Resources

Rise Up, Sing Out Peninsula Watch Party

Sunday, June 14, 2026, 4:30 – 7:30pm PDT

On June 14, join us for Rise Up, Sing Out: A Concert for the First Amendment — an uplifting evening of music, community, and action. Hosted by the Committee for the First Amendment (CFA), this special livestream event will feature an all-star lineup including Jane Fonda, Patti Smith, Bette Midler, Rufus Wainwright, Joy Reid, Wilson Cruz, Broadway Inspirational Voices, and more.

Together, we’ll celebrate the freedoms guaranteed by the First Amendment — including the freedoms of speech, religion, press, assembly, and protest — and the people power that protects them. Communities across the country will gather for local watch parties to livestream the 90-minute concert beginning at 4:30 p.m. PT / 7:30 p.m. ET.

Join us to sing along, connect with neighbors, share food and creativity, and celebrate the power we build when we come together. Whether you’re a longtime organizer or brand new to the movement, you’re invited to an evening of joy, inspiration, and collective action in support of democracy and freedom.

A core principle behind all No Kings events is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values and to act lawfully at these events. Weapons of any kind, including those legally permitted, should not be brought to events.

Sponsored by Indivisible Portola Valley & Indivisible Palo Alto Plus.

Sign up to get the location

All We Say

The Battle for American Identity: A History in 15 Speeches

Author: Ben Rhodes
May 26, 2026
Publisher: Random House
Recommended by: Steve G.

What does it mean to be American? Who gets to decide? This sweeping history of the United States told through fifteen speeches relives the battle over American identity, from a New York Times bestselling author and one of President Barack Obama’s former speechwriters.

“At a time of moral and political drift, Ben Rhodes reminds us what American greatness actually sounds like, and what it means.”—Ayad Akhtar, author of Homeland Elegies

For 250 years, we have debated what it means to be American. This question shaped the compromises in our Constitution and the arguments we’ve been having ever since—spawning abolitionism, secession, and civil war; populism, mass migration, and global leadership; movements for reform and the backlashes to them. In All We Say, Ben Rhodes tells the story of fifteen speeches—some iconic, others long forgotten—which have both shaped and reflected the argument Americans have been having from our founding to the intense divisions of our time.

Through riveting and beautifully rendered accounts of the people, movements, and moments that produced these speeches, Rhodes traces the history of our battle over identity. The result is a singular and revealing portrait of America itself: a nation divided between two stories—one of inheritance, power, and exclusion, the other of equality, striving, and belonging. Drawing on a decade of writing for Barack Obama, Rhodes also shows us how words can redirect a nation, what makes a speech enduring, and why oratory is a unique form of persuasion in American democracy.

From Benjamin Franklin’s call for compromise at the Constitutional Convention, to Alexander Stephens’ case for white supremacy as the cornerstone of the Confederacy; from Martin Luther King’s dream of true equality to Donald Trump’s rallying cry against democracy itself, these speeches remind us that history is a living argument. At a time when American identity—and truth—is contested, All We Say offers a fresh and powerful look at who we really are and who we could still become.

Buy the book

Knock on doors in Los Banos

Saturday, June 13th, 9am-1pm (carpools leave 7-7:30am)

Knock on doors in Los Banos with Swing Left Peninsula & Ground Truth

In 2024’s closest House race, Dem Adam Gray won by just 187 votes. Help hold this very vulnerable Central Valley seat (CA-13) as we work to flip the House and fight for democracy! Los Banos is a short 1.5 hours away in a fun Peninsula carpool! Advance and on-site training available.

For more information and RSVP Here

See also:

Central Valley Matters

Actually, Democracy Dies in H.R.

New research sheds light on how mediocre employees help would-be authoritarians maintain power.

By Amanda Taub

Recommended by: Bob B. and Bruce R.

Bob’s Comments

This article on authoritarianism and power shows why the broad topic of “civil discourse” has many dimensions. Which is why IPV has a “Books, Ideas, and Research Committee” to be on the lookout for significant and practical ideas useful for all of us in our democracy-building work.

This is in the NYT this morning, by Amanda Taub, “Actually, Democracy Dies in H.R.” The subtitle is a quick summary of what the article covers: “New research sheds light on how mediocre employees help would-be authoritarians maintain power.”

One could add that the research sheds light, too, on how mediocre citizens can help would-be authoritarians maintain power. So while understanding civil discourse is important, it turns out also to require some understanding of power, what holds a community together, personal incentives, the moral foundations of democratic engagement, etc.

Bruce’s Comments

I think these are the most important parts of the article that point to solutions.

“Making a Career in Dictatorship,” a new book by two German political scientists, Adam Scharpf and Christian Glassel, reads like what you might get if you crossed Hannah Arendt’s ideas about the “banality of evil” with a business school guide on how to get the most out of low performers.

And:

Mr. Glassel and Mr. Scharpf are concerned that President Trump’s planned expansion of ICE, in particular, could make it an ideal venue for “detouring” by ambitious underperformers who could be deployed for anti-democratic purposes. The worry is especially profound given the storming of the Capitol at the end of Mr. Trump’s first term, albeit by a less organized band of loyalists.

The playbook for a leader to create a loyal security service, they said, is to set up or repurpose an institution that can become a “second ladder” for career promotions, resource it generously and ensure that the barriers to getting hired there are low, signaling that it offers career opportunities to those who cannot find them elsewhere.

I’ve read Hannah Arendt’s ideas about the “banality of evil,” but I don’t recall her giving any solutions. This article gives some clues about how to prevent this banality with accountability for individuals. Some obvious preventions:

  1. Abolish ICE and any other organization (e.g., DOGE) that has no oversight or accountability by multiple people or laws.
  2. Make sure there is no “second ladder” shortcut to promotions. Being part of an unaccountable organization should hurt one’s career, not help.
Read the Article

This is an important article, so I archived a PDF copy. You can read it here:

PDF Archive

Focus for Democracy

 Focus for Democracy primarily raises funds for other organizations, such as Working America and Galvanize Action. Because the need to preserve our democracy is urgent, its leadership works pro bono, researching, synthesizing, and presenting recommendations on where to direct our political dollars to achieve the greatest impact. 

Find out more

RWC Parade: Dancing for Democracy

Save the date: Saturday, July 4, 2026, 10AM

Details for our group will be added here as we get closer to the date.

PArade Details

The annual Fourth of July Parade in downtown Redwood City, the largest Independence Day parade in Northern California, attracts thousands of spectators. It brings entries from across the state. Most of the budget for the Parade is used for cash awards to participants, of which many winners are from Redwood City.

The parade starts promptly at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 4, 2026. You will know it’s time when you hear the cannon!

May Day Strong

FRIDAY, MAY 1ST, 5:00-6:30, Redwood City, El Camino at Jefferson.

Speakers at 5:15 on the northeast corner, elected officials and labor leaders.

Photos and Videos at ProBonoPhoto

(Some will be posted here shortly)

Speakers

  • Julie Lind – San Mateo County Labor Council
  • Kevin Mullin – U.S. Congressman
  • Josh Becker – State Senator
  • Noelia Corzo – Board of Supervisors, District 2 President
  • Lisa Gauthier – Supervisor
  • Elmer Martinez – Redwood City Mayor
  • James Coleman – SSF City Council Member, representing Working Families
  • Pranita Venkatesh – Mayor of San Carlos, representing SMC AAPI

Demands for May 1st

Tax the rich. Our families, not their fortunes, should come first.

