Statement From Somerville Mayor, City Council President, School Committee Chair Andre Green, And Superintendent

Press release from the City of Somerville:

January 6, 2021

"Like everyone else, we are watching events unfold on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. To say that it is disheartening would be a gross understatement. It is an assault on our beliefs and our values as a nation. While this shameful chapter in our national history takes place, we are grateful for our own community's civic strength and want to assure our residents, workers, families, and students, that we are being vigilant at the local level to make sure that no one here imitates the violence we are seeing in our capital. We are committed to the safety of our residents.

Our hearts go out to everyone in Washington tonight. Hopefully, members of both parties come together to condemn this assault on our republic and authorities can quickly restore order. In the meantime, our local commitment to peaceful, citizen-led government remains unshaken. Our democratic traditions run deep, and they are stronger than this attempt to derail them.

In recognition of the emotional stress and questions these events may produce for our students, we want our parents and guardians to know that as we send this, our school leadership is preparing to adequately support students and staff in addressing and processing these events in the coming days. We encourage you to contact your school principal if you feel that your child needs additional support."

This press release was produced by the City of Somerville. The views expressed here are the author’s own.