Part military spectacle, part tourist attraction, and mostly a ludicrous monument to Trump, by Trump, and for Trump, this Arch is an illegal and unwanted monstrosity that we will continue to fight.

Our rally today was joined by Public Citizen, who brought some well-known speakers to their Veterans over Vanity press conference. Senator Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), and Congressman Don Beyer (D - VA 8th) spoke forcefully and passionately about why the Arch must never be built. They spoke on behalf of veterans, for those who care about Arlington National Cemetery, and for those who support the rule of law. Several veterans also spoke, including one who is part of the lawsuit being brought by Public Citizen against the Arch.

_{Photo Courtesy of GR}

Other activities during the day-long rally included two different speakers’ corners, a training for a mock sit-in, an art build, curbside protesting, and a fabulous DJ plus the DC Activist Street Band to accompany our rush-hour protest.

The weather was glorious, we had lots of folks join us for the curbside protests, and the honks lasted throughout the day.

Here is the poem that I delivered during the rally:

Poem # 8647

Oh, vainglorious Arch, how I do loathe thee -

Let me count the many ways in which you provoke me.

I loathe that no approval, nor appropriation has been given,

Yet to build on this federal land without them, you seem driven.

Lo, the souls that lay to rest nearby have earned eternal respect,

Placing the Arch here will convey to them that their service you reject.

Veterans have spoken out and will fight to win their claim,

That you must not build this vile Arch and block the eternal flame.

A military fortress filled with snipers, guns, and drones,

Is not the least befitting the many acres of gravestones.

The solemn space before us is calm and green and wide,

Why desecrate this sacred ground just to stoke your foolish pride?

The constant traffic, a steady flow of tourists, joggers, cars -

Your construction will wreak havoc here just to please the orange czar.

And what, pray tell, of the iconic Bridge that symbolizes our union

After the bloody war between North and South in the days of the Old Dominion?

To rewrite the history of this country and to deny us Lincoln’s gift,

Will only sow dissension - let our response be fierce and swift.

The people do not want this Arch, and we are prepared to take a stand

United in determination to defend this magnificent land.

This is OUR country, we hold it dear, and we will defend it to the hilt -

We gather here today to proclaim that the Arch shall not be built.

Photo courtesy Parker Johnson on Unspash

We’ve endured 20 months of insanity, lies, and jaw-dropping corruption from this regime. It’s hard to keep up with the daily assaults on our intelligence, not to mention the blatant disregard for our Constitution.

I don’t know about you, but I’m exhausted. And yet this is no time to slow down or throw in the towel! Quite the opposite…

We have 61 days to start turning this ship around, and turn it around we must. On November 3, the midterm elections will determine whether we can take a sledgehammer to this ghastly trifecta and begin the slow process of repairing the damage and holding this corrupt regime accountable.

If the primaries are any indication, we are on track for a blue wave in November. But it will take every one of us to make this wave too big to ignore. Here’s what you can do:

• Make sure you are registered to vote – people get removed from the voter rolls without knowing it. Go to vote.org to check if you are still registered. It doesn’t matter how often you have voted in the past – the rules are changing daily, so check your status. The link works for every state.

• If you aren’t registered, get registered ASAP!!

• Make sure you have a valid ID for your locality. While Trump has been unsuccessful at pushing through the SAVE Act, if it is enacted you may need a birth certificate or valid passport, and it takes time to get those items.

• Know your ballot!! Again, vote.org can help you learn what will be on the ballot so you don’t have to guess once you get to the polls.

• Vote early!! This is one of the best ways to ensure your vote is counted. You can learn about early voting in your state at vote.org. Voting in person is the most secure way to vote. If you vote by mail, it is super important to do so as early as possible.

• Make sure your friends and neighbors are voting! Have a party – vote together! Offer folks a ride to the poll.

• Engage young people about whether or not they are registered and plan to vote.

• Do not spread misinformation about the elections being canceled, etc. Spreading alarm will not help anyone.

