Brookline Groups Holding People's Independence Day Rally

BROOKLINE, MA — Residents are planning to gather in Coolidge Corner on Friday for a People's Independence Day rally celebrating the Fourth of July while protesting President Donald Trump and his administration.

The event is organized by Speak Out, Seniors, Brookline PAX, and Activist Evenings, and is scheduled to take place from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the corner of Beacon and Harvard streets. According to organizers, the rally is intended to celebrate more than a year of public demonstrations in Brookline and to stand in support of democracy as the nation marks its 250th anniversary. The event is free and open to the public.

"This People's Independence Day rally is both a celebration of more than a year of steady public action in Brookline and a protest against the Trump regime as the country marks 250 years since its founding," Speak Out, Seniors organizer Stephanie Schoen told Patch.

Speak Out, Seniors was founded in February 2025 as a pro-democracy group in a Brookline senior independent housing community. Schoen said organizers expected only a handful of residents to attend the group's first meeting, but instead drew 55 participants. As spring arrived, members began holding demonstrations in Coolidge Corner that were originally billed as "Stand Out/Sit Out" events to accommodate participants who use walkers and other mobility devices.

Since April 2025, Speak Out, Seniors! has held weekly Saturday demonstrations in Coolidge Corner, later partnering with Brookline PAX and Activist Evenings. Schoen said the Brookline rallies were the first recurring pro-democracy standouts in the Greater Boston area and inspired similar weekly demonstrations in other communities.

Last June, Speak Out, Seniors! also organized Brookline's first No Kings Day protest. According to Schoen, Brookline police estimated attendance at between 2,000 and 2,500 people, making it the largest gathering in the town's history by that estimate.

Friday's rally is expected to feature attendees wearing patriotic colors, protest shirts and costumes, including an inflatable frog resembling the "Amphifa" frog that recently appeared near the Reflecting Pool in Washington, D.C. Organizers also plan to provide patriotic cupcakes, distribute small American flags to the first 50 attendees and feature live music from cornet player John Bassett and fellow brass musicians.

Brookline PAX is a local progressive political organization that endorses candidates in town elections, while Activist Evenings is Brookline's local chapter of the Indivisible movement. Additional information and registration is available online.

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