No ICE. No war. Hands off our vote. Expand democracy, not corporate power

In 2025, billionaires paid an average federal individual tax rate of 3.4%- 8.2%. Their fortunes grew an average of 33%. Meanwhile, the poorest among us have lost SNAP (food stamps), children in schools who qualify no longer receive a free meal (often was their only meal in a day), health care premiums have been increased, Medicaid is set to throw millions off in Dec of ’26, many rural hospitals have closed, stopping childcare subsidies… and so much more.

A day of protests & other actions, to remind ourselves that we are many & strong.

No Work (if you are able), No School (if you are able), No Shopping (we can all stop)

Ways to think about what “billion” really means in seconds are easier to understand than dollars– here’s the inequality if seconds were dollars:

100,000 = 28 hours, 1 million = 11 days, 1 billion = 32 years, 1 trillion=31,688 YEARS

See also: https://maydaystrong.org

On May 1, 2026, workers, students, and families rally, march, and take action across the country to demand a nation that puts workers over billionaires, with many refusing business as usual through No School. No Work. No Shopping.

What is IPV-BIR?

IPV – Indivisible Portola Valley

BIR – Books, Ideas, and Research

The Books, Ideas, and Research Committee is an informal working group of Indivisible Portola Valley. Its purpose is to scan for and make accessible practical ideas (from books, websites, articles, etc.) to inform the work of IPV and make it more effective.

We do this through sharing the results of our scans and discoveries in periodic Zoom meetings and through working in small working teams focused on such topics as:

  • how best to make relevant resource materials available and accessible on the IPV website,
  • how most effectively to reach out to others and build support for IPV’s work,
  • how to improve communication with the “other side” in these polarized times,
  • how to improve our understanding of the fundamental importance of nonviolence in protests and demonstrations, and how to ensure safety for demonstrators,
  • how best to encourage noncooperation within institutions where democratic principles are being eroded (e.g., education, business, courts and the law, civic organizations, etc.),
  • how to organize effective actions outside of protests and demonstrations that build momentum and broaden the scope of democracy-building activities,
  • etc.

We also look for opportunities to share what we’ve learned with other Indivisible groups and others working to improve our democratic institutions.

We believe that a healthy democracy inevitably involves differences and disagreements, and we welcome a diversity of political viewpoints, so long as they are grounded in a fundamental commitment to the underlying principles of the United States, namely freedom, equality, truthfulness, and a commitment to the rule of law.

We would be happy to welcome anyone wishing to work with us.

How to Be a Dissident

By Gal Beckerman
Apr 21, 2026
Publisher: Crown
Recommended by: Bruce R

An invigorating guide to fighting back—part philosophy, part history, and part manual for living with integrity in an age of conformity and authoritarian drift

How do we push back in a world where political leaders wield fear and intimidation? Where digital technology dehumanizes and flattens us? We need role models, and in this engaging book, acclaimed writer Gal Beckerman goes looking for them. Drawing on the stories of dissidents from around the globe and across time, from Socrates to Ai Weiwei, and thinkers like Hannah Arendt and Iris Murdoch, Beckerman reveals the defining characteristics these extraordinary figures share, a set of attributes and practices for anyone navigating the pressures of modern tyranny.

Structured around ten qualities—among them, Be Pessimistic, Be Funny, Be Reckless, and Be Immortal—this illuminating, surprising book blends intellectual history, biography, and cultural criticism. It charts a dissident’s journey from the solitary moment of recognizing the truth, through the risks of speaking it, to the legacy that can outlast a life. What makes dissidents tick? And how might we change when we encounter them?

Urgent and inspiring, Beckerman’s book shows that dissidence is a human capacity we can all cultivate, a refusal to betray one’s inner voice, no matter the cost. In a polarized America and a world sliding toward authoritarianism, we need dissidents—not only the jailed and martyred, but also those of us who face small daily compromises of conscience. How to Be a Dissident lights the way.

Buy the book

How To Resist Authoritarianism Without Losing Yourself | Gal Beckerman
VALOR Media Network and Kristofer Goldsmith (May 27, 2026)

Not in theory. Not in history books. Right now.

In this episode of On Offense, Kris Goldsmith speaks with Atlantic staff writer and author Gal Beckerman about his new book, How to Be a Dissident, and the deeper psychological questions raised by life under rising authoritarianism.

This conversation explores conformity, moral courage, propaganda, normalization, and the pressures that cause ordinary people to stay silent while democratic institutions erode around them.

But more importantly, we discuss what makes dissidents different, and Beckerman’s ten rules that shape them.

Drawing from dissident movements across history — and from the lived reality of the second Trump administration — Beckerman argues that resistance begins long before politics. It begins with the refusal to normalize cruelty, corruption, fear, and obedience.

Together, Kris and Gal discuss:

  • Why authoritarianism depends on adaptation and exhaustion
  • How propaganda reshapes identity and social behavior
  • The psychological pressure to conform
  • Why some people comply while others “sit apart”
  • The role of community and “neighborism” in resisting authoritarian politics
  • Why “hopeful pessimism” may be necessary for democratic survival
  • What integrity looks like in moments of democratic decline

This is a conversation about how human beings behave when institutions fail — and how we choose who we become in the process.

Swalwell/Why?

The Axis–“The battle isn’t about left versus right” by Darcy Burner burnery@substack.com Subscribe here for more

JoAnn Loulan’s additions in italics

Eric Swalwell got away with what he was doing for almost twenty years.

And was ahead in the race for Gov of California

A congressman, a prosecutor before that, a man who spent two decades in public life, with a staff, with donors, with reporters on his beat, with colleagues who saw him at every fundraiser and floor vote. For two decades, according to reporting in the San Francisco Chronicle, CNN and NBC, he was allegedly sexually harassing, assaulting, and in at least one case raping the women around him. How does a person (man) –do this for that long?

Everyone clucks because Katie Porter is “mean to her staff”–not that I think that’s ok, but seriously? Everyone talks about that, and Swalwell gets away with sexual assault for 20 years.

Not: how do they get away with it once. Not: how do they hide one bad night. How do they build a twenty-year career on top of it, rise through the ranks, chair committees, run for president, run for governor… with women in their twenties rotating through the office every cycle, each one a potential witness, each one a potential story, and none of it touching him until April of 2026? When brave women came forward and risked their careers…which are probably over in DC.

The reason women don’t come forward isn’t fear of being disbelieved, exactly. It’s the math. The system is not designed to weigh the evidence; it is designed to weigh the people, and you are not the heavier one.

I call this status-based reasoning

The high-status person is right because they are the high-status person. Arguments are window dressing. Evidence is decoration. The conclusion is fixed before anyone opens their mouth, and everything that follows is the retroactive assembly of a justification.

It’s why “believe women” became such a flashpoint. The slogan was never asking for women to be believed without evidence. It was asking for women’s evidence to be weighted the same as men’s.

The crazy-making quality of living inside this system, on the wrong side of the line, is that the argument is never actually about the argument.

In the 2024 race Donald Trump  tells the crowd that Kamala Harris “would get us into a World War III guaranteed because she is too grossly incompetent to do the job.” He is the high-status figure. She was the low-status one. He is right because he is the one who gets to be right. And everything he said she would do he has done (and she probably wouldn’t have )

This is what the Swalwell staffers lived inside. This is what Harris lived inside for the entirety of the 2024 campaign. This is what women, people of color and poor people live inside. This is what every woman who ever kept furniture between herself and a powerful man has lived inside her whole working life.

