“What convinces masses are not facts, not even invented facts, but the consistency of the illusion.” — Hannah Arendt, The Origins of Totalitarianism
RIP Alex Pretti
We all mourn the death of Alex Pretti. In his last moments, Alex showed himself to be the type of person that we may all strive to be: caring, empathetic, and willing to go out of one’s way to take care of one’s neighbors. Alex appears to have been brutally murdered by US Customs and Border Protection agents in Minneapolis for non-threateningly trying to aid a woman who had been shoved to the ground. Alex’s last words were “Are you okay?” Alex’s death makes this country a lesser place. Alex and his Minnesota brethren have shown us the way. Let’s come together and use our grief to fuel our nonviolent resistance.
Federal ACTION OF THE WEEK: Tell the Senate: Not a penny more for ICE brutality
Indivisible’s co-executive director, Ezra Levin, released this statement in reaction to the second ICE shooting and apparent murder of a person in Minneapolis this month. Indivisible is asking us to take immediate action and contact our Senators:
- Tell the Senate: Not a penny more for ICE brutality – Use this tool to call your senators with a clear message (sample script provided).
- Tell your senators to rein in ICE NOW – Use this tool to email your senators with a clear message (sample script provided).
Commonwealth ACTION OF THE WEEK: Demand enactment of the Safe Communities Act
We support the Protecting Massachusetts Communities campaign. Call Governor Healey’s constituent services line at 617-725-4005 and urge her to take all action necessary to pass the Safe Communities Act (House bill H2580 and Senate bill S1681) into law. The Safe Communities Act would (a) bar cooperative agreements with ICE within our commonwealth and (b) prohibit state and local law enforcement from doing ICE’s job.
Procrastinator’s Holiday Party
We have had the great fortune to procrastinate yet again! Due to white stuff tumbling from the sky, our party has been rescheduled to Sunday, February 1st, 2026, from 3:30 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., at FUUSN Parish Hall, First Unitarian Universalist Society of Newton, 1326 Washington Street, West Newton.
Let’s party! Coffee and baked goods will be served (made at the last minute, of course…). We will showcase the debut of the Soap Bubble Dancers, who will perform “Let’s Get This Stain Out For Good,” created by the Laughtivism Action Team. The Storytellers Action Team will screen the world premiere of their next video.
Bring your passion for preserving our democracy and your willingness to build community. Don’t Sit This One Out! Please let us know you plan to attend by filling out this RSVP form.
Elections Action Team
Actions to take this week (each of the links below provides more information and registration information):
- On Thursday, 1/29 at 7:00 p.m., you have two opportunities to help VoteRiders in their mission to ensure that all citizens are able to exercise their freedom to vote: NC & TX Virtual Letter Writing Party – Reach out to voters living in states with some of the strictest voter ID laws to ensure they have the documents they need; and Voter ID Helpline Orientation – Learn how you, as a Helpline volunteer, can assist voters with getting the ID they need to vote.
- On Monday, 2/2 at 6:45 p.m., join Activist Evenings Brookline in person at the United Parish (15 Marion Street) for Postcarding to Michigan and updates from Swing Blue Alliance.
- Next Tuesday, 2/3 at 8:00 p.m., join the Ground Truth: New Volunteer Orientation, a Zoom call to learn about Ground Truth, which is SwingLeft’s innovative new approach to canvassing.
Fundraiser for Immigrant Justice
Senator Adam Gomez, the Lead Sponsor of the Dignity Not Deportations legislation in the Massachusetts State House, will participate along with the Choir of First Parish in Cambridge, led by Kenneth Griffith in The Rooted and Rising Fundraiser for Immigrant Justice taking place at First Parish in Cambridge, 1446 Massachusetts Avenue (Accessible entrance at 1 Church Street) on Sunday, February 1st at 2:30 p.m. RSVP to attend this event. It will be open to the community and live-streamed on Zoom. A reception will be held after the event.
