maura, keep the planet cool

[Verse 1]
My governor’s name is Maura

I really want to adore her

But if she won’t act, oh brother!

We’ll get hurricanes and all kinds of weather

[Chorus 2]
(Jump in the line, save the planet in time) OK, I believe you!

(Jump in the line, save the planet in time) OK, I believe you!

(Jump in the line, save the planet in time) OK, I believe you!

(Jump in the line, save the planet in time) Whoa!"

Peter Watson, one of the State House Stand-Out 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."

Since June 5 2023, through rain and shine, activists with XR Boston have arrived daily to the State House, set up banners and signs, and kept the pressure on the Healey administration to stop new fossil fuel infrastructure. Oftentimes, passerby have been struck by how long this effort has continued, and have stopped to write a postcard or take a flier. Sophia Pinto Thomas, local university student and another member of the Stand-Out organizing team, says "Organizing like this helps us build community, engage the public, and envision how change can really take place. I am a young person who is 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 State House Stand-Out show us what is possible when we put our heads together, speak out, and come together as a community." 

Research shows that our planet is rapidly entering climate and ecological breakdown. Burning fossil fuels in particular has led to a breach of the limits of many of Earth’s global systems — so much so that scientists have warned Earth could become “well outside the safe operating space for humanity.” We don’t have much time left to take action in order to keep global temperatures from spiking above 1.5 degrees of warming — a level where earth’s feedback loops will fundamentally alter life on this planet. Global mass extinction of life could take place, with humans losing the ability to stop what climate scientists call an “uninhabitable hothouse earth.”

Therefore, persistent and positive action such as the State House Stand-Out is more than necessary. Volunteers coming together, day after day, to hold space for this issue and communicate their concern can create a ripple effect. Even when there were bumps in the road, bad weather, or trains running late, still activists have kept the State House Stand Out continuing for over a year. Their time and voices matter, not only for the sake of a healthy climate, but for one another as well.