We are asking you to vote early starting tomorrow, Oct. 25, and thru Nov. 2.  Please also text or call FIVE (5) of your friends and ask them to vote early.  Do that immediately.  Ask friends, family, and co-workers: "What is your voting plan?" or "When are you planning to vote?"  Just get them to the polls!  Make sure they know how important it is to vote for Democratic candidates in this election, because many of the Republicans on the ballot are MAGA or MAGA complicit.  

After No Kings: What's Next?

Thank you to everyone who showed up in the Mohawk Valley or anywhere for #NoKingsDay! 

From our official counters, we had nearly 5,000 attendees at the three events co-sponsored by IMV, plus another thousand at Hamilton. Our movement is growing!  And contrary to the Republican talking points, every single event across the country was joyful and peaceful.
 
Protests serve many purposes -- they change the narrative, they grow our movement, they show people reeling under the weight of the regime’s atrocities that they are not alone. But a single day of protest -- even the largest single-day protest we’ve seen in our lifetimes -- will not overcome the fascist onslaught we face.  It’s going to take ongoing, strategic organizing -- exactly the kind of organizing Indivisible was created to foster -- to deliver us from tyranny. Now it’s up to each of us to channel this incredible energy into the organizing power it will take to defeat autocracy and win.

#NoKingsDay Tomorrow!

"If your First Amendment rights are under attack, and you decline to show up because of those threats, then you don't have First Amendment rights."
--Ezra Levin, Indivisible

Now is the time to join together and stand up to a wanna be dictator, his corrupt administration, and his complicit allies in Congress and the Supreme Court.  Time to make our voices and our presence--in huge numbers--loud and clear for everyone to see. 

"The Largest Single Day Protest in American History" 

With almost 2500 events registered so far across the globe, the total number of events has already far outpaced June’s No Kings Day, and more are being added every day.
Indivisible leaders are confident that October 18th No Kings will be the largest single day protest ever in American history. Do not let your friends, family, and co-workers miss out on this event.  Someday, after we end this nightmare, and democracy flourishes again, our grandchildren and great-grandchildren will ask us whether we showed up on the side of justice, truth, and multicultural democracy on this day.  We need to be able to say, "Yes, I was there." 

Demand #CareNotCuts & End the #TrumpShutdown

After an explanation of the government shutdown, we list some specific actions we can take today and on October 18.

"We are not without fear. But we walk through it in courage. The kind of courage that topples kings."  -Greisa Martinez Rosas of United We Dream Action

 No Kings Oct.18:
We Need YOU to Start Recruiting Your Friends

Have you seen the #NoKings.org map explode? Our Utica, Rome and Herkimer rallies are now on the map!

Our only path out of this autocratic freefall is to bring millions more people--a very big, wide coalition--into the public, open, transparent movement against authoritarianism.

Action on Every Front: How IMV Will Help Defeat Autocracy

If you were at IMV's September meeting on Wednesday, you probably caught the wave of excitement as many new groups formed to focus on creative ways of throwing a wrench in the works of accelerating MAGA authoritarianism,

People joined around tables and brainstormed and shared ideas, raised questions and concerns, and then exchanged contact information so they could set up their next meeting to start turning their ideas into actions. 

What's next?
Next week in this newsletter we'll share out the projects that are underway and the contact email for how YOU can join in any effort that fits your interest, skill, or passion.  

As Colt Brumm said as he charged the groups, "You keep hearing that SOMEBODY should do something. But every person in this room is SOMEBODY."

Big IMV Meeting on September 17th!

We are back in action with a big IMV meeting to organize resistance to Trump's authoritarian agenda and the MAGA assault on health care, civil rights and the economy.  Please register so we can prepare. We will cover some updates on what's happening in Washington and locally at the start, and the get to work in groups on rally planning, electoral actions (think postcard parties, phonebanks, and registering voters), building pro-democracy collective action, and more.

Take One Action Every Day

Let's take a different approach this week. We have a political action you can take Every.Single.Day

This Labor Day Weekend Do More Than BBQ

Actions to Take TODAY

The next big congressional showdown is funding the federal government before the shutdown deadline on September 30th. Want to know more about the month long battle ahead? From the Indivisible Policy Team, a  great explainer that includes resources to help you call our Senators and your House members.