Bridge Brigade Action Team
Newton Bridge Brigade will be out on Thursday, January 29th, from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. on the Kendrick St. Bridge over Rt 128/95. Our message this week will be “RESISTANCE WORKS, TAKE ACTION. INDIVISIBLE.ORG“ Join us every Thursday! The bridge is not accessible; therefore, this action has been cancelled this week. Newton Bridge Brigade returns next week.
Swing Left JP will be out on Thursday, January 29th, from 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. on Lewis Terrace in Newtonville (as long as the weather and wind chill are reasonable).
Highlanders Visibility Brigade will be out again in West Newton on Highland St. over the MA Pike, Wednesday, January 28th, 8:00 to 9:00 a.m. Join us every Wednesday!
For more information on these and other visibility actions around Boston, visit the Local Visibilities page.
Rallies Action Team
Join us for our 46th standout in Newton Centre on Saturday, January 31st, at the intersection of Beacon and Center Streets from 12 noon to 1:00 p.m.
Saturday RESIST Standouts will continue in Newton Centre throughout the winter unless the City of Newton declares a snow emergency. However, some of our stalwart participants may not be able to stand out in the cold. If you are young and healthy, please consider joining us on any Saturday you are available during the winter months. Bring your own signs. Take a look at The Big List of Protest Signs for ideas.
Resistance, not restraint or reform, produces meaningful protections against abuse of power
Historian Tad Stoermer argues that calls for standard methods of inducement of Republicans represent a dangerous form of American exceptionalism and a misreading of U.S. resistance history. He contends that tyrants respond to power – organized resistance. They do not respond to persuasion. The narrative of minority party powerlessness serves authoritarian interests by convincing the opposition that they cannot effectively resist. He criticizes contemporary Senate Democrats for refusing to use similar leverage (such as the 41-vote filibuster threshold to block funding for ICE) despite claiming to recognize government abuse, settling instead for requests for minor reforms.
Stoermer challenges us to decide whether we are ”loyalists,” committed to reforming the existing system, or “patriots,” willing to force change through peaceful means, arguing that American history shows that resistance, not restraint or reform, produces meaningful protections against the abuse of power. We are pleased to see that more Senate Democrats are standing firm against funding ICE, which comes in the wake of the courage of mass protests in the face of lethal power. Newton Indivisible offers opportunities for organized non-violent noncooperation in support of productive resistance through the work of our Action Teams.
Progressive Massachusetts Meeting on Saturday, January 31st
This will be an interesting afternoon. Progressive Massachusetts is holding its 2026 Annual Meeting & Activists Conference on January 31st. This meeting is open to everyone and includes sessions on Ballot Questions and Elections, The Vote Yes for a Safe Massachusetts Campaign, Immigrant Justice in 2026, and Putting Pressure on DAs and Sheriffs. Register here to attend this event.
Help Pass the Massachusetts Consumer Data Privacy Act
ICE has been ramping up enforcement and terrorizing communities here in Massachusetts and around the country. And now it has a powerful new tool: The ability to track individuals across crowded cities using cellphone location data. The implications are chilling. Massachusetts can stop this practice in our state. Join the ACLU in calling on lawmakers to pass strong data privacy legislation (Massachusetts Consumer Data Privacy Act, H.4746).
More Opportunities to Take Action
Please visit the Opportunities to Take Action page on our website for a listing of important ongoing initiatives. The list is updated weekly along with our newsletter. You can also make an impact by donating to Newton Indivisible.
Newsletter Contributions
To submit items for inclusion in our Newsletter or Opportunities to Take Action page on our website, please send them to newsletter@newton-indivisible.org and include an image if possible. Submissions will be edited for brevity and clarity.
Brought to you by the Newton Indivisible Executive Committee: Kia, Rachael, Larry, Pat, Erica, Karen, and David.
To send a message to the leadership team, use our Contact Form or email info@newton-indivisible.org.
You can donate to support Newton Indivisible.
Image credits: 1a. Alex Pretti drawing (artist unknown); 1b. “Warning Signs of Fascism Sign at Alex Pretti Memorial” by Chad Davis, (CC-AT-NC); 2. Indivisible; 3. LUCE.