• If you vote early, plan to help out at the polls on election day, Nov 3. Search online to see what opportunities there are in your state, or you can volunteer as a poll monitor with Election Protection, a non-partisan group that assists voters throughout the country. 866ourvote.org

Together, we can make sure our votes are counted, that the elections are free and fair, and that our voice sends this unequivocal message: We, the people, are fed up. It is time for a change, and the huge blue wave that will sweep across the country on November 3, 2026 will usher in a new day for democracy.

ICE operations have escalated wildly across the country, harming our neighbors who are an integral part of our fabric of life and our economy. We are talking about folks who are simply raising their families, going to work every day, often doing the back-breaking work that many Americans don’t want to do. Minding their own business. In return, they live in fear as they see their loved ones and neighbors hunted down and roughly detained when going to work in the morning, when taking a lunch break from arduous roofing work, when showing up to court as instructed, or when walking to school to pick up their children.

The cruelty in these ICE encounters and detainments is horrific, unnecessary, extralegal and intentional. Masked, armed, unidentified and untrained goons are running roughshod over detentions, and as a result, innocent people have been terrorized and injured. Due process is being ignored and innocent people have been murdered, among them: Renee Good, Alex Pretti, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo and Joan Sebastian Duran Guerrero this year alone. There has been zero accountability for these deaths.

ICE Detention centers are exceptionally grim places, and the over 70,000 people currently detained there face cruel, inhumane living conditions. Reports have shed light on crowding, spoiled food, lack of access to medications, lack of air conditioning during brutal heatwaves, unsanitary conditions, limited access to outdoors, and more. Elected officials who try to visit these facilities (and who are, by law, entitled to do so), are often denied access, or if they do get access, it appears that they are being presented a whitewashed version of conditions.

On August 1, 2026, Edwin Lopez-Cornejo died after he suffered a medical emergency at the Delaney Hall Detention Facility in Newark, NJ - the most recent of 54 deaths in ICE custody during Trump’s second term. When I recently asked my congressman why he has not visited a detention center in Virginia this year to check on conditions there, I was told that he is not given access, so the visit is pointless. He apparently lacks the backbone to insist on his legal right to these visits, and the for-profit ICE detention centers are now calling the shots.

Meanwhile, during this administration, ICE has received jaw dropping funding to the tune of over $110 billion. That makes ICE the highest-funded federal law enforcement agency in U.S. history. ICE detention operations are scaling up, (ICE training is not), and this insanity has to stop!

On August 5, Women’s March brought together a group of similarly minded people to deliver our message to Congress at the Hart Senate Office building in Washington, DC. Organizers provided fabulous support as we unfurled massive banners with slogans of ICE KILLS and ABOLISH ICE, and a banner with the names of the 54 people killed in ICE detention during this administration. We also had tombstones for the 11 individuals who have been killed by ICE during detainment operations in this administration.

Congress is about to start its summer recess, and our goal was to send Congress home with the unequivocal message that ICE must be abolished. Period.

We had about five minutes to get our message across, chanting “We want justice, we want peace, we want ICE off our streets” before over a dozen officers swooped in to confiscate the banners and make arrests. Capitol police may think they had the last word as they arrested 16 of us, but the crowds of workers who watched from their offices or spilled out into the hallways and nodded or smiled as we shared our message tells me that we had the final word today. Here’s hoping Congress comes to its senses.

ABOLISH ICE!

The National Capital Planning Commission (NCPC) held its second hearing today about the Triumphal Arch. Dozens were present to provide testimony, and I was one of them. Hundreds of others sent in written comments.

This was the second NCPC hearing for the Arch. At its first meeting in June, over 30 people signed up to speak and over 1,600 written comments were received. At that first meeting, the Commissioners voted to move the Arch project along. Today, they did the same, pushing the project ever closer to completion.

A final hearing is expected in September, when the architects will provide the additional details requested of them today. What should be a far more deliberative process is being hurried through, and it’s clear that important corners are being cut along the way. The average time from concept to completion for a monumental project of this nature is at least 10 years, often longer.

Those who provided written or in-person testimony today and in June had no words of support for the Arch. None. The comments were impassioned, powerful, honest, factual, beautifully expressed and sometimes wrenching. Historians, architects, veterans, survivors, activists, environmentalists and local residents all made clear to the Commissioners that the people simply do not want this Arch.

