General Meeting Wed, Jan 14th

ByToby Sackton

In a few short months, Lexington Alarm!’s will be in it’s second year. It was remarkable and exciting to experience how quickly we first came together as a group around Patriots Day 2025 to proclaim “No King, No Tyranny” and “In America, the Law is King” during town celebrations. We clearly stuck a chord among hundreds and then thousands who were shocked by our democracy being attacked from within and felt the need to DO something. We distributed thousands of signs, hosted large rallies and standouts and collaborated with other groups organizing for rules of law, justice and humane treatment for all. On Oct. 18th we organized a second No Kings rally on the Battle Green that drew 6,000 participants–the second largest rally in the state.

But now we face the Valley Forge Years, the “winter of our discontent”. Many of the worst aspects of what we feared came to pass. Some did not. Many institutions and media capitulated rather than uphold the values they professed to still believe in. There was also resistance. But still, the same dark anti-democratic forces that we feared retained and used their power. It is hard to maintain commitment and enthusiasm when you have to pick and choose your battles and when change feels to move so slowly.

This meeting will give us a chance to reflect on our mission in 2026. What should be our commitment. Which should be our battles.

We have some business to attend to: staffing our table during the MLK Day Activator’s Fair at Grace Chapel on January 19th; planning a winter party; updating on our anti-ICE activities. But the bulk of the meeting will be a discussion about our role in standing for democracy in 2026. Please come and contribute your thoughts and ideas.

Similar Posts

  • 2 Ice Planes Land Same Day at Hanscom

    ByToby Sackton

    When Hanscom Airfield was first taken over by Massport, there was immense community opposition in Lexington, Concord, and surrounding towns because people did not want a major second Boston airport, as the infrastructure to support it was non-existent and it also would have changed the character of the Minuteman National Park, nearly an abutter.

    The result was a compromise for a small regional airfield, where jets of more than 60 seats would not be allowed. This agreement, limiting commercial airlines to 60 seats, was codified into law in the act enabling Massport to acquire the airport in 1980. The FAA sued, saying that FAA rules preempted local airport authorities from restricting operations in this way. Massachusetts won.

  • How Should Lexington Alarm Approach a crisis Election?

    ByToby Sackton

    The midterm elections are shaping up not simply as a chance to take power in
    the House and Senate but to lay the groundwork for what our country might
    become in the years after 2028. If we are to preserved a multi-racial democracy in the United States, we must start with this years election.

    (Photo: Photo: Black Voters Matter, voting rights rally in Montgomery, Alabama, 5/17/2026. (Credit: photojones.co)- From MVP)

  • How Lexington Alarm helped set the Stage for Public Discussion of Hanscom ICE Flights

    ByToby Sackton

    The recent letter from Maura Healey demanding that ICE halt flights out of Hanscom and the Boston Globe article examining ICE flights from Hanscom Field was the result of months of organizing, research, and coalition-building by Lexington Alarm and allied groups across the region. Far from being a sudden media moment, the story reflected a growing public effort to bring transparency and accountability to the use of a Massachusetts state facility for immigration enforcement operations.

    The issue first gained momentum after a Freedom of Information Act request revealed that Massport had knowledge of ICE-related charter flights at Hanscom but was not fully sharing that information with the Hanscom Field Advisory Commission. This lack of disclosure raised the possibility that Massport was deliberately keeping information about ICE flights from the Commission.

    In response to the Commission’s request for this data and our desire to increase public scrutiny, Lexington Alarm and partner organizations launched a coordinated letter-writing campaign directed at Massport executives, the Massport Board of Directors, and Governor Maura Healey. To make participation easy and accessible, we developed an online tool that allows individuals to send letters directly to Massport and the Governor both electronically and via regular mail.

    As of this week over six hundreds of letters and emails were sent. This response demonstrated that concern about ICE flights from Hanscom extended well beyond Lexington and involved residents across multiple communities.

  • Addressing the Massachusetts Due Process Emergency

    ByToby Sackton

    Massachusetts is confronting a due-process crisis of statewide scale: an estimated 6% of the Commonwealth’s residents—about 442,000 people—are undocumented or live with an undocumented family member and are therefore vulnerable to immigration enforcement actions that often proceed without judicial warrants or bond hearings.

    During the first year of Covid in 2020, about 5% of the Massachusetts population got infected. This galvanized the governor and legislature to action, and a number of emergency actions were initiated. Our current crisis demands the same response.

    Immigration enforcement that violates basic legal rights puts 6% of the State’s population at risk, but our legislature is not acting like there is a crisis.

  • Final Update on Oct 18th No King! ‘It Started Here’ Rally

    ByToby Sackton

    We are just two days away from the Oct. 18 No Kings! rally 10:00 am – 12:00 pm on Lexington’s historic Battle Green, sponsored by Lexington Alarm! and Indivisible LAB. We are part of an historic moment when millions of people throughout the country will demonstrate their resistance to tyranny. There are over 2600 No Kings events, a 45% increase over the number held June 14th. We are expecting a large crowd in Lexington. Check our lexingtonalarm.org/oct-18th-details for important updates including speaker info, parking information and other resources. If you have not registered, RSVP here to get additional email updates.

  • New Campaign: Tell Massport to Stop ICE Flights

    ByToby Sackton

    We are escalating our pressure on the Massachusetts Port Authority with a direct letter-writing campaign to Massport Leadership and the Board of Directors. Over 2,000 residents have been forcibly removed from Hanscom Field , their due process rights recklessly disregarded by an authority that claims ignorance. We demand Massport stop hiding behind federal preemption and use its full regulatory power to protect our community.