No Boston 2024 returns to oppose GE move to Boston
By NBP Staff | April 4, 2016, 8:12 EST
The GE logo adorns a sign on the General Electric Co., corporate headquarters campus in Fairfield, Conn. (AP Photo/Michael Melia, File) One of the main group of activists that opposed Boston’s bid for the 2024 Summer Olympics is trying to lead a charge against GE’s recently announced intentions to move to the Hub, according to a Politico report.
According to the report, No Boston 2024 — a group separate from No Boston Olympics — took its stance in an email blast sent out its supporters.
“[W]e’re joining with a broad coalition of groups to oppose this giveaway and assert the need for public investment in our real priorities,” an email from No Boston 2024 read. That coalition is made up of at least 31 groups representing disparate causes, including transit access, affordable housing, peace, and women’s rights. It was organized by the Union of Minority Neighborhoods and Budget4All.
Each of the half dozen activists interviewed by POLITICO Massachusetts said that No Boston 2024 remains a decentralized movement and has had no role in creating the GE protest.
But the activists argued that the pro-Olympic effort and the GE deal are similar. In their view, they both are backroom deals offering slices of city assets, including public funds, to a large, out-of-state entity with a tarnished history. Those public funds, they say, should be used to invest in the city’s schools, transportation system, and affordable housing.
The group also said it will protest a press conference expected to be held Monday that will include Gov. Charlie Baker, Boston Mayor Marty Walsh and GE CEO Jeffrey Immelt.
With at least two inches of snow expected to fall in Boston on Monday, no official word has been released on whether the press conference will be postponed.
