We are in a race to defeat the efforts to consolidate authoritarian power before it is too late.  It is crucial that we understand what is happening and work together in coalitions that hold until after we are successful.  Today, we are united in our determination to save democracy.

Hi Friend,

We are sending our newsletter early because a lot is happening in the next few days.

Monday, July 28

• Join fellow activists in person writing postcards as part of a research project about the efficacy of all these cards we send.  6:45-8:45 pm at United Parish Church in Brookline.
• watch a 30 minute introductory session about Indivisible’s One Million Rising community gatherings to grow the resistance.

Wednesday, July 30 is a busy day:

• 10:30 am Neighbors United Indivisible has managed to secure a meeting with US House Rep. Katherine Clark to urge her to represent her constituents and do more to protect democracy. In particular, members of the group will express their displeasure about her recent vote for the cryptocurrency bill that just passed and generally to demand that she be more responsive to her non-corporate constituents (i.e. Indivisible members and others from the community). The meeting will be at the main branch of the Wellesley Public Library at 10:30am on Wednesday June 30. To RSVP and get final event details, contact Karen-Sue Taussig at: kstaussig@icloud.com
• 7:30pm–9pm US House Rep. Jake Auchincloss is holding an in person (!!) town hall at Newton North High School.  Sign up for information.  Consider asking him to stand outside the concentration camp in Florida with a sign that says, “This is not what makes America Great” since with this extended recess, he has some extra time.
• The second of the One Million Rising Training takes place. Sign up and attend in real time (150,000 people attended the first one!) or get the recording and watch with a friend at your convenience (but soon) and plan a community gathering to build the movement.

From our friends at Swing Blue Alliance:

Across the country, authoritarian forces are getting bolder and more dangerous. Trump and his allies are not hiding their agenda: mass deportations, rollbacks of civil rights, weaponized courts, and full-scale attacks on our democracy. We can stop this. There are thousands of ways to go about chipping away at Trump’s support, and they all involve activating those around us.

Indivisible  has hit the ground running

On July 16, Indivisible and partners held the first One Million Rising virtual training session with 150,000 attending, possibly the largest-ever training on non-violent action.

Mass movements with millions of workers, teachers, lawyers, truck drivers, farmers, merchants, and students who are engaged in active defiance are very difficult to repress… More tactics means more opportunities to get new people involved, more ways to create leverage over an authoritarian regime, and more ways to generate and sustain momentum. And momentum is key to success.

–- Maria Stephan, Why Civil Resistance Works: The Strategic Logic of Nonviolent Conflict..

This is a critical moment for us to build the opposition we need to successfully fight back. It is vital that we recruit, train, and mobilize a million people of good conscience before Trump’s authoritarian regime has fully consolidated power. And that’s why we need you to get involved now.

Community Resistance Gatherings

Indivisible is recruiting volunteers to host a ” Community Resistance Gathering ” — a meeting of a small group of people who have some relationship to each other (friends,  neighbors, work colleagues, relatives). At that meeting, the host will be using Indivisible’s Toolkit to help the group plan actions that challenge the authoritarianism that is creeping into all aspects of our daily lives. Ready to get started? Sign up for How to Make It Happen, Indivisible’s 90 minute event hosting training on Wednesday, July 30. RSVP

Swing Blue Alliance Mini-Training

Need more info before signing up? Swing Blue Alliance is hosting a conversation to help further your understanding of what these community groups can accomplish.

In this 30-minute session, we’ll:

• Talk honestly about what’s possible—and what feels impossible

• Share what you can expect from the One Million Rising training series

• Hear from others who are already engaged

If you are not sure that One Million Rising is right for you, the 30-minute mini-training offered by Swing Blue Alliance could be a good way for you to get started. Sign up for the intro Monday, July 28th from 8-8:30 pm ET.

