June 14 NO KINGS Just One Week Away!

Jun 6

NO KINGS June 14: Help Us Spread the Word

"In America the Law is King. For as in absolute governments the King is Law, so in free countries the Law ought to be King; and there ought to be no other."
Thomas Paine, Common Sense, 1776.

We're going to celebrate Flag Day 2025 in 1600 (!) places across the country, draw attention away from Trump's Dear Leader birthday birthday parade, and make clear that Americans everywhere are not happy with the wannabe dictator in the White House.

If you were on the "What's the Plan" Zoom with Ezra and Leah yesterday, (recording is here) you know that No Kings is getting bigger and bigger. Remember, the goal is 4X what we had for April 5th Hands Off! That means everyone needs to bring 3-4 friends to their preferred rally. We have three to choose from in the Mohawk Valley:

Rome (Fort Stanwix): https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/787411/
Utica (Genesee Street & Memorial Parkway): https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/790932/
Herkimer (321 E. Albany St.): https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/791119/

We hope you are seeing the energy build. We loved and shared this social media ad with a great song that is making the rounds on Facebook.

More than 20 people joined the poster party at Cherrywood on Wednesday. Make signs to bring! They can be about the world you want to see (Health Care for All!, Refugees are Welcome Here!, Hands off the VA and Social Security!) or they can be about the big pro-democracy, anti-authoritarian theme: Power to People, People over Profits, Stop the MAGA Murder Budget, No Kings in America, Rejecting Kings Since 1776, etc. Always welcome are signs about Trump's corruption and cruelty. We also need a lot of people to bring American flags to the No Kings Rallies. It's Flag Day, after all. If you have a big one, bring it, and wave it to show that the real patriots oppose dictators, tyrants, and kings!

Remember that one day of mass mobilization is not a pancea. It is part of a strategy of broadening and escalating the resistance to Trump's desperate desire for total control and power as he pushes on the levers of power and tests what he can get away with. We will show that we are not afraid and we will not obey in advance. Our rallies will bolster the courage of people in institutions--universities, media, the courts--institutions that Trump wants to get under his thumb because their core purpose is independent thought and judgment. No matter where you are or what else you are doing on June 14th, make sure you are at a No Kings Rally at some point during the day!

Last week, Indivisible crowdsourced ideas for spreading the word about No Kings. IMV is asking that you take just ONE of these actions in the coming week in order to promote and recruit for June 14th No Kings attendance. Please help make this a huge and powerful day!

Thursday Rallies in Utica

Every Thursday, 4-5 pm
10 Broad Street, Utica
Pirnie Federal Building & Courthouse
Public parking across the street (Broad & Railroad)

We're seeing at least 20-25 people every week and it's a great way to connect with IMV friends, meet people who share your values, and catch the attention of the commuting public. Bring signs or grab one of the many extra signs available on site.

Climate Crisis Working Group

MAKE 3 CALLS TO REDUCE THE AMOUNT OF PLASTIC IN OUR BODIES:

Please make two or three calls and ask 5 friends or family members to do the same to reduce plastics! Feel free to call everyday!

We have just 2 weeks left to protect everyone’s health by passing the Packaging Reduction & Recycling Infrastructure Act (PRRIA, A1749) to ban 17 of the most toxic chemicals and substances used in packaging. Please call Assembly Leader Heastie and, if she is your Assemblymember, Marianne Buttenschon to ask the Speaker to bring it to a vote before June 17 and urge Assemblymember Buttenschon to vote YES on A1749.

Very few people realize that there are 16,000 chemicals used in plastics. Or that chemicals here in the U.S. do not have to be proven safe before they're used. Or that thousands of the chemicals used in plastics right now are, in fact, NOT safe for humans.

Research shows that the chemicals in plastic packaging leach into the food and drink it contains. This toxic transfer is speeded up when contents are heated as well as when they are acidic or higher in fat. (More info here.)

If we act right now, we can protect all of our health by passing The Packaging Reduction & Recycling Infrastructure Act (A1749), which would prohibit the use of the following highly toxic chemicals and substances in packaging:

Ortho-phthalates, bisphenols, PFAS, heavy metals and compounds including lead, hexavalent chromium, cadmium, mercury, benzophenone and its derivatives, halogenated flame retardants, perchlorate, formaldehyde, toluene, antimony and compounds, polyvinyl chloride, polycarbonate, UV 328.

But time is running out and the packaging, plastics, and chemical industry are working overtime to try to kill this bill in Albany. CEOs of major corporations are calling your Assemblyperson to urge them to reject this critical bill that would protect your and your family's health. That is why Assembly Speaker Heastie and your Assemblymember need to hear from YOU about doing the right thing and voting YES.

This bill has already passed the state Senate (hurray!) and now must come up for a vote in the Assembly by June 17, the last day of the legislative session.

1. Call Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and ask him to bring A1749 to the floor for a vote. Albany Office: 518-455-3791

2. Call Marianne Buttenschon if she is your Assemblymember. Albany 518-455-5454 or Utica 315-732-1055

It is important to tell her you support Assembly bill A1749, the Packaging Reduction & Recycling Infrastructure Act and that you want her to VOTE YES on that bill and VOTE NO on the industry bill sponsored by AM Jackson.

Additional Information:

1. Most plastics are not actually recycled, even when they are placed in the recycling bin, they are landfilled or incinerated in environmental justice communities—in New York (Hempstead, Niagara Falls, Peekskill, etc.)

2. Consumer Reports says there is no evidence that prices will increase because of this bill. Industry numbers are not accurate.

3. Microplastics have been found throughout the human body, including the brain, heart arteries, lungs, testicles, and breast.

Rally/Hearing: June 3rd in Syracuse:

Hearings across NY kicked off to determine how major polluters are required to report their greenhouse gas emissions, i.e. the emissions that pollute our people and our planet. New Yorkers shouldn’t have to pay ever-rising energy bills, breathe polluted air, or brace against extreme heat, wildfire, floods and other catastrophic climate events, while big polluters make record profits. Maggie Reilly spoke at the public hearing and press conference urging Governor Hochul to release all regulations for the Cap & Invest Program so it can be implemented, making the major polluters pay for burning fossil fuels! Mona Perrotti and Alan Cole also attended.

The delay in doing so has held back millions from communities that need climate justice and resiliency funding now.

Plans for June & July

Please mark your calendars for our annual IMV Potluck Picnic on Thursday, July 24th. This is a fun event at Sherillbrook Park and we usually see some candidates and elected officials at the event,

The certificate of insurance issue is a tough one. Insurers are refusing to provide COIs for politically related events and that means that some of the larger venues like MVCC are not available to us. If you know of a space that holds 250-300 people and doesn't require a COI, please let us know.

For now, we are thinking this could be a blessing in disguise, as many of you have expressed a desire to meet in smaller groups in a more interactive and conversational settings (think local libraries and community centers) where you can get to know fellow activists and work on issues and projects that move us forward as a movement resisting authoritairanism and fighting for the rights and freedoms of all of us. More to come!

Trainings to Attend This Week

There are some critical online trainings coming up this week as we prepare for No Kings Rallies, and as we are all asking ourselves how to be ready as ICE enters neighborhoods and Trump lashes out at more and more institutions and communities. We recommend the following:

For No Kings event volunteers: