Boston Metropolis Council marks July 4 by evaluating Trump’s presidency to pre-Revolutionary British rule

The Boston Metropolis Council sought to commemorate America’s July 4 birthday by evaluating President Trump’s “unconstitutional” actions in workplace to the pre-Revolutionary reign of King George III that led to “open rebellion” in opposition to the British monarchy.

Councilor Benjamin Weber launched a “resolution for July 4, 2025, in support of democracy and calling for a return to the constitutional principles that are the foundation of this republic” at Wednesday’s Council assembly, the place it was blocked by Councilor Ed Flynn, who cited a necessity for extra info earlier than a vote.

“The biggest difference between the first Trump administration and the second is that now President Trump is unrestrained,” Weber stated earlier than Flynn’s objection formally ended debate. “Here in this country we have fought for no kings and no demagogues … This resolution would follow up on other proclamations that Boston and other cities had against King George III before the American Revolution.”

Weber’s vacation decision, co-sponsored by Councilors Enrique Pepén and Brian Worrell, describes Trump’s actions throughout his second time period in workplace as being out of step with the foundational rules of the nation’s democracy — significantly by displaying a “blatant disregard for the separation of powers,” checks and balances and impartial judiciary, as mirrored within the U.S. Structure.

“King George stripped the colonies of their voice by preventing public meetings, they closed commercial courts and levied taxes to financially control colonists and they shielded the king’s allies from justice by moving trials to friendly courts in England,” Pepén stated. “These on a regular basis interferences have been designed to compel the colonists to be obedient to the Crown, regardless of the injustices they confronted.

“Some of Boston’s early citizens stood strong and fought hard to resist the overreach of a crown, and their energy sparked the flame of the American Revolution,” he stated. “These days, it seems that the Trump administration is using its power to do much of the same, whether it’s using the threat of prosecution to control mayors, withholding funding and admissions to (control) academia or making his agents erase public accountability.”

Pepén added, “We are straying from our foundational principles and are living in a nation that increasingly looks more like a rule under King George than under the Constitution. While our federal government continues to stray away from the foundational principles of our country, we here in Boston are not going to so willingly stray from those principles.”

The decision additional cites the Trump administration’s “unconstitutional” actions throughout his second time period as “disobeying court rulings, attempting to overturn birthright citizenship, denying foundational civil liberties such as habeas corpus, withholding Congressionally-approved funds, closing Congressionally-created departments and agencies, unilaterally imposing tariffs, deploying the U.S. military on U.S. soil against our own residents, and most recently, launching military strikes without the consent or consultation of Congress.”

The Council submitting references the “No Kings” protests and different demonstrations which were been held in Boston in current weeks as proof that its residents “expect democracy” and notes that it follows resolutions handed in different main cities like Philadelphia “calling for an end to behavior that resembles that of a monarch and tramples upon the founding principles of our Constitution.”

The non-binding decision requires the Massachusetts Congressional delegation to induce the U.S. Congress to implement the Structure, work with the judicial department to revive the separation of powers, “to ensure that illegal or unconstitutional acts, including acts of corruption, are overturned, and to demonstrate in all actions that the United States of America has no king.”

Weber tried to deliver the decision ahead as a late file previous to the July 4 vacation, however it was blocked by Flynn on the time, thus stopping it from being added to the agenda for dialogue and a possible vote.

Flynn, who is likely one of the few average Democrats on a progressive-leaning Council, objected to the decision once more on Wednesday, saying that he needed to be taught extra about it in a committee listening to, earlier than taking a vote.

His objection mechanically ended debate, per Council guidelines, and led Council President Ruthzee Louijeune, who spoke favorably of the decision, to ship it to the Committee on Civil Rights, Immigrant Development and Racial Fairness.

Flynn’s second block additionally prompted criticism from some progressive circles. Progressive West Roxbury/Roslindale, whose membership signed onto a letter to councilors Tuesday in assist of the decision, posted on its Fb web page that it was “quite baffling that Councilor Flynn blocked it again.”

“Clearly, there’s more to do (to) help people understand what this moment in history means, and how to rise urgently to protect democracy,” the progressive neighborhood group posted.

Pepén additionally issued an announcement criticizing Flynn’s transfer to delay a vote, saying that whereas his colleague cited his must “learn more” in regards to the submitting, “there is no ambiguity here.”