All Roads Lead to Rome & Herkimer This Week

You have your choices of rallies tomorrow, Saturday, August 23rd:

Rome Protect the Vote/Fight Trump Rally
12:00-1:30 pm
#ReleaseTheFiles #StopTrump #ProtectTheVote
Bring school supplies and non-perishable food to donate to local centers.

Herkimer Rally to Protect Our Rights
5:00-6:30 pm
Gather with us to stand up for Same sex marriage, Due process for everyone, safe education for our children, health care and social security. 

Fight the Trump Takeover Rally

Texas House Democrats are blocking a redistricting vote in the Texas House right now to Stop the Trump Takeover.  Across the country, people like us are mobilizing on Saturday, August 16th to support them.  

Join Concerned Citizens of Rome and Indivisible Mohawk Valley as we participate in a national day of action to support Texas Democrats and stop the Trump Takeover of our country.   

Protect the Vote and Stop the Trump Takeover Rally
 Saturday, August 16th, 12 -1:30 pm.

Join Us for Pro-Democracy Rallies!

Thanks to everyone who has been attending the weekly IMV rally on Broad Street in Utica!  That event continues Thursday, 4-5 pm, and you are always welcome to join and bring friends and family.  There are usually extra signs available or bring your most raging concern on a sign. It's a great way to connect with IMV friends and build our movement. 

There's also a rally today 4-5 pm in Clinton on the village green hosted by the Kirkland Town Democrats. No shortage of Trump/MAGA Republican outrages. Or bring signs in support of immigrants, Texas Democrats who are fighting racist gerrymandering, frontline VA workers, whose collective bargaining rights were just terminated by Donald Trump, and truth and transparency about economic data.

IMV's Annual Potluck Picnic: Candidates, Food

IMV's Annual Summer Potluck Picnic
Tuesday, July 29th, 5-8 pm

• Get an overview of where we are and where we're headed with pro-democracy activism at this time.

• Meet and greet local Democratic candidates for 2025 elections and some of your Democratic elected representatives..
  
  All are welcome at this event!  Bring friends and family!

You Made Some Good Necessary Trouble

What an amazing turnout for the #GoodTroubleLivesOn rally in Utica last night!  We had more than 225 in attendance, and some of the best, most inspiring and motivating speakers we've ever had an IMV rally in more than 8 years!  

One Million Rising Training is Launched!  

Read on for details

"Good Trouble Lives On" Rally Thursday

From voter suppression bills like the SAVE Act to the criminalization of protest, the Trump administration is launching a full-scale attack on our civil and human rights. But we know the truth: in America, the power lies with the people, and we’re rising to prove it.  

That's why we're making “Good Trouble”  on Thursday, July 17th in memory and honor of Rep. John Lewis who died 5 years ago on this day. We will have speakers (Rev. Sharon Baugh and Mrs. Freddie Hamilton!), songs, and chants, and call attention to the power of the people to fight peacefully for civil rights, democracy, and social justice for everyone in this country.

Urgent STOP THE CUTS Rally Tomorrow

Thanks to everyone who came out for the special Thursday rally last week focused on how the Trump admninstation is disappearing people.  Great crowd and speakers and we had local earned media coverage so our message got out to the public.  

This week: Our focus is the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad budget bill passed by Senate Republicans and now sent on to the House. Again, we want the public to realize just how bad this bill is for them--for us--whether we rely on the ACA exchange for health insurance, have family members on Medicaid, use SNAP, or need to access health care in rural communitiies.  

The Pop Up rally theme this week was The Disappeared in America.  There were over 50 people in front of the Federal Building.  WKTV was there and did an interview.  Stay tuned for the broadcast.   The Pop Ups will continue every Thursday at 4 pm at the Federal Building in Utica, 10 Broad Street. We have lots of signs, and new people join every week.  Your presence will make a difference.  We get lots of honks and the connections are very supportive.  With vacations and holidays you can keep us going.

"Nope, No Kings. Not in America."

Along with more than five million protesting patriots across America, IMV had an amazing day on Saturday for #NoKingsDay!  We took to streets and sidewalks and parks and spread a message of defiance against authoritarianism.  We celebrated the true values of America--a 250 year old constitutional republic with checks and balances on executive power.  We built energy and community for a sustained movement to save democracy.  As many of you noted in your hundreds of social media posts, the air was electric with the energy of the people standing up to the wanna be dictator in Washington.