Hi Friend,

Next week’s elections– Prop 50 in CA, retaining Democratic judges n PA, preventing voter suppression in ME, Governors and State Legislatures in VA and NJ are crucial tests of the power we hope we have mobilized.  It’s not too late to make a difference.  A few phone calls to friendly voters can make the difference in a low turnout election.  Be sure your friends and family know what’s at stake and sign up for just one phonebank (links below).  No experience is necessary and we grow stronger by stretching outside our comfort zones.

We want to know what you think.  Please complete this short survey about the newsletter by 11/7.  THANK YOU FOR ALL YOU DO!

• Monday, November 3, Readiness, Resilience, and Resistance:  A Workshop for What Lies Ahead  6:45pm–8:45pm United Parish Church, Brookline.  This free two-hour workshop by the Boston Trainers Collective (BTC) is designed to promote collective resilience and community safety. Participants will be taught a framework for cultivating readiness and resilience as a foundation for long-term resistance, personal and collective care, and preparedness for the wide range of other challenges that may lie ahead such as climate-related crises, social unrest, and economic volatility. Participants will leave with concrete steps that can be taken immediately to start building readiness and resilience as individuals, organizations, and communities.
• Monday, November 3, Call voters to save the PA Supreme Court, 6:00pm–8:00pm
• Saturday and Sunday November 1 and 2  Go door to door in Portland to fight voter suppression in Maine.
• Our four action teams continue to meet.  If you’d like to connect with Breaking ICE, Supporting Caregivers, Reaching out to businesses or our Visibility Brigade, respond to this email and we’ll get you connected.

No Kings was an enormous success.  More than 7 million peaceful, joyous and resolute people attended over 2700 events covering every congressional district.  Now the work is both continuing to grow our movement and continue to stand up to the adminstrations threats.

• Every Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday Bearing Witness at ICE, 11am–1pm 100 Division Ave. Burlington, MA
• TBD, Stop Deportation Flights at Hanscom.  After a very successful where 70 people let ICE know they are watching, organizers are asking people to  complete this survey  to determine next dates.
• Saturday, November 1 Brookline Rally for Democracy, 2:00pm-3:00pm stand up in Coolidge Corner, Brookline, MA
• Sunday, November 3 Counter protest FOR Reproductive Choice.  1:30pm–3:30pm Stand silently holding signs of support.  Planned Parenthood 1055 Commonwealth Ave. Boston.
• Friday, November 7 Students Rise Up Students and education workers across the US are organizing their schools towards mass non-cooperation.   Find an action or host one on your campus.

HELP in MAINE & Get Out The Vote for NO on Question 1 Voter Suppression –

Maine Democrats are canvassing and phone banking to defeat Maine’s Question 1, a voter suppression measure. If passed, this referendum would, among other things, restrict absentee voting, require voter IDs (which would no longer include student or tribal IDs), and limit ballot boxes.A University of New Hampshire poll released on Thursday showed this question is a dead heat.If you have any capacity to help before Election Day, November 4th, the work we do could have a direct impact on whether this question passes. This is a concrete way for us to help protect democracy.Join in to canvass on Nov 1 & 2 in Portland with Swing Blue Alliance, phone bank on Thursday, 10/30 with SBA, or phone bank with the Maine Dems over the weekend. Easy calls and door knocks, primarily to supporters. Beginners welcome! Questions? Connect with Paula Joseph.

And until April 21 at the main branch of the Boston Public Library Revolution: 250 years of art and activism in Boston.   Read a short review here.

SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits will not reach the families that rely on them starting on Saturday thanks to the GOP government shutdown.  Food pantries are scrambling to try to meet our communities needs.  La Collaborativa distributes food in Chelsea and the Brookline Food Pantry serves over 600 families right in our neighborhood.

To put this in context, while the GOP is paid for their extended absence from Congress, roughly 655,000 households that depend on SNAP benefits in Massachusetts will go hungry.  The total cost of feeding more than a million people is about $240 million a month–far less than the money sent to Argentina, used to buy Kristy Noem two luxury jets and the exact same amount that Trump says he is owed because the Justice Department investigated him.

Choices about where we spend our money can send a message (look at how Disney reinstated Kimmell after over a million people cancelled their subscription in protest). Here’s a list of companies that deserve support because they kept their commitment to DEI.

• The Boston Globe reports on threats immigrant rights groups are experiencing, La Collaborativa among them.
• Activist Evenings is on substack – so if you want to read more…find us here!

• Robert Reich explains why he’s voting yes on Prop 50.  Please share it with people you know in CA.
• What’s the Plan.  Every Thursday the founders of Indivisible answer questions from thousands of people.  The conversation is then posted on YouTube and always helps us understand the strategy of resistance, which then gives us hope.

• Who, what, when, where and why of phone calls: Infographic
• Download and USE 5 calls.  and then tell everyone you know about it(especially the ones with Republican representatives in Congress).  Encourage them to ask their Representatives to get back to work and demand Mike Johnson open the House.

Together for Democracy,

Marjorie Siegel, Laura Walters, Barbara Weiffenbach, Suzette Abbott

volunteer co-leaders

Activist Evenings, An Indivisible Group

We don’t do this for the money but we need money to do what we do. Rent and supplies.cost $800 each month.  Please consider supporting Activist Evening — any amount helps!