This is why electing a woman president of the United States will be very difficult….(19 million people voted for Biden in 2020 and DID NOT VOTE in 2024 ….and Harris lost by 6 million votes). You can say it’s her personality, Biden didn’t step down…on and on….the major cause was because our culture continues to see women (and a black and Asian woman to boot) as lower status than men…even wealthy women….it seems impossible to get retribution for the Epstein victims (one area I agree with Bondi–no Democratic DOJ supported Epstein victims either or released the Epstein files). 13 states have made abortion illegal, 8 have restricted birth control, 10% of Fortune 500 companies are run by women…and I can go on as to how sexism is a scourge in this country. Yet we worry about the psyche of young men.

Sexism, racism, classism and white nationalism need to be confronted–and all the “people who live inside this paradigm” need to be supported in fighting STATUS-BASED REASONING.

This is the ONLY way a Supreme Court Justice (Kavanaugh) could write in 2025 an agreement giving ICE unlimited power to detain people against their will because of: their accents, color of their skin and working low-status jobs. Think about that….and 81% of people arrested by ICE where courts have intervened have been released..because someone (a Judge) of higher status ruled they be released.

2026-03-28 NO KINGS 3 Only Love is Stronger than Hate (past event)

Time: Saturday, March 28, 2 – 4pm PDT

Location: El Camino Real and Jefferson Ave, Redwood City, CA 94062

Video by Bruce Rafnel

About this event

No Kings 3 is on March 28. Thousands will be out along El Camino across the Peninsula showing outrage at the administration, the illegal ICE actions, taking health care from millions to give tax breaks to billionaires, taking away rights from women over their own bodies, protecting pedophiles–the list goes on. Courage is contagious as we take back the House and Senate AND OUR COUNTRY!

We will meet once again at El Camino and Jefferson in Redwood City as we gather in solidarity and bask in “honk therapy” with everyone driving by joining us in strength and love.

A core principle behind all our events is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values. Turn your back and do not exchange words….that’s what they want and will film you as they try to make us look violent.

Love is stronger than hate!

Photos

Photo by Dan Quinn

No Kings 3 Protests in the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento on 28 March 2026

Photos and (a few) videos from the No Kings 3 protests that Pro Bono Photo has covered throughout the greater SF Bay Area. There are subfolders for locations with multiple galleries.  There’s one gallery for each protest, listed alphabetically by location.

28 Mar 2026 No Kings 3 Protests – All Photos at ProBonoPhotos

Redwood City Photos – Protest and Rally, by Sonny Mencher

Redwood City Photos – by Dan Quinn

Bay Area Against Detention Camps (past event)

Photos for this Protest

Photos are from probonophoto.org photographers at this event were Sonny Mencher and Ed Ebert.

Protest! Saturday, February 28th, from 11am -12:30pm, RWC
Corner of Jefferson and El Camino!

It’s hard to believe we’re living in a country that is buying warehouses to actually house HUMANS! Their plan is to house 10 million people without Due Process! They are going to use warehouses that are not meant for humans. To deal with that, they are going to put in porta-potties (NOT actual bathrooms) and with NO RUNNING WATER, so they will truck in water–which is a long-term risk for disease.

We must do what we can to protest these human animal stalls where millions of humans will be held against their will without the ability to contest their incarceration.

Join a National Day of Action Against ICE Detention Centers on Saturday, February 28.

We will meet at El Camino and Jefferson in Redwood City from 11-12:30. Bring your signs: MELT ICE, STOP PUTTING HUMANS IN WAREHOUSES, EVERYONE DESERVES DUE PROCESS and whatever makes you feel empowered!

MAGOlympics

Kash Patel, Donald Trump, and the gold-winning U.S. men’s hockey team just showed us, again, exactly who they are.

By Alex Kirshner

Publisher: Slate

Recommended by: Cindi S.

The director of the FBI got a Make-a-Wish experience over the weekend. You and I paid several hundred thousand dollars (at least) to send Kash Patel to Milan, where he watched from a suite as the American men’s hockey team beat Canada in overtime for the Olympic gold medal. Whether by inviting himself or getting the call from members of the team, Patel then got to live every 45-year-old’s dream and celebrate with the team. Gathered around in the center of the locker room, drenched with beer, were the proud American players and the boss of their country’s top investigative force.

Read the Article

The Most Powerful Crime Syndicate in History

Lawrence: Nothing has separated voters from Trump more than the Epstein ‘cover-up’

Publisher: MS Now

Recommended by: Bruce R.

After The New York Daily News called the Trump administration “the most powerful crime syndicate in history,” MS NOW’s Lawrence O’Donnell explains why a new poll shows more voters believe Donald Trump is covering up Jeffrey Epstein’s crimes. 

The key to defeating Trump? Mass non-cooperation

Our studies in civil resistance offer insight into the level of popular organizing needed to repel assaults on democracy.

by Mark Engler and Paul Engler

Publisher: The Guardian

Recommended by: Bob B.

In the wake of two horrifying killings of legal observers in Minnesota, on top of the abduction of countless immigrant community members, the country has reached a turning point. Backlash against ICE’s lawlessness and aggression has reverberated so loudly that even Trump has heard it. But the effects on ordinary Americans contemplating what they would do if they lived in Minneapolis or St Paul is perhaps even more profound.

The extraordinary level of grassroots solidarity and creative resistance in anti-ICE protests in Minnesota has given people a new appreciation for the power that mass non-cooperation can have in resisting the Trump administration’s drive toward authoritarianism. And it has created an awareness of why such action is clearly needed.

Read More

See also:

This Is an Uprising

2026-02-13 Portola Valley: Work Party for Making “Know Your Rights” Kits (past event)

Indivisible Portola Valley has made about 5000 Know Your Rights Kits and aims to make 3000 more at this work party at a private residence.

These photos or videos may be downloaded and used freely for non-commercial purposes or by bona fide media services, provided that the photographer and Pro Bono Photo are credited whenever they are used. (ProBonoPhoto.org/PHOTOGRAPHER’S NAME). The photographer retains copyright to the photos or videos. This is a CC-NC-BY-4.0 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

The photographer at this event was Sonny Mencher.

For more information about Pro Bono Photo photographers, see http://www.ProBonoPhoto.org/Who-We-Are.

13Feb26PV-KnowYourRightsKits
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2026-02-08 Santa Clara: ICE Protest at the Super Bowl (past event)

A protest of the actions of ICE and the Trump administration more generally, held near Levi Stadium while the Super Bowl game was taking place there.

