Welcome to our August 20 Midweek Edition of Action Alerts!
By Abbi Lichtenstein
The cure for feeling despair is taking action. Here you’ll find something that you can do and feel empowered. Let's take our country back from the Trump regime one or more action steps at a time.
“Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.” — Helen Keller
Rallies/Protests
May Day Strong is on Labor Day, Sept. 1. Join thousands of communities across the country who will be standing up against billionaires taking over our country! We will be in the streets, outside the offices of the corporate criminals who are behind the attacks on our freedoms, and at congressional offices. Together we will demand a country that puts workers over billionaires. To learn more about the event, click here.
Join: We Are All DC: A National March on Saturday, Sept. 6, 4 PM ET, at Malcolm X Park, 16th Street Northwest, Washington, D.C. “D.C. communities are calling on allies nationwide to join us for a national march from our local communities to the White House to demand that the federal forces leave D.C. now.” Register here.
Join DC Protests Against the Trump Administration, Sept. 9-16, for the We Are America March. Americans carrying a copy of the U.S. Constitution will set out on a 160-mile pilgrimage starting at Independence Hall in Philadelphia to the steps of Congress at the Capitol in Washington, D.C. Neighbors along the way are invited to join for a rally, a family picnic, a teach-in, a mile, a day, or all the way to Washington. Let’s send a strong message to the administration that communities will stand and fight together for our democracy. For more information, click here.
On Sept. 20, join the Make Billionaires Pay rally. World leaders will be gathering for the U.N. General Assembly and Climate week in New York City. It’s a moment to show the world that we are revolting against Trump and his billionaires — oligarchs who are trying to take over our country with authoritarian rule. Simultaneous actions will be happening nationally and globally. Click here for more information and to find a location near you.
Action Network is organizing Tesla Takedown protests every week. Find a protest near you by entering your ZIP code here.
The Big List of Protests will help you find a rally near you. Fine More rallies listed by state here.
Town Halls
The August recess is a great opportunity to attend town halls in your community and hold your Republican member of Congress accountable for the big, ugly bill they passed and other issues you are concerned about.
From Citizens’ Impeachment, here is a calendar of scheduled town halls around the country.
If you don't see a town hall scheduled near you, click here for instructions on how to contact your MoC and to urge them to speak at one. Script is included.
Boycotts
Click here to find out which chain restaurants to boycott (and why you should avoid them) and places you should support instead. You will also find boycotts against major retailers and information on how to find the companies that align with your values.
Events
Join The Power of Numbers: Taking a Deeper Dive into the 2024 Election on Tuesday, Sept. 9, 7:30 – 8:30 PM ET. In 2024 voters did not show up in numbers for Kamala Harris like they did for Joe Biden in 2020. Lake Research and Way to Win did a deep survey of those voters. Join Volunteer Blue to hear Celinda Lake, Jenifer Fernandez Ancona, and Mike Podhorzer explain what the survey found, who these voters are, why they did not vote, and how we can reach them for the upcoming elections. Sign up here.
Join ACLU: August People Power Action Call on Tuesday, Aug. 26, 8–9 PM ET, for an important conversation about the fight for immigration justice and how to dismantle the Trump Regime's large scale deportation machine. You’ll also learn how to fight back and what actions to take. RSVP here.
Join Network NOVA Power Up Virginia 2025 on Aug. 28, 7 PM ET. Learn and discuss what’s at stake for rights and freedom in the pivotal Virginia elections, and how to mobilize women and their allies. Great guest speakers. Register here.
Join Invisible’s Speaker series: Advancing Our Values — Solidarity in Action Training Series. You will learn how to better support marginalized communities from experts in the field.
Here’s a preview of some of what’s to come:
Creating Mutual Aid/Community Response Teams, with Stephanie Rearick — Sept. 15, 7 PM
Understanding Systemic Oppression and Privilege, with Tim Wise — Oct. 21, 7 PM ETRed Wine & Blue has more events scheduled. Click here to sign up for them.
Join Organize Summer with the DNC. This summer, the DNC is laser-focused on building power for Democrats and making sure Republicans are held accountable for their dangerous and unpopular policies. Join them in organizing your community, getting involved with your Democratic state party, and building long-term infrastructure to support Democrats who fight against Trump and Republicans. Get involved here.
