Milton, MA – About 800 people packed into the Curry College Alumni Recreation Center’s gymnasium this past Thursday, to speak out and listen to various opinions on national health care financing reform. From the thunderous applause and loud cat calls at times, the gym seemed about evenly split between supporters of a “public option” measure and those who think any change in health care delivery or financing is tantamount to socialism.

The event – postponed for a week in deference to the funeral of Senator Edward Kennedy - was sponsored by the Greater Boston Labor Council and the Massachusetts AFL-CIO and hosted by Curry College President Kenneth Quiglan.

BOSTON/Boston Common - A rush hour picket in support of the democratic resistance movement against the Honduran coup d'etat was held on Tuesday by about 25 activists from several area organizations with connections to Central America - including Proyecto Hondureño, Centro Presente, the Committee in Solidarity with the People of El Salvador, and others. Participants leafleted passers-by and set up a table where people were encouraged to sign petitions to the U.S. government demanding that help reinstate elected Pres. Manuel Zelaya - who was arrested and exiled to Costa Rica on June 28th by the Honduran military - by breaking off all ties to the Honduran coup leaders and their de-facto government.

Somerville, MA - Over 60 people filled a lecture hall at the Fletcher School of Diplomacy at Tufts University on Thursday to hear a panel of Honduran social movement leaders speak about the growing resistance movement against the recent coup d'etat in their country. On June 28, 2009, Manuel "Mel" Zelaya, the elected President of Honduras, was detained and beaten by elements of the Honduran military under Gen. Romeo Vásquez, and forcibly flown to Costa Rica. The president of the National Congress of Honduras Roberto Micheletti was then illegally voted in as President of the current de facto government of Honduras by a simply show of hands in the Honduran Congress. The U.S. has thus far refused to act to help reinstate President Zelaya, and the State Department led by Sec. of State Hillary Clinton has been accused in the world press of working to delay efforts by the Organization of American States, the European Union and the United Nations towards that goal.

BOSTON/Copley Square - Over 150 Iranians and sympathizers held a demonstration Saturday on the steps of the Boston Public Library in Copley Square as part of a global day of action in support of democracy and human rights in Iran. Demonstrators wearing green clothing and ribbons stood in front of a large banner that read "Help Free Iran," waving Iranian flags and signs reading "Peace Now," and "Bostonians for Iran." The event was part of an international day of action calling for democracy in Iran. This article is a photo essay.

BOSTON/Roxbury - It was awkward at times; and messy. But for about two hours this past Thursday night, Governor Deval Patrick did his best to field questions and requests for help from local residents at a town hall meeting held in the basketball gymnasium at the Reggie Lewis Track and Athletic Center in Roxbury.

Hundreds of people turned out to the Athletic Center to express frustration with state budget cuts, criticize the slow pace of neighborhood transportation improvements, and offer advice on a variety of policy issues.

BOSTON/Government Center - Over 25 immigrant, labor, and religious advocates - some of them Honduran - held a brief protest between rain storms at City Hall against the military coup in Honduras this week and demanded that deposed President Manuel Zaleya be returned to power immediately.

Zeleya was flown to Costa Rica at gunpoint on Sunday and left there. The military coup was swiftly condemned by the Organization of American States and the United Nations - and by many expatriate Hondurans.

"We condemn what happened in Honduras and we demand the restoration of institutional order in the country," said Angel "Tito" Meza, coordinator of the Honduran Project. "The Honduran people were getting ready to exercise their sacred duty to vote in a referendum that called for an assembly that would reform the constitution."