Rebels Disrupt Rep Seth Moulton at Tufts University to Defend Free Speech

Medford, MA — Members of Extinction Rebellion disrupted a speech by Representative Seth Moulton (D-MA) on Monday, April 7 at Tufts University to demand that Rep. Moulton and congressional democrats get off the sidelines and take decisive action in defense of free speech and democracy against the authoritarian and unconstitutional behavior of the Trump administration.

The abduction last month of Tufts PhD student and columnist Rümeysa Öztürk by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents demonstrates the clear and present danger of Trump’s intention to stifle dissent, demonize immigrants, and consolidate power with complete disregard for legal process. Simultaneously the Trump administration is tearing apart the federal government taking away benefits, programs, and research Americans depend on to survive. This takeover threatens the small progress the United States has made towards stopping the climate crisis, putting millions of lives on the line.

The protesters took the stage while Rep. Moulton was speaking, unfurled a banner reading “Defend Free Speech: Free Rümeysa Öztürk”. The group refused to leave until they were removed from the hall by police, while chanting “Words don’t stop fascists, get up off your asses.”

“We are tired of speeches, statements, and false promises. Today we are sending a clear message to the Massachusetts congressional delegation and federal Democrats across the county: fight back or fuck off” said Martin Gioannetti, one of the activists who took the stage. Democrats have failed to rise up against the threat of fascism posed by the Trump administration. In March, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer failed to hold the line, voting with Republicans to keep the government open, caving to Trump. In January, 3 Democrats voted with Republicans to confirm Trump’s pick to lead the Environmental Protection Agency, Lee Zeldin. Zeldin has gutted environmental rules and moved to fire hundreds of federal workers. Without public pressure, Democrats will continue to give President Trump blank checks on power.

Rep. Moulton has positioned himself as a critic of the Trump administration’s worst abuses of power, but he has failed to match this criticism with substantive opposition proportionate to the severity of the threat. As a Captain in The United States Marine Corp, Moulton took an oath to defend the Constitution from all threats, foreign and domestic. The actions of the Trump administration empowering Elon Musk to eviscerate legally-established government programs and weaponizing the institutions of state power against opposition are clearly such a threat. It is a dereliction of duty to imagine that stern statements of disapproval are an adequate response to the administration’s disregard for the rule of law.

Members of Extinction Rebellion Boston (XR Boston) are especially focused on defending free speech this year, as they prepare to enter a series of legal trials in the Concord District Court. Twenty-one XR Boston activists were arrested last April at Hanscom Airfield while protesting the proposed expansion of Hanscom’s private jet capacity. The especially harsh legal response to these non-violent climate activists illustrates a national crackdown against free speech and the right to protest, that aligns with the unamerican treatment of Rümeysa Öztürk.

Extinction Rebellion Boston is an autonomous chapter of the international grassroots movement, Extinction Rebellion (XR), which started in London in 2018. The purpose of XR is to tell the truth about how dire the ecological and climate crises are and spark immediate action in order to prevent climate and ecological collapse. We aim to mobilize people around the world to utilize nonviolent direct action to demand that governments take radical action to avert societal collapse caused by widespread climate and ecological disaster and to protect frontline communities, biodiversity, and the natural world. This movement is non-political and unites all of humanity behind a singular goal of a just and livable future for all.

XR Boston’s recruiting, training, and capacity building is supported by the Climate Emergency Fund, which strategically supports ultra-ambitious organizations demanding solutions to the climate crisis at emergency speed.