MassInsider

Press Release: 7/22/2022

Sen. Lesser Speaks Against Mapping Project and Rise of White Supremacist Activity in Massachusetts:

Senate unanimously approves additional $5 million in funding for the Commonwealth’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program

This evening, during the Massachusetts State Senate’s debate of the Economic Development Bonding Bill (S.3018), Senator Eric P. Lesser delivered remarks on his amendment for an additional $5 million funding for the Commonwealth’s Nonprofit Security Grant program. The program provides vital security enhancements at houses of worship, community centers, and other institutions at heightened risk of hate crimes, terrorism, and other violence. Since 2017, Senator Lesser has worked alongside Senate President Emerita Chandler and Senate Majority Leader Creem to establish the Nonprofit Security Grant program.

“In May, I stood before this chamber to speak out against the heinous rise in violence and bigotry against minority groups across our Commonwealth targeted for who they love, the way they dress, the faith they practice, the color of their skin,” stated Senator Lesser. “I am sad to say that in just two short months, things have gotten much worse in Massachusetts and across the country.”

In May during the Senate’s annual budget debate, Senator Lesser secured $3 million in funding for the Nonprofit Security Program, doubling the funding. This new $5 million reserve, secured with support from Senate colleagues, Senate President Karen Spilka, and Senate Ways & Means Chair Michael Rodrigues, will further meet the demand of the program.

“The existence of a public and user-friendly map that targets houses of worship, schools, and community centers is downright vicious, anti-semitic, and must be condemned in the strongest possible terms,” Senator Lesser stated in reference to the Boston BDS-promoted Mapping Project in his remarks.

The increase in funding comes at a time when documented acts of white supremacist activity, antisemitism, and hateful acts against the LGBTQ+ community have spiked in Massachusetts. In early June, a website launched that is home to “The Mapping Project”, identifying the precise location of nearly 500 community organizations in Massachusetts, many of which are religious and cultural organizations serving the Jewish community. In early July, 100 members of the white supremacist group Patriot Front marched through downtown Boston with their faces hidden by sunglasses, baseball hats, and white neck gaiters.

“We’re at a frightening place in our Commonwealth. If anyone thinks that their doorstep, downtown, neighborhood, or community is safe from threats of violence, the unfortunate reality is that none of this is just anecdote,” stated Senator Lesser. “Today, when acts of hate and violence have become so shockingly commonplace, when organizations are pleading for our help, we must marshal every resource at our disposal to make sure that the people who feel vulnerable are getting the support that they need to feel safe in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.”

Senator Lesser’s full remarks can be viewed here: https://youtu.be/hvJabKPcJM0