We spoke of the need, as stated in the Constitution, for Congressional approval for the project. It's still missing.

There is a bill in Congress to stop the Arch, and a lawsuit brought by Public Citizen on behalf of some Veterans is making its way through the courts. The FAA must also complete a full aeronautical review which could take months. Why, then, we asked, are we rushing to give this project a green light?

We addressed the harm the Arch will do to the historical viewshed between Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial. The uninterrupted view from the Cemetery across Memorial Bridge to the Lincoln Memorial represents the reunification of the North and South following the Civil War. This is our history, and we do not want it re-written.

Service members, Veterans, and family spoke of the hallowed, quiet space where so many soldiers have been laid to rest. They spoke of the solace this space gives them. The 250-ft Triumphal Arch would reduce this sacred space to a loud, busy, commercial tourist attraction complete with a gift shop. This will be no place to honor the fallen. Building the Arch at Memorial Circle will be a slap in the face for those who have served and fought for our country.

Concern about traffic woes at Memorial Circle during and after construction were voiced, as were concerns about the huge crowds and concomitant noise pollution the Arch will bring to what was intended to be a serene space.

There are approximately 30 funerals each weekday at Arlington National Cemetery, and the noise from the construction - expected to last about three years - will interrupt those solemn affairs. And once the construction is concluded, the Arch will be a tourist destination, with busloads of visitors streaming in all day long, disrupting the contemplative nature of the Cemetery. In response to these concerns, Commissioner Scharf asked the architects to provide a plan for construction-noise mitigation. My plan is so simple: don’t build the Arch.

In testimony, it was pointed out that the laws governing the building of monuments on federal land simply aren't being followed for this project (Height of Buildings Act, Section 106, NEPA…) in the rush to rubber stamp this vanity Arch.

The National Park Service (NPS) finally opened a public comment period in June, as required, but for only 10 days, far too short a time to solicit the requisite feedback and input. Projects of this magnitude generally take years to unfold, and public input is solicited for months, not days. In those brief 10 days, however, NPS received 100,936 comments and the submissions are overwhelmingly against the Arch.

Similarly, the Commission on Fine Arts (CFA), which approved the Arch design earlier this year, received nearly 2,000 public comments at its two meetings and 99.8% were opposed.

All told, the public has been provided comment opportunities at the CFA, NCPC and the NPS, both in-person (CFA and NCPC) and in writing (all three agencies.) It is clear from reviewing these comments that there is virtually no public support for the Arch.

Trump, however, wants this Arch. He has admitted he wants it for himself. And that it must be 250 feet tall. (That’s so he can pretend the Arch will honor the nation’s 250th birthday…) He wants it decorated with gold, lots of gold. It will have a gift shop, an observation deck, elevators, and a ticket sales counter. It will draw tens of thousands of admirers daily.

Trump wants and needs that admiration, and he has put enough sycophants in place at NCPC and the CFA and other agencies to make sure he gets it. Congress be damned - Trump thinks he can bypass them by relying on an outdated 1925 Congressional authorization for two pillars which were never built in Memorial Circle and which are not similar to the Arch in size, scope, or design. The hubris here is simply breathtaking.

Only NCPC Commissioner Cash has had the moral courage and integrity to push back against this monstrosity. He voted no in June, and he voted no again today, giving lengthy remarks to his fellow commissioners explaining his concerns.

Many of us will be back at NCPC in September for what is expected to be the final meeting when NCPC is expected to approve this monstrosity and thereby deliver a stunning insult to the American people.

In September, I will return to NCPC to once again provide testimony. I will repeat my closing remarks from today:

The Preamble to the Constitution begins with three iconic words: “We the People.”

Those all-important words symbolize the foundation of American democracy and the power of its citizens to govern themselves. I urge the Commission to listen to and respect the wishes of the people, and to acknowledge that Congress has the final word in this matter.

Meanwhile, Trump has issued over 1,700 pardons of convicted criminals and in several striking cases, the restitution owed by those pardoned has simply been erased. Several of those pardoned have gone on to make multi-million-dollar contributions to Trump’s PAC.