Join Know Your Republic: How Our Government is Supposed to Work · Promote the Vote PA. Experts will speak on the following topic:
Sept. 17: Labor Movement. Click here to sign up.
Fight Back With Friends, is a monthly call to action with Indivisible. Please join this national program designed to help you activate your community! Using their Empower app, they’ll equip you with the tools to connect with friends, family, and neighbors who need YOUR voice to get civically engaged. Join them on the fourth Tuesday of every month for a one-hour training session, where they’ll introduce calls to action that make a real impact. Sign up here.
Attend What’s the Plan? A Weekly Discussion with Indivisible’s Co-Founders every Thursday, 3–4 PM ET. Discuss what is happening in the chaos of the White House and learn about the plan to stop it. Please sign up here.
Contact Congress/Attorneys General/Governors/State Legislators
From Free DC: Over the last week, Trump has occupied Washington, D.C., and sent in the National Guard. He has redirected MPD resources to harass residents and bulldoze encampments of the unhoused — without knowing where they will send the people living there, other than somewhere far away. Thousands have stood up to Trump and have protested to Free DC and let him know that we will fight him and protect our city. House Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton, House Oversight Committee Ranking Member Robert Garcia, and Sen. Chris Van Hollen have introduced resolutions to terminate the emergency period in D.C. and end Trump's use of force. Contact your MoC and demand they vote for this bill.
Ninety years ago, Social Security became law. We have contributed to it with every paycheck and rely on it so we’ll be able to retire with dignity. But now the Trump regime has made cuts to the Social Security Administration including slashing funding and firing staff which will have a negative impact on us, especially in Black and Latino communities. Write to Congress and demand they restore funding, rehire staff, and protect our futures.
From Indivisible: Call on blue state Democrats to fight fire with fire by redrawing new congressional maps. If red state Republicans rig the midterms by redrawing their maps to steal seats, blue state Dems must even the playing field by responding in kind. Use our tools to demand that Democratic governors and legislators act now. Click here for more information and to contact your governor and state legislators.
Millions of Americans have relied on Medicaid for paying medical bills and getting vital health care without going bankrupt. Seniors use Medicaid to help pay for living at a senior facility. Now the Republican Congress and the Trump regime have slashed Medicaid to pay for tax cuts for the wealth and those who rely on Medicaid won’t be able to get the lifesaving health care they need. Write to Congress here and demand that they reverse these cuts and restore Medicaid.
From The Workers Circle: No government law enforcement agency should conduct arrests in secret and hide behind masks to conceal their identity. Yet ICE agents have been doing exactly this, while violating constitutional requirements for due process. Democrats in Congress have introduced three bills that would stop these illegal practices — The Visible Act, The No Masks for ICE Act, and The No Secret Police Act. Please urge your members of Congress (MoC) to vote for these bills. For more information about these bills and to contact your MoC, Click here.
From The Workers Circle: Tell Congress to stand up for voting rights and block any proposal that defunds our freedom to vote! Congress released a budget bill that provides just $15 million for election administration in 2026, less than $300k per state, which will heavily affect Native American communities. We’re calling on Congress to increase that funding to at least $825 million in FY26 — the same level allocated in 2020 — so election officials can protect our vote, upgrade infrastructure, and ensure every eligible voter can access the ballot box. To learn more and to write your members of Congress, click here.
From a More Perfect Union: Write to your senators and tell them to pass a bill to ban congressional stock trading. Click here for more information and to contact them.
The Department of the Interior has proposed an 83% cut to Tribal college funding. If Congress signs off, over $100 million will vanish, destroying institutions that provide higher education and cultural lifelines to Native communities. To learn more and to write a letter to your member of Congress demanding they not cut 83% to Tribal colleges, click here.
From the ACLU: DOGE is feeding our data to unvetted AI to surveil us and consolidating our data, putting us at massive risk of cyberattacks and misuse. It's a major violation of our privacy. Send a message here to your MoC and demand they stop DOGE from invading our privacy.
From Indivisible Blue State Defiance — Safeguarding Civil Liberties: What Blue State Attorneys General Must Do To Stop ICE Overreach. Contact your blue state attorney general and tell them to fight ICE’s overreach. State attorneys general have both the authority and the responsibility to defend residents against federal overreach. Please click here for more information and how to contact your AG.
