Perl-Matanzo and his group have been working all year to gather support for the movement to reclaim the island.
In November, the group circulated a petition calling for the removal of U.S. forces from Vieques, which was signed by over 300 students as well as 65 professors, including Frankfurter Professor of Law Alan M. Dershowitz, Warburg Professor of Economics emeritus John Kenneth Galbraith and Fletcher University Professor Cornel R. West '74.
In February, the group persuaded the Cambridge City Council to pass a resolution urging the U.S. Navy to leave Vieques. The resolution was then sent to influential lawmakers, including President Clinton, hoping to persuade them to end the occupation. The Boston City Council passed a similar measure in March.