These photos or videos may be downloaded and used freely for non-commercial purposes or by bona fide media services, provided that the photographer and Pro Bono Photo are credited whenever they are used (ProBonoPhoto.org/PHOTOGRAPHER’S NAME). The photographer retains copyright to the photos or videos. This is a CC-NC-BY-4.0 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

The photographers at this event were Sammy Braxton-Haney, John Weekes, and Nate Love.

https://www.probonophoto.org/2026/8Feb26SantaClara-ICESuperbowl

Ice Protest at the Superbowl, Santa Clara, CA, February 8, 2026. (Probonophoto.org/Sammy Braxton-Haney)
Ice Protest at the Superbowl, Santa Clara, CA, February 8, 2026. (Probonophoto.org/Sammy Braxton-Haney)
Ice Protest at the Superbowl, Santa Clara, CA, February 8, 2026. (Probonophoto.org/Sammy Braxton-Haney)
Ice Protest at the Superbowl, Santa Clara, CA, February 8, 2026. (Probonophoto.org/Sammy Braxton-Haney)
Ice Protest at the Superbowl, Santa Clara, CA, February 8, 2026. (Probonophoto.org/Sammy Braxton-Haney)
Ice Protest at the Superbowl, Santa Clara, CA, February 8, 2026. (Probonophoto.org/Sammy Braxton-Haney)
Ice Protest at the Superbowl, Santa Clara, CA, February 8, 2026. (Probonophoto.org/Sammy Braxton-Haney)
Ice Protest at the Superbowl, Santa Clara, CA, February 8, 2026. (Probonophoto.org/Sammy Braxton-Haney)
Ice Protest at the Superbowl, Santa Clara, CA, February 8, 2026. (Probonophoto.org/Sammy Braxton-Haney)
Ice Protest at the Superbowl, Santa Clara, CA, February 8, 2026. (Probonophoto.org/Sammy Braxton-Haney)
Ice Protest at the Superbowl, Santa Clara, CA, February 8, 2026. (Probonophoto.org/Sammy Braxton-Haney)
Ice Protest at the Superbowl, Santa Clara, CA, February 8, 2026. (Probonophoto.org/Sammy Braxton-Haney)
Ice Protest at the Superbowl, Santa Clara, CA, February 8, 2026. (Probonophoto.org/Sammy Braxton-Haney)
Ice Protest at the Superbowl, Santa Clara, CA, February 8, 2026. (Probonophoto.org/Sammy Braxton-Haney)
Ice Protest at the Superbowl, Santa Clara, CA, February 8, 2026. (Probonophoto.org/Sammy Braxton-Haney)
Ice Protest at the Superbowl, Santa Clara, CA, February 8, 2026. (Probonophoto.org/Sammy Braxton-Haney)
Ice Protest at the Superbowl, Santa Clara, CA, February 8, 2026. (Probonophoto.org/Sammy Braxton-Haney)
Ice Protest at the Superbowl, Santa Clara, CA, February 8, 2026. (Probonophoto.org/Sammy Braxton-Haney)
Ice Protest at the Superbowl, Santa Clara, CA, February 8, 2026. (Probonophoto.org/Sammy Braxton-Haney)
Ice Protest at the Superbowl, Santa Clara, CA, February 8, 2026. (Probonophoto.org/Sammy Braxton-Haney)
Ice Protest at the Superbowl, Santa Clara, CA, February 8, 2026. (Probonophoto.org/Sammy Braxton-Haney)
Ice Protest at the Superbowl, Santa Clara, CA, February 8, 2026. (Probonophoto.org/Sammy Braxton-Haney)
Ice Protest at the Superbowl, Santa Clara, CA, February 8, 2026. (Probonophoto.org/Sammy Braxton-Haney)
Ice Protest at the Superbowl, Santa Clara, CA, February 8, 2026. (Probonophoto.org/Sammy Braxton-Haney)

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2026-02-08 Redwood City: Protest ICE before the Super Bowl (past event)

A protest of ICE timed for the morning of the Super Bowl. Redwood City, corner of Jefferson Ave. and El Camino Real.

These photos or videos may be downloaded and used freely for non-commercial purposes or by bona fide media services, provided that the photographer and Pro Bono Photo are credited whenever they are used (ProBonoPhoto.org/PHOTOGRAPHER’S NAME). The photographer retains copyright to the photos or videos. This is a CC-NC-BY-4.0 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

The photographers at this event were Sonny Mencher and Don Rasmussen.

https://www.probonophoto.org/2026/8Feb26RC-ICESuperbowl

08Feb2026 PROTEST ICE BEFORE SUPER BOWL-Redwood City (ProBonoPhoto/Sonny Mencher)
08Feb2026 PROTEST ICE BEFORE SUPER BOWL-Redwood City (ProBonoPhoto/Sonny Mencher)
08Feb2026 PROTEST ICE BEFORE SUPER BOWL-Redwood City (ProBonoPhoto/Sonny Mencher)
08Feb2026 PROTEST ICE BEFORE SUPER BOWL-Redwood City (ProBonoPhoto/Sonny Mencher)
08Feb2026 PROTEST ICE BEFORE SUPER BOWL-Redwood City (ProBonoPhoto/Sonny Mencher)
08Feb2026 PROTEST ICE BEFORE SUPER BOWL-Redwood City (ProBonoPhoto/Sonny Mencher)
08Feb2026 PROTEST ICE BEFORE SUPER BOWL-Redwood City (ProBonoPhoto/Sonny Mencher)
08Feb2026 PROTEST ICE BEFORE SUPER BOWL-Redwood City (ProBonoPhoto/Sonny Mencher)
08Feb2026 PROTEST ICE BEFORE SUPER BOWL-Redwood City (ProBonoPhoto/Sonny Mencher)
08Feb2026 PROTEST ICE BEFORE SUPER BOWL-Redwood City (ProBonoPhoto/Sonny Mencher)
08Feb2026 PROTEST ICE BEFORE SUPER BOWL-Redwood City (ProBonoPhoto/Sonny Mencher)
08Feb2026 PROTEST ICE BEFORE SUPER BOWL-Redwood City (ProBonoPhoto/Sonny Mencher)
08Feb2026 PROTEST ICE BEFORE SUPER BOWL-Redwood City (ProBonoPhoto/Sonny Mencher)
08Feb2026 PROTEST ICE BEFORE SUPER BOWL-Redwood City (ProBonoPhoto/Sonny Mencher)
08Feb2026 PROTEST ICE BEFORE SUPER BOWL-Redwood City (ProBonoPhoto/Sonny Mencher)
08Feb2026 PROTEST ICE BEFORE SUPER BOWL-Redwood City (ProBonoPhoto/Sonny Mencher)
08Feb2026 PROTEST ICE BEFORE SUPER BOWL-Redwood City (ProBonoPhoto/Sonny Mencher)
08Feb2026 PROTEST ICE BEFORE SUPER BOWL-Redwood City (ProBonoPhoto/Sonny Mencher)
08Feb2026 PROTEST ICE BEFORE SUPER BOWL-Redwood City (ProBonoPhoto/Sonny Mencher)
08Feb2026 PROTEST ICE BEFORE SUPER BOWL-Redwood City (ProBonoPhoto/Sonny Mencher)
08Feb2026 PROTEST ICE BEFORE SUPER BOWL-Redwood City (ProBonoPhoto/Sonny Mencher)
08Feb2026 PROTEST ICE BEFORE SUPER BOWL-Redwood City (ProBonoPhoto/Sonny Mencher)
08Feb2026 PROTEST ICE BEFORE SUPER BOWL-Redwood City (ProBonoPhoto/Sonny Mencher)
08Feb2026 PROTEST ICE BEFORE SUPER BOWL-Redwood City (ProBonoPhoto/Sonny Mencher)

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Old Event Notice: Protest ICE Before SuperBowl

Sunday, February 8, 11am – 12:30pm PST
Location: El Camino and Jefferson Ave

Signup On Mobilize

This will be a protest in Redwood City at El Camino and Jefferson Ave to support all cities–especially Minneapolis–that are standing up to ICE. Honoring those who were killed: Alex Pretti & Renee Good and their families and friends. Another man shot in Arizona on the 27th and currently not named is in critical condition. And 6 who died in immigration detention just since Jan 1st! Honoring others who were arrested illegally and sent to secret jails where their families cannot find them…. There are rumors that ICE is coming to our area during Super Bowl as they want to punish us AND are losing their minds that Bad Bunny is the half time act and will sing in Spanish…so we need to be ready and show our power to stand up. If ICE is here by then we will have updates and more to do. I’ll be updating this information.