Safeguarding Civil Liberties 2.0: How Blue States Can Fight Back Against Trump’s Immigration Crackdown and Secret Policing. If you live in a blue state, contact your governor and state legislators and demand that they pass legislation that would ban masks and require that ICE agents show proper ID. Click here for more information and how to contact your governor and state legislators. Script is included.
Phone Banking, Canvassing, Texting, and Postcard Writing
Silver Spring Progressive Action is hosting a phone bank to call Virginia voters on Tuesday, Sept. 2, 6:30–8 PM ET. We will be phonebanking for Abigail Spanberger for governor and Lily Franklin for VA House delegate. Virginia needs to expand their 51-49 Democratic majority in the House of Delegates and elect Abigail Spanberger governor to deliver a Democratic trifecta. This would mitigate the damages from the Trump administration and bring economic relief to Virginians. Whether you're a first-time caller or a seasoned pro, training will be provided. Please sign up here and let’s flip these seats!
On Thursdays, 6 PM ET via Zoom, join Field Team 6 to get text training and register likely Dem voters in Virginia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and other key swing states. Sign up here.
Send Texts to Help Elect Virginia Democrats. Signing up for the Text Bank will help us reach voters across the state, flip the governor's and attorney general’s seats, and elect more delegates to the House — expanding the majority. Sign up here.
Join weekly virtual phone banks — Good Neighbors Fight for Home, Wednesdays, 6–8 PM ET. Talk with Virginia voters about threats to essential services and the importance of voting this year. The Rural Caucus of the Democratic Party of Virginia, Red2Blue, Swing Blue Alliance, and others are hosting this event. Sign up here.
Join Black Voters Matter on Zoom at 6 PM ET on Tuesdays as they gather to drive change through digital organizing. Their texting campaigns will give you the opportunity to engage residents across the U.S. while empowering them to make a positive impact in their communities. For more information and to sign up, click here.
Join a Black Voters Matter Postcard Party on Zoom, Sept. 18, 6–8 PM ET, and create messages to remind people of the power they have in their communities. Sign up here.
Write Postcards for the Virginia, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania elections in November. Click here to sign up.
Other Action Items
Outraged over the costly, unnecessary, and performative invasion of Washington, D.C.? Make sure to follow the FreeDCProject.org to learn more about working against this outrage. FreeDCProject is a "movement led by the people of the District of Columbia to win dignity for our communities and exert our right to self-determination." Joining this project will help fight back the Trump invasion of D.C. Attend an orientation on various dates to FreeDCProject's work and see how you can become more involved. Sign up for their newsletter and find their events.
The EPA is planning to rescind its 2009 "Endangerment" findings that greenhouse gases pose a danger to human health. This would be disastrous for American wellbeing, the U.S. economy, and the planet. Please make a public comment against this dangerous proposal by Sept. 15. See background doc here, which includes links about where to submit your comment. Here are talking points doc to create your comment.
Join Indivisible’s campaign to make Avelo Airlines’ deportation flights too costly to continue. Avelo profits off Trump’s terror tactics from secretive ICE flights that deport immigrants. We’re organizing to ground “ICE Air” by targeting the pillars that sustain Avelo’s business. Click here to learn more and fight back.
Sign up with Field Team 6 and help register Democratic voters. Click here to sign up.
The 14th Amendment which allows, “No State shall … deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws,” is under attack by the Trump regime. Included is the protection of rights like due process of the law and birthright citizenship. However, we can fight back and protect it. Click here on how you can join the fight and be a defender of the 14th Amendment.
Speak with Your Wallet: Find resources that will inform you about which companies and candidates support democratic values and those who oppose them. Also support candidates in the VA race and other congressional races. For more information click here.
From Rise Up, Federal Workers Defense Fund: If you've been fired from your federal government job or you're a federal worker concerned about your employment, Worker's Legal Defense wants to help. They will connect workers to free legal support through a network of pro bono attorneys. Click here for more information.
From Network NOVA: Join the Virginia Election Protection Coalition to ensure that all Virginia voters can cast a ballot free of obstacles and intimidation. Click here to learn more and to sign up.
From Raise: if you see ICE sightings, call our hotline at 888-600-5762. More information here.
Thanks for reading!
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