Sleep Out on Earth Day Eve, April 21 2010

Join with hundreds of people on the 40th Anniversary of Earth by sleeping out on the Boston Common on the night of April 21 to 22, in support of our call to Repower Massachusetts with 100% Clean Electricity by 2020.

Last fall, hundreds of people around the state participated in protests like these. In the spirit of non-violent civil disobedience, 200 people risked the legal consequences of sleeping out on the Boston Common after it closes, at 11:00PM.

It was a success. On December 7th, our bill was introduced into the State House and the State Senate, with the explicit backing of 17 legislators.

Now, we need to ask our representatives to vote on the bill and make it law.

For people who are not interested in participating in civil disobedience, we have arranged legal sleeping space in a nearby church -- everyone can help.

Bring signs and banners. Bring a tent and a sleeping bag. Bring music and good humor. Leave at home food (it attracts vermin in the tents), drugs and alcohol (this is a family-friendly event.) Above all, bring your commitment to a sustainable future.

Sleep Out Agenda

  1. 5:30pm- Start, Arrival, Tent Set-up
  2. 6:00 - 7:00pm- Rally
  3. 7:00 - 8:00pm- Dinner
  4. 8:00 - 8:15pm- Discuss Legal Situation
  5. 8:15 - 9:15pm- Games
  6. 9:15 - 11:00pm- Regional Breakouts/Team Breakouts
  7. 7:30am- Wake up
  8. 7:30 - 9am- Clean-up and Breakfast
  9. 9am- Lobbying Training
  10. 10 -11am- Climate Courage Awards
  11. 11am- Lobbying

Sleep-Out Registration

Please register. Knowing how many people are coming helps us plan the event. Thanks!

Legal Details
Trespassing on the Boston Common is a misdemeanor under Massachusetts law. Last fall, over 200 individuals slept out over the course of 7 weeks on the Boston Common, risking legal consequences. Our lawyers initially worked out a deal to downgrade our Criminal Misdemeanor to a Civil Infraction (the equivalent of a parking ticket). In the end, our cases were dismissed in their entirety after we agreed to pay ‘court fees’ of approximately $50 per offense, leaving no one with anything on their record.The court has indicated that is a one-time deal, and that in the future, the legal repercussions will be more severe, with civil infractions or criminal misdemeanors much more likely. As was the case last semester, arrest is also a distinct possibility, although the police have indicated that this is contrary to their philosophy and are unlikely to want to expend unnecessary resources doing so. The list of all Misdemeanors and Felonies in Massachusetts and their maximum penalties, can be found in the PDF Felony Misdemeanor Master Crime List of the Massachusetts Sentencing Commission found on: http://www.mass.gov/courts/ admin/sentcomm.html