2026-02-07 ICE Out for Good Protest (past event)

These photos or videos may be downloaded and used freely for non-commercial purposes or by bona fide media services, provided that the photographer and Pro Bono Photo are credited whenever they are used (ProBonoPhoto.org/PHOTOGRAPHER’S NAME). The photographer retains copyright to the photos or videos. This is a CC-NC-BY-4.0 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

The photographers at this event were Jillian Lovett, Zach Lovett, and Jesse Kornblum

See the Photos

Saturday, February 7, 3 – 4:30pm PST

Location: Gateway Plaza, 790 W El Camino Real, Mountain View, CA 94040

We will peacefully gather to stand up to this MAGA regime of bullies for billionaires that is destroying lives and undermining our country. We will demand that ICE be defunded and dismantled as a secret, masked police force that terrorizes people—especially people of color—across the country.

We will gather to speak the truth and demand accountability and justice for the ongoing pattern of ICE violence and abuse.

We will:
– Call for ICE to leave our communities
– Build public pressure
– Create space for grief, solidarity, and collective action

We will share Know Your Rights cards, information on how to report ICE activity, and educational leaflet on how ICE has become a building block of authoritarianism so you can spread the word.

Please join us and bring your friends and neighbors. We need to be in the streets, showing how crucial it is that we defend democracy.

Organized by It’s Blue Turn and Together We Will Palo Alto/Mountain View

A core principle behind all Indivisible events is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values.

Beyond MAGA

A Profile of the Trump Coalition

by: Stephen Hawkins, Daniel Yudkin, PhD, Tim Dixon, and Jason Mangone

Publisher: More in Common US

Recommended by: Bob B.

A Coalition, Not a Cult

There is an image at the heart of American politics: a sea of
red-hat-wearing MAGA supporters at a Trump campaign rally,
representing the millions of Americans who voted for him over the past
three elections — 63 million in 2016, 74 million in 2020, and 77
million in 2024. Yet this image is misleading. President Trump has
built a coalition, not a cult. This coalition shares many common
concerns, from unregulated immigration to progressive overreach to
American decline. But it also contains groups with distinct
identities, competing priorities, and clashing worldviews. And while
there is a strong core of ardent Trump supporters whose identity is
wrapped up in the MAGA movement, they represent a minority: only 38
percent of Trump voters say that being MAGA is important to them.

The Four Types of Trump Voters

  • The Reluctant Right
  • MAGA Hardliners
  • Anti-Woke Conservatives
  • Mainline Republicans
See the full report

A community organizer’s guide to Signal group chats

Key privacy settings and best practices.

by Stevie Bonifield

Publisher: The Verge

Recommended by Bruce R and EFF

With ICE and CBP roaming the streets, united community action is more important than ever right now — from local mutual aid groups to school safety patrols. Known for its privacy features and end-to-end encryption, the Signal messaging app has become a popular platform for organizing these community groups.

Signal can be a great tool for private messaging, but it’s at its best if you know how to use all the privacy options. Not all of these options are automatic or even immediately obvious; there are also some best practices that are helpful for participating in and leading group chats.

Go to the Article

This Is an Uprising

How Nonviolent Revote Is Shaping the Twenty-first Century.

by Mark Engler and Paul Engler

Publisher: Bold Type Books

Recommended by: Bob B.

In a book that has become a modern classic of social movement organizing, Mark and Paul Engler explain that there is a craft to uprising—and that this craft can change the world.

From protests around climate change and immigrant rights, to #BlackLivesMatter and movements to defend democracy, a new generation is unleashing strategic nonviolent action to shape public debate and force political change. While mass movements are often portrayed as spontaneous and unpredictable, Mark and Paul Engler explore the hidden art behind such outbursts of protest, examining core principles that have been used to spark and guide moments of transformative unrest.

Now updated with new material discussing the major mobilizations of the past decade—including #MeToo, protests for racial and climate justice, and anti-Trump resistance—This Is an Uprising shows how new protest movements can be essential in fighting authoritarianism and advancing social and economic justice today.

Buy
Their Website

Their substack: “Dispatches from the Whirlwind”

A timeline of Donald Trump’s many (alleged) crimes and convictions

Buckle up: there’s a lot to get through

By Jennifer Savin

Publisher: Cosmopolitan

Recommended by: Steve G.

It’s hard to believe that Donald Trump has only been back in office for a year, given the relentless news cycle he seems so obsessed with commanding (once a reality star, always a reality star?). From ordering especially high numbers of thuggish ICE agents into states that voted for his Democratic rival, Kamala Harris, to belittling allies in Europe (much to the delight of Russia’s President Putin), Trump sadly shows no signs of ending the chaos that is impacting the lives of millions the world over.

So, what has Trump actually been accused – and convicted – of over the years? Here’s a timeline recapping the key cases…

(Note: As of early 2026, no further criminal trials involving Trump are scheduled to take place while he is president, although appeals and civil enforcement actions remain ongoing.)

Read the Article

2026-01-17 – NO WAR ON VENEZUELA (past event)

The photographer at this event was Sonny Mencher. The photographer retains copyright to the photos or videos. This is a CC-NC-BY-4.0 license: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/

https://www.probonophoto.org/2026/17Jan26RedwoodCityNoWar

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Time

Saturday, January 17

11am – 12:30pm PST

Location

El Camino at Jefferson

1250 Jefferson Ave, Redwood City, CA 94062

A Call to Freeze ICE

Suspend all ICE activities pending judicial review of their methods.

By: Antonia Scatton

Reframing America

Publisher: Reframing America

There are many, many demands we can make about ICE including reforming it, replacing it with something better, or at minimum, repealing the recent massive funding increases. But those take time. We need action now. We need to call for an immediate suspension of activities, an appropriately named “freeze,” to stop the harm right now. A temporary freeze is a good place to start. It is both drastic and reasonable.