In the first quarter of 2026 alone, Trump made over 3,500 stock trades, many of which coincided with government actions involving companies being traded. That’s a massive conflict of interest. Pay-to-play schemes, violations of the Federal Emoluments clause, selling access to the White House and blatant commercial promotion are other examples of the corruption defining Trump’s second term.

The corruption continues in the many projects Trump is implementing around the city. Contractors are eagerly lining up for unusual no-bid contracts which are hugely over-inflated. These projects are turning the heart of our city into a dystopian nightmare. Trump is renaming buildings for himself, slapping gold leaf on anything that doesn’t move, and hanging multi-story banners with his scowling visage from federal buildings. The Nation’s Capital is being transformed from a city filled with classical grandeur and history-rich monuments to a city being suffocated by extensive fencing and massive construction, all to celebrate Trump. The people certainly have not voted for these projects.

The East Wing of the White House was demolished without Congressional approval. Poof, just like that, important history reduced to a pile of rubble. The ballroom intended to replace the East Wing is facing extensive criticism and legal challenges.

The Reflecting Pool has undergone extensive and expensive renovation through a no-bid contract which failed to address the Pool’s long-standing plumbing issues. The project is done, and the Reflecting Pool is now a deep blue color more befitting a luxury pool in St. Tropez.

Plans for a Triumphal Arch, which Trump admitted he wants built for himself, would overwhelm Memorial Circle, desecrate the hallowed land around it, and block the historic sightline between the Lee Mansion at Arlington Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial. The Arch faces intense public opposition as well as concerns from the FAA.

The most recent building project may not leave a permanent physical scar on the nation’s capital, but the “Claw” and accompanying arena for the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) Mixed Martial Arts match scheduled to take place on the South Lawn of the White House and Ellipse is an insult to every American and is as corrupt and disfiguring as it gets. While UFC and Crypto.com are allegedly footing the construction bill, taxpayers will be left to shoulder the cost of repairs needed to the South Lawn once this spectacle is concluded.

The UFC event at the White House will be held on June 14, 2026, Flag Day, a day when Americans reflect on our history and honor our symbol of unity and freedom. Not coincidentally, June 14 is also Trump’s 80th birthday, and seemingly the reason he has invited UFC to hold an event at the White House that day.

Trump, who has long been friends with UFC CEO Dana White, helped White get established several decades ago when few others would consider hosting the UFC. White began to gain legitimacy when Trump hosted a UFC event at his then Taj Mahal casino in 2001. UFC has since skyrocketed in popularity, and White, in return, has been a vocal and steadfast supporter of Trump, often staging VIP walk-ins by Trump at his fights.

For the past few weeks, in preparation for June 14, UFC has been constructing a horrendous arch-like 92-foot-tall 600-ton steel structure on the White House South Lawn that White is calling “The Claw”. This red, white and blue centerpiece of the UFC fights, which will provide lighting for the cage below it, is tall enough to be seen looming over the White House from some distance and is a jarring juxtaposition to the stately neoclassical architecture of the White House.

Meanwhile, tourists hoping to see the White House and the Ellipse these past few weeks are discovering instead huge fences draped with security cloth preventing any views. Behind those fences, there are trucks, shade canopies, gates, porta-johns and massive screens, all being readied for an influx of 85,000 people hoping to watch the UFC fight on the Ellipse and South Lawn.

Let’s be perfectly clear: holding a commercial sporting event on White House grounds to honor Trump’s birthday is illegal. The Ellipse, the South Lawn, and the Executive Mansion are all on National Park Land, as is the Lincoln Memorial. By law, commercial sporting events and the building of large structures are prohibited without formal exemptions, and in this case, none have been given. Additionally, the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) requires an environmental impact statement/review be conducted and made public, which has not happened.

A press briefing to introduce the fighters will take place on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Friday, June 12, which can only be described as a gross desecration of that hallowed space. The weigh-ins will take place on Saturday, June 13, on the Ellipse, and the fights will be held June 14th on the South Lawn, with the fighters emerging from the Oval Office, the ultimate symbol of American democracy. These spaces symbolizing political gravity will be reduced to a rowdy sports arena, making a mockery of our democracy and the “People’s House.”