Protesting won’t change Trump but it does help build our movement.  It strengthens that small voice in bystanders unhappy with what is happening to our neighbors and our country.  Marching with others or seeing a montage of protests from a single week, helps us remember that we are far from alone.  There are millions of us willing to stand up for what we believe.

• Bearing Witness at ICE, Every Wednesday, 11am–1pm 100 Division Ave. Burlington, MA and every Saturday, 11am–1pm Burlington Mall Road and Division Ave
• National Temporary Protective Status Alliance Vigil, Tuesday, July 29, 5:00 pm to raise awareness and show solidarity with family at risk of losing TPS protections.  Meet at City Hall Plaza in front of the JFK Federal Bldg. 
• Rage against the Regime, a festival of nonviolent resistance, Saturday, August 2  12pm – 4pm on the Cambridge Common. Learn from Mass 50501 and others about the strategy of nonviolent civil resistance and tactics of noncooperation. Connect with local groups doing vital community work, from organizing mutual aid for those in need to fighting for immigrants’ rights. The event will have art, live music, education, and ice cream, and will be focused on channeling our anger and frustration into mutual aid and building the future we want for our communities. 
• Rebuild Sanctuary, A Tisha B’Av Action on Immigration  Sunday, August 3 4:30pm– 6pm at DHS ICE office, Burlington, MA

• Every Monday, Postcard Writing Research Project 6:45pm– 8:45pm  United Parish Church, Brookline.  Bring your own stamps or purchase from us for $17
• Wednesday, September 24, Combatting Mis- and Disinformation 6:45pm–8:45pm United Parish Church, Brookline
• Stay tuned for more in person events after Labor Day.

With a Democratic Governor, and majorities in both chambers of the legislature, Massachusetts has a trifecta.  “When Democrats control the governorship and both chambers of the legislature, they can act fast and boldly to block, blunt, and beat back Trump’s most dangerous moves. They can sue. They can pass laws. They can create safe zones and legal shields. And they can lead by example.” (from Indivisible’s Blue State Defiance) 

Here are actions you can take to demand our leaders act to protect the people of the Commonwealth. NOW.

• Sister District learned from the GOP that supporting state legislative candidates pays off. Small investments yield huge returns  In 2025, they are focusing on Virginia where a solid Democratic win will energize the country.
• Run for Something is smoothing the way for young progressives outside traditional power structures to run and win elections.  From school boards to congress, they have an impressive track record supporting tens of thousands of potential candidates and notching up wins across the country in red, purple and blue districts.

• Nonviolent action has the ability to topple regimes; however, successful movements are diverse. They are not only phone calls and demonstrations: they are also targeted, creative forms of dissent.  In (We the People Dissent), you will discover 20 ideas for civil dissent.  Read more.  If you’d like help getting one of these off the ground, get in touch.

• Abortion, Every Day warned that a new wave of junk science from some of the anti-abortion movement’s most extreme ‘researchers’ signaled that something big was coming. Now we know what it is.

  Missouri Attorney General Andrew Bailey has filed a lawsuit against Planned Parenthood, claiming the organization lied about the safety of abortion pills—and citing the very studies we’ve been raising the alarm about.  Read more about the possible national implications of this drive to outlaw mifepristone 

• What’s the Plan?, Thursdays at 3,  weekly discussion with Indvisible’s co-founders
• A powerful video about why people are protesting ICE in Burlington.
• America the Beautiful by ASO communications.  30 seconds that will take your breath away.  Watch and then share.  You might also find Anat Shenker-Osorio’s guides useful as you try to explain why, for example, the immigration policies are problematic (to say the least).
• Here’s what Colbert had to say about his cancellation.  Bottom line: The gloves are off.  Content warning:  funny and strong language

• Who, what, when, where and why of phone calls: Infographic
• Download and USE 5 calls.
• Families for Justice as Healing are leading an effort to stop the Governor’s plans to spend $360,000,000 on a women’s prison when services are being cut.  Learn more and call your legislators and the Governor.

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!