WHAT: Our Demands

  • FREEZE OPERATIONS pending LEGAL AND CONSTITUTIONAL REVIEW: Immediately suspend ICE activities and have agents withdraw to their local base. All out-of-state agents conducting “surge” activities should be returned to their home states until further notice.
  • DETAINEE STATUS REPORT: No more “disappearing” people.
    • List and account for every person detained or arrested by ICE and where they are now (including whether those detained were/are U.S. Citizens, people following the legal immigration process, previous status as a humanitarian parolee, DREAMers, long term residents with no record of violent crime, etc.)
    • Every detained person must have the ability to contact their families and access legal representation and a fair and timely hearing.
    • Assess the conditions of all detention facilities and assure that all detainees are being held under humane and legal conditions.
  • INCIDENT REPORT: No more extrajudicial violence.
    • Immediate inventory of all incidents involving shootings, beatings, injury, death, use of chemical weapons, as well as confrontation, investigation and/or arrest of protesters, legal observers, or U.S. citizens.
    • Review the legality of above incidents and whether they violate constitutional rights, specifically the First, Fourth and Tenth Amendments of the Constitution.
    • All cases of illegal arrest and use of force and/or violation of Constitutional rights should be referred to appropriate jurisdictions for prosecution.
  • OPERATIONAL LIMITS:
    • ICE must only arrest specific persons using judicial warrants. No racial profiling. No arrests in schools, churches, or medical facilities. ICE must not enter private homes or businesses without search warrants.
    • ICE is not to conduct non-immigration-related law enforcement.
    • DHS/ICE must provide and commit to clear definitions as to who is eligible for arrest on immigration law violations and why, such as record of being convicted of a violent crime or having crossed the border outside legal border crossings and being ineligible for the asylum process. DHS/ICE must provide and commit to clear definition of who is not eligible for arrest.
    • DHS/ICE must agree to crystal clear terms of engagement and use of force: when agents are allowed to stop people, ask for identification, or draw and/or use weapons including vehicles, guns and chemical weapons.
    • All arrests must be carried out with respect for due process and the Constitutional rights of suspects.
    • Agents must not wear masks. Agents must identify themselves; with their name, department/division and badge number clearly visible. Vehicles must be clearly identified as ICE or DHS. Agents must use body cameras at all times.
  • ENFORCEMENT AND RIGHTS OF OBSERVERS:
    • DHS and ICE must agree to these terms before resuming operations. Concrete consequences of violating these terms must be laid out in advance and enforced.
    • Protesters and legal observers must be provided clear definitions of their rights and responsibilities. Constitutional rights to protest and observe must be respected. We need clear definitions of what does or does not constitute “interfering” with federal agents. Consequences of clearly unlawful interference should be clearly defined in advance and proportionate, not a free pass for extrajudicial violence or murder.
    • DHS/ICE must defer to and coordinate with state and local law enforcement. Agents should not operate without the approval of state leadership. Local law enforcement must be able to supervise activities and stop any violations. DHS and the FBI must share all evidence of incidents and work with state and local law enforcement on all investigations.
Read Full Article

More Reframing America articles

If We Burn

The Mass Protest Decade and the Missing Revolution

by: Vincent Bevins

Publisher: PublicAffairs

Recommended by: Bob B. – Vincent Bevins presents “a more nuanced picture of the 3.5% rule, with data showing that mass protests don’t always lead to the change that protestors want.”

From 2010 to 2020, more people participated in protests than at any other point in human history. Yet we are not living in more just and democratic societies as a result. Acclaimed journalist Vincent Bevins carried out hundreds of interviews around the world, guided by a single, puzzling question: How did so many mass protests lead to the opposite of what they asked for?

The result is a stirring work of history that connects events in a dozen countries and reveals that conventional wisdom on revolutionary change is gravely misguided. From the so-called Arab Spring to Gezi Park in Turkey, from Ukraine’s Euromaidan to student rebellions in Chile and Hong Kong, Bevins provides a blow-by-blow account of street movements and their consequences, recounted in gripping detail. In this groundbreaking study of an extraordinary chain of events, protesters and major actors look back on successes and defeats, offering urgent lessons for the future.

Buy

Website

The Greatest Sentence Ever Written

by Walter Isaacson

Isaacson explores the origins of the second sentence of the Declaration of Independence:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness.”
• He breaks down the historical context, showing how Jefferson drafted it and Franklin and Adams edited it.
• The book highlights how those words shaped the American Dream and remain relevant in today’s polarized times.

Ali Velshi interviews Walter Isaacson

Publisher: ‎ Simon & Schuster

Buy 

Keep Your Guard Up

Know Your Rights

By ACLU

Last month, the Bay Area braced for a surge of National Guard soldiers and federal immigration agents. Although Trump ultimately called off the troops, in the short time Border Patrol officers were here, they fired flash-bang grenades at peaceful community members and shot a pastor in the face with a pepper ball. The unprovoked violence was a chilling glimpse of how future immigration raids could unfold here. That’s why we can’t become complacent.

Be prepared and know your rights in case federal agents show up anywhere in our region:

This is from the ACLU’s Know Your Rights page.

Autocrats vs. Democrats

China, Russia, America and the New Global Disorder

by Michael McFaul

Publisher: Mariner Books

“A history, an analysis, and a set of prescriptions for the greatest geopolitical challenge of our time: the threat to the democratic world posed by China and Russia.” —Anne Applebaum, author of Autocracy, Inc.

“A monumental account of contemporary geopolitics”—Francis Fukuyama, author of Liberalism and Its Discontents
From New York Times bestselling author and former ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul comes a bold, clear-eyed look at how the autocracies of China and Russia are challenging the current global order, and how America’s future depends on successfully confronting this threat.

Retribution

Donald Trump and the Campaign that Changed America

by Jonathan Karl

Publisher: Dutton

Recommended by: Steve Gadol

The must-read new book from Jonathan Karl, the author of New York Times bestsellers Tired of Winning, Betrayal, and Front Row at the Trump Show

In Retribution, Jonathan Karl’s unparalleled access brings us behind closed doors deep inside the White House and presidential campaigns, revealing the extraordinary moments that ended one man’s presidency and brought another back to power.

This is a story of unprecedented political plot twists, showing what happened behind the scenes as political fortunes fell and rose again, and as a new team coalesced around President Trump with the goal of creating an entirely new world order. From President Biden’s shocking withdrawal and Vice President Harris’s historic run, to the multiple assassination attempts on President Trump, his election, and the changes he has brought to every corner of the country, this book reveals in surprising new detail how we got here, and what we can expect from American politics in the years to come.

Interview with Jonathan Karl about Retribution

Buy

Ground Truth

Rebuilding trust to win elections—one conversation at a time

Ground Truth is an innovative, people-powered canvassing program that’s helping Democrats win back power by reimagining how we talk with voters.

  • Get trained to have meaningful, deep-listening conversations with voters
  • Knock doors or make calls in your closest swing district
  • Help win control of both chambers of Congress by engaging voters earlier and more effectively
For more information

See also:

Swing Left

No Kings 2 – Sam Liccardo

by Bruce Rafnel

Location: Palo Alto, CA; 1:00–4:00 p.m. at Rinconada Cultural Park.

Organizers

Event Program: https://tinyurl.com/u8wmfprf

No Kings 2 – Heham Sallam

by Bruce Rafnel

Location: Palo Alto, CA; 1:00–4:00 p.m. at Rinconada Cultural Park.

Organizers

Event Program: https://tinyurl.com/u8wmfprf

No Kings 2 – Ladoris Cordell

by Bruce Rafnel

Location: Palo Alto, CA; 1:00–4:00 p.m. at Rinconada Cultural Park.

Organizers

Event Program: https://tinyurl.com/u8wmfprf

No Kings 2 – Democracy Fair

by Bruce Rafnel

Location: Palo Alto, CA; 1:00–4:00 p.m. at Rinconada Cultural Park.

IPV videographer, Bruce Rafnel, prepared this 47-minute video showing many of the activities and speakers at the Democracy Fair at Rinconada Park. Bruce’s coverage includes the closing program featuring retired CA Supreme Court Justice La Doris Cordell, Hesham Sallem of Stanford, Congressman Sam Liccardo, and many Indivisible collaborators. 

Organizers

Event Program

The Shadow President

How Russell Vought became Trump's Shadow President

by Andy Kroll

Publisher: ProPublica

From the wholesale gutting of federal agencies to the ongoing government shutdown, Russell Vought has drawn the road map for Trump’s second term. Vought has consolidated power to an extent that insiders say they feel like “he is the commander in chief.”