Up to 85,000 spectators will be given free ticketed admission to view this spectacle on the Ellipse, and $1.5 million tickets (per head) are being offered for exclusive VIP packages in the 5,000-seat arena on the South Lawn, helping to offset the $60 million production cost. The millions expected to watch from home will need to have a Paramount Plus subscription in order to view the event.

UFC and its partner, Crypto.com, will seize branding opportunities the likes of which have never before been seen at the White House. Crypto.com all but guaranteed this access through significant contributions to the Trump campaign and its partnership with Truth Social/Trump Media announced in 2025.

I am thoroughly disgusted by Trump’s escalating, flagrant corruption and his marring and debasing of our beautiful nation’s capital. Every trip into DC reveals yet another assault on our magnificent capital city: another blocked street, a fenced monument, or barricaded access to national park land. I’m fed up and that’s why I am thrilled to be working with Public Integrity Project to stop this senseless and illegal UFC match at the White House.

It’s time that We the People take back what belongs to us.

In case you haven’t seen the Arch, here is the rendering which was given final approval (minus the gold lions pictured at the base) on May 21. If it looks huge, that’s because it is! It will reach 250 feet into the sky.

The Commission on Fine Arts held an initial hearing about the Arch on April 16. I submitted a written comment ahead of that meeting, as did roughly 1,000 others, and according to official reports, every one of those comments opposed the Arch. Yet on that same morning, despite total public opposition, the Commission gave first approval to the Arch with only minor modifications.

It won’t surprise anyone to learn that Trump appointed all 7 members on the Commission in January 2026.

I attended the second meeting which took place on May 21. The Commission received 600 written comments prior to this meeting, and of those, only 3 were in favor of the Arch. Several historic associations and five individuals spoke against the Arch at the most recent meeting. Here are the comments I delivered.

•═•═•═•═•═•═•═•═•

(After brief introduction)… For starters, there is a law that bars all construction on federal parkland in the nation’s capital without the express authority of Congress. Congress has not approved this project. The administration has admitted it has no plans to seek Congressional approval, and it will instead rely on an authorization from 1925 related to 166-foot columns intended for that space which were never constructed. Using a 100-year-old loophole to avoid seeking Congressional approval is specious at best.

The Arch is yet one more vanity project for President Trump which taxpayers must fund. He claims that the Arch is to celebrate America’s 250^th anniversary, but we know this is a vanity project because at a fundraising dinner for the Ballroom last October, Trump showed off plans for the Arch and told journalists that the Arch was being built “for me.” The video of those comments is widely available online. It is beyond unseemly for sitting Presidents to build their own memorials. Memorials are a reflection of the public’s judgment of a leader’s legacy, and should be built once that legacy has been established.

Building the Arch on Memorial Circle is a desecration of the sacred space where 400,000 soldiers and family are buried. The grotesque size of the 250-foot-tall arch would block the historic sightline between the Robert E Lee Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery and the Lincoln Memorial, a view intended to symbolize North/South reunification after the Civil War.

At 250 feet, the Arch would be more than double the height of the Lincoln Memorial. It would dwarf everything in its midst and ruin the vista for the thousands of people who leave and enter Washington, DC daily via Arlington Memorial Bridge.

In fact, the height of the Arch has led the FAA to begin evaluating possible flight safety risks given the Arch’s proximity to Washington National Airport and its complex flight patterns. This is standard FAA procedure for anything over 200 feet tall. Once the ground elevation at Memorial Circle is factored in, a 250-foot-tall Arch will reach a height of 279 feet. The FAA has indicated that this review process could take up to 9 months.

Memorial Circle is, as I speak, already under permit for testing and boring in preparation for construction work. This testing is necessary because the soil in this location, known as Columbia Island, is predominantly modified, dredged alluvial soil and is considered a poor choice for the construction of a massive stone monument. Extensive and expensive foundational supports will be required to support the structure.

Speaking of construction, building this Arch, which the people did not vote for nor approve, will create a massive traffic nightmare in an already heavily congested corridor.

