Activists March to 'End Corruption' on July 9

PORTSMOUTH, NH - At 9 a.m. on Saturday, July 9, "Granny D walkers" will set out from Portsmouth High School to raise awareness of the corrupting influence big money has on our Democracy, according to a press statement.

During the last two years, hundreds of reform-minded citizens have braved the elements and walked more than 40,000 miles across New Hampshire in a frigid “New Hampshire Rebellion" against big money in politics. Walkers from across NH marched from Dixville Notch in the north, Nashua in the south, Keene in the west, and Portsmouth in the east.

Submitted by NH Rebellion.

The July 9 Seacoast walk will kick off from Portsmouth High School at 9 a.m. Reformers will be greeted in Market Square by a marching band, then will walk on to Fort Constitution for a rally at noon.

Speakers will include:

• Joe Magruder - Former News Editor, Associated Press of New Hampshire and Open Democracy Advisory Board Member;
• John Rauh - Founder of Americans for Campaign Reform;

• Betty Tamposi - Former Assistant Secretary of State under President George H. W. Bush, and former Republican Candidate for Congress;

• Larry Lessig, Harvard Law professor and noted expert and author on the issue of money in politics.

“We are deeply concerned that elections are being bought and paid for by a handful of private interests looking out for themselves--not the American people,” said Olivia Zink, Executive Director of Open Democracy in Concord. “NH voters are sick and tired of outside interests spending millions to influence our elections. We're walking to get a step closer to passing a We the People reform agenda in 2017."

Jazmine Langley, a Democracy Fellow of the NH Rebellion, added, “The growth of this movement in New Hampshire shows that people across the state from every political background are taking a stand to stop systemic corruption in politics. The demand on candidates to spend the majority of their time raising money from narrow interests increases polarization, and leads to the dysfunction of Congress, and continuing its historically low level of public approval. It is time we take on this root issue.”

Founded by scholar-activist Lawrence Lessig, the NH Rebellion march is inspired by the “rebellion clause” of the New Hampshire Constitution, which calls on citizens "to reform the old or establish a new government” when laws serve a privileged few rather than “the common benefit, protection, and security of the whole community.”

Reformers continue the work of the late New Hampshire activist Doris “Granny D” Haddock, whose historic cross-country walk for campaign finance reform at the age of 90 helped spark a citizens movement to pass the McCain-Feingold Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act of 2002.

NH Rebellion is part of Open Democracy, the Concord-based nonpartisan reform organization founded by legendary NH hero Granny D.

To learn more about the NH Rebellion, visit nhrebellion.org.

To register for the walk please visit: walk.nhrebellion.org. To see details about the planned events, follow us on Twitter @nhrebellion and on Facebook at: facebook.com/nhrebellion.