What Vought has done in the nine months since Trump took office goes much further than slashing foreign aid. Relying on an expansive theory of presidential power and a willingness to test the rule of law, he has frozen vast sums of federal spending, terminated tens of thousands of federal workers and, in a few cases, brought entire agencies to a standstill. In early October, after Senate Democrats refused to vote for a budget resolution without additional health care protections, effectively shutting down the government, Vought became the face of the White House’s response. On the second day of the closure, Trump shared an AI-generated video that depicted his budget director — who, by then, had threatened mass firings across the federal workforce and paused or canceled $26 billion in funding for infrastructure and clean-­energy projects in blue states — as the Grim Reaper of Washington, D.C. “We work for the president of the United States,” a senior agency official who regularly deals with the OMB told me. But right now “it feels like we work for Russ Vought. He has centralized decision-­making power to an extent that he is the commander in chief.”

Read Article

(Archive)

Watch: “We Want the Bureaucrats to Be Traumatically Affected”

How To Not Lose Your Sh!t

by Katie Paris and LaFonda Cousin

Publisher: Red Wine and Blue

Let’s be honest: this year has been a bit of a dumpster fire. Here at Red Wine & Blue, we’ve been hearing women in our community say they’re not sure how to make a difference — at least, not without totally losing their shit.

So we decided to tackle that question head-on with a brand-new podcast. It’s simply called How To Not Lose Your Sh!t and it’s hosted by our very own Katie Paris and LaFonda Cousin.

Katie, our founder, has worked in political organizing for most of her career. LaFonda, our Chief People Officer, is a wellness expert and yoga teacher on a mission to reimagine self-care. Every week, they’ll talk to experts and everyday women who are getting involved, building community, and feeling better in the process.

You can listen to our first episode with special guest Heather Cox Richardson on October 1st, with new episodes every Wednesday after that. If you’re already subscribed to the Red Wine & Blue podcast in your podcast player, you’ll automatically see new episodes each week here in your feed.

There are a lot of political podcasts out there already, and a lot of mental health and self-care shows too. What we want to do is reject that binary and explore how getting involved can actually be a form of not only caring for your community, but also yourself. We can’t wait for you to join us on a journey through self-care, politics, community, and tackling this difficult moment… together.

How to Not Lose Your Sh!t

Mobilize.org

Show SF Peninsula Events

You can “filter” for events near you. You can also filter for the “type” of events or meetings.

Where are some current political events near you? Mobilize is a good place to start. https://www.mobilize.us/

From Mobilize’s About page:

Power to the People

Mobilize is your go-to destination for people-powered movements. We provide nonprofits, labor unions, political campaigns, and grassroots organizers the tech needed to create a more just, inclusive, and democratic world.

2025-10-18 – No Kings 2 (past event)

For videos, see no-kings/ posts for Oct. 18, 2025

Join Indivisible Portola Valley and Indivisible Palo Alto

  • Gather at 855 El Camino on both sides of El Camino—Town & Country Shopping Center AND the Stanford side cross street Embarcadero!
  • At 12:30 we will start our parade down BOTH sides of Embarcadero (on the sidewalk) to Rinconada Park for the Democracy Fair!

On June 14th we had 5000 folks–let’s represent the people who can’t be there and let people know WE ARE NOT GIVING UP! That’s what the administration wants-WE DISSENT! Costumes! Signs! Families!

The ONE THING You Can Do to Fight Fascism RIGHT NOW

by Elizabeth Cronise McLaughlin

Publisher: The Ripple Effect Institute

Recommended by: Bruce R.

If it feels like America is sliding deeper into darkness—with voter suppression, book bans, gag orders, and fear spreading daily—you’re not alone. The truth is, fascism thrives when good people hesitate, but democracy grows stronger when ordinary people take action. You don’t need the full roadmap to change the world; you just need to take the next best step. Even the smallest action—whether it’s organizing in your community, speaking out at a school board meeting, or showing up for your neighbors—can disrupt authoritarianism and build momentum for lasting change. In this video, I’ll share why action is the antidote to despair and how you can start making a difference today, no matter your resources or time. History shows us that small acts, multiplied by thousands, topple regimes and create movements. Don’t wait for the “perfect” moment or the “perfect” leader—your courage matters now.

A FREE GUIDE FOR PROGRESSIVE LEADERS READY TO CREATE LASTING IMPACT

How to Lead Change Without Burning Out

READ MY ESSAYS ON POLITICS AND ACTIVISM ON SUBSTACK

Stop ICE Raids Alert Network

Go To ICE Alert Site

Nation-Wide Mobile Alert System

by Sherman Austin

The Stop ICE Raids Alert Network lets you send and receive mobile alerts about nearby ICE activity whenever and wherever it occurs.

No downloadable app required. StopICE works with technology already built into your phone. Send and receive mobile alerts via text message, or at stopice.net, from any mobile device with a tap of a button.

Adjust your notification settings at any time to receive alerts within a certain mile radius of your neighborhood.

Alerts are crowd-sourced by the public. This means alerts are sent directly by people from their communities.

Beyond Left & Right

Making Sense of Politics in a World of Increasing Misinformation and Manipulation

by Lorenzo Burton

Tired of the endless division, misinformation, and manipulation in today’s political climate?
Beyond Left & Right cuts through the noise to reveal how political systems truly function—and how to recognize when we’re being misled by those in power. In a world where confusion and bias are often used as tools of control, it helps you think more clearly, question more deeply, and see through the fog to understand what’s really going on.

Noncooperation & Targeting Pillars of Support

This handout describes some of the Pillars of Support.

Each time a pillar institution yields to or supports the regime, the regime grows stronger. In contrast, noncooperation — refusing to do what is expected, disrupting the normal course of events, and withdrawing support from unjust or illegal policies — weakens the regime and creates cracks in its foundation of power.

PDF Handout

Trump’s Power & the Rule of Law (full documentary) | FRONTLINE

FRONTLINE goes inside the showdown between U.S. President Donald Trump and the courts over presidential power.

President Donald Trump’s allies, opponents and experts talk about how he is testing the extent of his power, the legal pushback and the impact on the rule of law.

Continue reading Trump’s Power & the Rule of Law (full documentary) | FRONTLINE

One Million Rising

by Indivisible

Publisher: No Kings

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 don’t have to wait until it’s too late. We can stop this. But it’ll take all of us—not just single days of mass action, but sustained organizing in our communities.

That’s why this summer, we’re launching One Million Rising—a national effort to train one million people in the strategic logic and practice of non-cooperation, as well as the basics of community organizing and campaign design. This is how we build people power that can’t be ignored. You’re invited to join us—and lead.

You can visit the site to see the recorded videos and access the training materials.

https://www.nokings.org/rise

Saving Democracy

A User's Manual for Every American: 2nd Edition: The Trump Era

by David Pepper

Publisher: St. Helena Press

Recommended by: Steve G.

Saving Democracy is that rare book that doesn’t simply diagnose the crisis our democracy faces, and the broader strategies that we must take to fight back…but it breaks it all down so that every reader understands the role she or he can play in their own lives.

Buy

Starts With Us

Based on decades of research from Columbia University Professor and Starts With Us Expert-in-Residence Peter T. Coleman, Ph.D., the Finding The Way Out Challenge is designed to help shape new habits and norms for political tolerance and courageous compassion. Think of it as a personalized boot camp for building a healthier national culture and repairing broken relationships across differences.