There are myriad reasons for not allowing the construction of the Arc D’Trump to move forward. Until the FAA completes its safety review process, until soil testing and assessment of structural viability have been completed, and until there is a verdict in the ongoing lawsuit filed by Vets Against the Arch and a historical architect through Public Citizen, any discussion of design and construction of the Arch is premature at best.

Regardless of FAA requirements, soil testing and legal challenges, I firmly believe the Arch has no business being built. Democracies do not build memorials to living presidents. Building this gaudy, monstrous Arch in a location that will overpower everything in its midst and interrupt the historically significant view between the Lincoln Memorial and Arlington National Cemetery is an affront to our history and to the men and women at Arlington National Cemetery who gave their lives in service to our country and those who remember them. It is, in fact, arch insanity.

•═•═•═•═•═•═•═•═•

Third Act DMV is holding an 86 the Arch Vigil and Rally from 9am Sunday, May 24 to 8pm Tuesday, May 26 to protest this hideous Arch. We will be on site 24/ hours a day for three days with a mock arch, banners and signs. You can find us near the Lincoln Memorial close to the area known as the Watergate Steps.

Over the course of the vigil we will have speakers, music, the DC Activist Street band will join us on several occasions, and we will also have a choreographed resistance dance across Memorial Bridge. Veterans will be passing out flyers at Arlington National Cemetery, and the Rapid Response Choir will join the. Light projections are planned for the evenings and early morning hours. If you are in the DMV over Memorial Day weekend, feel free to stop by and hang out with us at our vigil. Lots of details and a complete daily schedule and map can be found here in our cheat sheet!

86 the Arch

On October 26, 2025, about 20 Buddhist monks from Fort Worth, TX set off on a 2,300-mile journey bound for Washington, DC. Called the Walk for Peace, the monks, who are accompanied on many days by their Peace Dog, Aloka, have covered about 20 miles a day in whatever weather they encounter. They have walked through snow, rain, howling winds and sub-zero temperatures. Their strength, focus, and determination are something to behold.

Along the way, despite often challenging weather and traffic conditions, huge crowds have lined the streets just to get a glimpse of the monks and to be in their peaceful and calm presence. Many people have waited for hours along the route, bearing gifts of handwarmers or fruit for the monks. (No offense if the monks don’t take the offerings, it’s difficult for them to do so without breaking their stride.) Others spread flowers on the ground. Some hold signs of thanks, and many bow deeply in respect.

Most days, there is a gathering at the lunch or evening rest stop which the public may attend. The monks offer Peace Talks to the standing-room-only audience, many of whom suddenly and unexpectedly find themselves shedding tears of joy and relief.

I’ve been following the Walk for Peace since October and what is clearly evident and undeniable is how hungry we are right now as a nation for the message these monks are delivering.

We are in need of hope in this moment, and the Walk for Pace has delivered just that. Over the miles, we have shown that we value community and that we can and will put aside our trivial differences to unite in the name of peace. As a nation, we have welcomed the monks, honored them, and offered gratitude for their journey and their message of peace. This is exactly what we all need in this moment.

Thousands upon thousands have lined the streets over the past 108 days to watch this remarkable and awe-inspiring journey, and to witness and experience the joy of being in the presence of the monks. On February 11, the walk will come to its official end in Washington, DC.

I will be at the Lincoln Memorial on February 11 to witness, with humility, the inner strength of the monks and to give thanks for what this walk has shown me about what we are capable of. I am deeply thankful that so many are standing up for peace, kindness, community and love for others.

Peace is more important now than ever, and I’m filled with hope that we can and will prevail.

Since Trump’s second inauguration, I’ve been protesting weekly in DC and Virginia at rallies and marches both large and small. All have been peaceful, which is a stipulation of every group I join, and for which I am grateful. Some are advertised weeks in advance and draw tens of thousands of protesters, while others are more spontaneous, drawing only a handful of people in response to sudden developments no one can predict, but which we must all condemn. A response to the murder of Alex Pretti was one such event near me that came together just hours after he was killed.

