Trump, Russia inspire March for Truth on Saturday

By Nyssa KRUSE

For the Gazette

Published: 05-31-2017 10:45 AM

NORTHAMPTON — Residents plan to take to the streets at 11 a.m. Saturday for the March for Truth, a demonstration seeking more rigorous investigation into ties between the Trump administration and Russia.

Debby Pastrich-Klemer, co-chair of the group organizing the march, said she expects several hundred people to walk the route starting at Bridge Street School and ending at Pulaski Park, where a rally is scheduled for noon to 2 p.m.

The march is one of more than 100 with the same name occurring Saturday across the world.

“I just think it’s really important to get out there and get information from our senators,” Pastrich-Klemer said. “We’re not getting answers, so I think it’s important to put our voices out there.”

The march in Northampton was organized by Indivisible Noho, a local chapter of the national organization Indivisible, a self-described progressive political and social advocacy nonprofit.

Indivisible Noho’s website lays out four main demands that underpin Saturday’s march: that a special prosecutor be named to investigate the Trump administration; that as much information be made available to the public as soon as possible; that Trump release his tax returns; and that any crimes or collusion discovered are prosecuted.

Pastrich-Klemer said she believes previous marches since the election have already brought results, such as the appointment of former FBI Director Robert Mueller as special counsel to lead a probe into potential ties between the Trump campaign and Russia. She said she hopes more marches will bring more results.

Several speakers will address rally-goers Saturday, including Jennifer Taub, a Northampton resident and Vermont Law School professor; John Bonifaz, the cofounder and president of Free Speech For People; Marty Nathan, a member of the steering committee for the Western Massachusetts chapter of Climate Action Now; and Pamela Schwartz, former Northampton city councilor.

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Pastrich-Klemer said she wasn’t politically active until recently, describing November’s election as a wakeup call. Though she said she feels it’s amazing to live in Northampton, because she believes its representatives are speaking up for their constituents, she also believes it’s still important to be politically active.

 “We can’t be complacent because we live in the bubble of Northampton,” she said.

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