Find out more

Latest Articles

  • The Real Reason the World Cup Matters
    I grew up playing football — the American version. Like many kids in the United States, my sports calendar revolved around Friday night lights, college football Saturdays, and NFL Sundays. Soccer occupied a much smaller corner of my world. I had heard it described as the world’s game, but it took me years to understand… The post The Real Reason the World Cup Matters appeared first on Builders.
  • How NY Giants Teammates Navigated Politics Like Builders
    Politics found its way onto a professional football field last week — and what happened next was actually kind of remarkable. New York Giants quarterback Jaxson Dart introduced President Trump at a rally in Suffern, New York. His teammate Abdul Carter saw it and quickly made a concerned post on social media. Headlines predicted a… The post How NY Giants Teammates Navigated Politics Like Builders appeared first on Builders.
  • The Good, The Bad, and What Comes Next After the Texas Runoffs
    The May runoffs are a wrap. The dust has settled, the nominees are set, and we’re officially on the road to November. But before we sprint toward the general election, it’s worth taking a beat — because what happened last Tuesday wasn’t just about who won. It was a reminder that civic life is bigger… The post The Good, The Bad, and What Comes Next After the Texas Runoffs appeared first on Builders.
  • Builders vs. Culture Wars: Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey Backlash
    Christopher Nolan is making a $250 million adaptation of Homer’s The Odyssey. Before the movie has even made it to theaters, it’s already been declared a culture war battleground. The controversy centers on casting choices, particularly news about Lupita Nyong’o as Helen of Troy and rumors of transgender actor Elliot Page as Achilles. Elon Musk… The post Builders vs. Culture Wars: Christopher Nolan’s Odyssey Backlash appeared first on Builders.
  • What It Really Means to Honor Memorial Day
    Memorial Day weekend sometimes looks a lot like the rest of American life right now: divided. The parades and social media tributes often split along familiar lines — who’s thanking veterans loudly enough, who’s using the holiday to make a political point, who’s doing it “right.” But two veterans who have participated in our Citizen… The post What It Really Means to Honor Memorial Day appeared first on Builders.

Crossing Party Lines

Our story begins in 2016 with two groups starting independently of one another — on opposite coasts of the United States. Coincidentally, both founders chose the same name, “Crossing Party Lines.” Their shared vision led them to create a volunteer platform to unite Americans through warm and engaging conversations. Prompted by a time of unprecedented political polarization, these two visionaries, their energetic team of volunteers, and over 3,000 CPL members are uniting America one conversation at a time. Donations to Crossing Party Lines, Inc. are 501(c)3) tax-deductible. 

Find out more

Latest Articles

  • The Gift of Spring — Renewing Curiosity
    by Lisa K Swallow
    So many of us come to CPL carrying a kind of weary certainty — certain we know what the other side thinks, sure we know how the conversation will go. But when we stop being surprised, we stop being curious. And that, more than any single policy disagreement, is where connection goes to die. The post The Gift of Spring — Renewing Curiosity first appeared on Crossing Party Lines.
  • Curate a Better Feed: 5 Instagram Accounts That Help You Think Clearly in a Noisy World
    by Lisa K Swallow
    Social media doesn’t have to be a source of stress, division, or misinformation — but only if we curate it intentionally. By following voices that promote clarity, compassion, and critical thinking, your feed can become a space for growth, not outrage. In this post, we’re sharing 5 Instagram accounts that will help you scroll smarter and engage with more purpose online. The post Curate a Better Feed: 5 Instagram Accounts That Help You Think Clearly in a Noisy World first appeared on Crossing Party Lines.
  • Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness….
    by Gabriela Morales
    As we approach the Fourth of July, we’re called to reflect not just on freedom and independence, but on how we live those values every day. In a nation built on life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, how often do we pause to ask ourselves: What do these ideals mean to me? Our new Executive Director invites us to consider our privileges, responsibilities, and the legacy we’re shaping for future generations. The post Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness…. first appeared on Crossing Party Lines.
  • New Job, New Understandings
    by Gabriela Morales
    I recently joined 500+ orgs in the Listen First Coalition’s mission to heal divides through deep listening. With @CrossingPartyLines, I’m learning how empathy, training, and community help us disagree better and grow together. 💬 #ListenFirst #CrossingPartyLines The post New Job, New Understandings first appeared on Crossing Party Lines.
  • How We Can Heal America Together
    by Lisa K Swallow
    At Crossing Party Lines (CPL), we believe that respectful dialogue across political differences is essential to a healthy democracy. But as polarization deepens and democratic trust erodes, we’ve realized something important: We can’t do this work alone. The post How We Can Heal America Together first appeared on Crossing Party Lines.

Braver Angels

Braver Angels is leading the nation’s largest cross-partisan, volunteer-led movement to bridge the political divide. Through community gatherings, real debates, and grassroots leaders working together, we’re offering America what it needs to overcome the bitterness of our partisan divide. Donations to Braver Angels are 501(c)3 tax deductible

Find out more

Latest Articles

  • How a Christian conservative found his way to Braver Angels
    by Braver Angels
    As a young man, Daniel’s father emerged from a broken, dysfunctional home looking for direction and found it while attending a Billy Graham crusade in Chicago. There, he “walked forward”—committing himself to Jesus Christ and changing the trajectory of his family. Not long after, he married Daniel’s mom, a Christian convert whose grandparents sought refuge in America after escaping pogroms in Europe. The post How a Christian conservative found his way to Braver Angels appeared first on Braver Angels.
  • Announcing Braver Angels Advisory Council
    by Maury Giles
    Twenty-three leaders who disagree on many things said yes to the same thing this month. They agreed to stand together, publicly, behind the idea that Americans can hold fast to their convictions while staying genuinely curious about the convictions of people on the other side. That's it. That's the commitment. For more than nine years, Braver Angels has reached people in every state in the union. The ones who've engaged have experienced something that surprises them every time: the relief of disagreeing without contempt, and the discovery that the person across the table is not who the feed said they […]
  • Happy National Volunteer Week!
    by Gabriella Timmis
    Braver Angels is powered by volunteers: everyday people who believe they have a role in bringing out the best in our country. And seeing our volunteers in action—giving their time and energy to bring together individuals who never dreamed they’d be in a room together—has buoyed me through all the political uncertainty. The post Happy National Volunteer Week! appeared first on Braver Angels.
  • Letter: Word choice crashes argument – Mountain Xpress
    by astillman@gmail.com
    As a member of Braver Angels , I appreciate a good, fair debate. Bill Branyon won that one, Carl. Better luck next time. — Fred Racey Asheville. 13 … The post Letter: Word choice crashes argument – Mountain Xpress appeared first on Braver Angels.
  • Community calendar – The Ely Echo
    by astillman@gmail.com
    This program is sponsored by Friends of the Library. The next Braver Angels Gathering will be on Wednesday, March 25 at 6 p.m. at the Ely Senior … The post Community calendar – The Ely Echo appeared first on Braver Angels.
  • Party politics drive partial government shutdown | Opinion letters – The News-Press
    by astillman@gmail.com
    That crisis birthed Braver Angels after the 2016 election, responding to decades of brewing toxicity. A volunteer-led, cross-partisan movement, it … The post Party politics drive partial government shutdown | Opinion letters – The News-Press appeared first on Braver Angels.
  • 'Braver Angels' Debate at UMW Encourages Dialogue, Embraces Differences – News
    by astillman@gmail.com
    College students from the University of Mary Washington and Germanna Community College came together last week to participate in a Braver Angels … The post 'Braver Angels' Debate at UMW Encourages Dialogue, Embraces Differences – News appeared first on Braver Angels.

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