This past year was tumultuous, as anti-police-brutality marches flooded streets. Already this year, it seems that not a week goes by without some major roadway being blocked by protests. Stir in the Olympics bidding process, which Boston officials assure us has just begun (despite private interests stewing for years), and the demonstrations are just getting started.
Should we “win” the international bid, the next 10 years will see many more protests from people affected by the Olympics. The Olympics are a housing issue. They are a racial issue. They are a queer issue. They are a public access issue. They are a transportation issue, and Boston activists know how to fight for those things.
While you were celebrating or begrudging the Olympics news, a group of protesters has made its debut. #HowDisruptive, comprised of people of color and their allies who support the growing anti-racist movement, got their name from public officials’ responses to recent unrest. This reminds me of a militant feminist chant: “You feel me up, I’ll fuck you up.” If Mayor Walsh and others have no qualms about disrupting vulnerable Hub communities, they can be damn sure someone will return the favor.
