"Politics-Wary Scientists Wade into the Trump Fray at Boston Rally"

"Reluctant protesters say they no longer have the luxury of staying in the lab".

"BOSTON – Hundreds of scientists put aside their habitual wariness toward political activity and rallied over the weekend in Boston’s Copley Square, with many saying the Trump administration has left them no choice.

'It’s uncomfortable for me as a scientist, but it’s necessary,' said Brittany Goods, a postdoctoral student in biomedical sciences at the nearby Massachusetts Institute of Technology. She carried a sign that read simply: 'FACTS.'

Many scientists view political activism as a potential taint or threat to the absolute empiricism that science strives for—or simply feel they cannot afford to take time away from their work. But several said Sunday that they believe they no longer have the luxury of remaining in their labs. Instead, participants in the Rally To Stand Up For Science said they felt compelled to speak out against the new Trump administration’s use of 'alternative facts,' climate change denial and restrictions on immigrants—many of whom work in medicine and science."

Karen Weintraub reports for Scientific American February 20, 2017.

SEE ALSO:

"The Best Signs From The Science Rally in Boston" (Boston Globe)

"Under Trump, Scientists Could Face More Sweeping Challenges Than They Did Under George W. Bush" (Washington Post)

"‘We Did Not Start This Fight’: In Trump Era’s Dawn, Scientists Rally In Boston" (Washington Post)

"Hundreds Gather In Copley To ‘Stand Up For Science’" (Boston Globe)

"Obama EPA Chief: Pruitt Must Uphold ‘Law And Science’" (The Hill)