Well-organized events can feature an impressive lineup of grassroots organizers and politicians who address the crowd. Md. Congressman Jamie Raskin is one of my favorites - he speaks with deep conviction about our Constitution and why we must preserve it at all costs. Other events consist of only a few dozen people with hastily created cardboard signs who stand in the most inclement weather on a nearby street to send their various messages to the current regime. I’ve been to protests with amazing banners, puppets, and clever signs, and I have shared the sidewalk with folks holding flimsy cardboard signs with a simple message hastily written in marker. All these events, whether large or small, organized or spontaneous, are equally important in our fight to save democracy.

I’ve met fabulous people and created a wonderful new network through protesting. There are incredible communities to be found out there, and I have joined a number of them, both local and national: Third Act DMV, Tesla Takedown, several Indivisible groups, WofA, and Grassroots Alexandria, just to name a few. Community is an essential part of protesting, because it is with kindred spirits that you find your strength, discover your creativity, and summon the focus needed to keep going. We give each other courage, we share our various strengths, and we are empowered knowing that we are not alone in this fight. If you are looking for courage, I promise you, look no further than a local grassroots organization. There, you will find your people. And together, we can do anything.

Are you clever with words? Make signs! If you like to draw, add art to your signs! Everyone loves a good sign. Are you creative with material arts? Make a puppet!! The photo below shows the amazing Trump head created by a fellow protester. Lend building or engineering expertise to building props to hold up banners. Is music your thing? Curate a playlist and get a speaker - your fellow protestors will love you for it! I am a music fan, so I bought a good speaker and put together a resistance playlist, made up of protest songs and dance tunes to keep fellow protesters moving and to bring joy to our protests. Yes, joy.

Even if all you feel up to is standing with others and holding a simple sign, that has more value than you can imagine. This moment needs us all to show up, in any and every way possible. Help bring the joy and demand change.

How can a protest be joyful, you ask? I can tell you that without joy, protests would not be sustainable. I have never attended a depressing protest, no matter how serious the moment. Our recent January 6 vigil was a somber marking of the insurrection at the Capitol in 2021, but when we left, our spirits were lifted. We had wonderful banners, the DC Rapid Response Choir sang beautiful songs, we created and displayed a video depicting the events of January 6, and we held candles. Together we remembered a day of infamy, and together we vowed it will never happen again.

We had joy because we were together, we brought amazing creativity, and being united in cause was empowering and gave us hope. Without hope, there is no point.

Above all else, we must not lose hope.

Ready to find your people and get involved? Check out Indivisible to find and join a group near you. Or grab a friend or two and start your own group and create some events. If you want more inspiration, check out the weekly “What’s the Plan” call with the Indivisible co-founders held every Thursday at 3 p.m. ET and also available to watch the following Friday here: “What’s the Plan Recap”. You can search for other grassroots groups near you here: Grassroots Directory.

If, like me, you are horrified by the current state of affairs, and if you have yet to join a group or attend a protest, trust me - you are missing out! And we are missing everything that you have to offer. All our voices are needed in this critical moment, and that includes yours. Together, we will keep hope alive and we will win.

This is a great time to step off the sidelines and join the fight for our democracy!

When I first started attending TT, back in March, I wanted to join every protest, but large protests then were few and far between. What I did find, through a local grassroots organization, was a protest, three days a week, at a local Tesla dealership. It was in a neighborhood I was barely familiar with, I knew no one there, but I needed to protest, so I went.

I was immediately and warmly welcomed by people whose names I wouldn’t know or remember for several weeks. They were so glad to have me join them, and we eagerly traded stories about our mutual indignation over what DOGE was doing to the Federal Government and what Trump was doing to our country. As the weeks went on and I continued to show up, I noticed a real group forming. We identified each other’s strengths and talents, and we started planning increasingly elaborate protests, especially on the weekends.

Saturday crowds are the largest and most boisterous. The traffic is heavy, and the car honks are generous. We are buoyed by the response - especially when a semi drives by and lays on its horn. Over the months, we have grown stronger, both in number and in purpose. We have signs galore, not only in our hands, but also staked in the ground, hanging up on utility poles, and lining our makeshift “art wall” on the fence between where we stand and the Tesla Dealership.

One of our members taught us how to form a bucket brigade for drumming. He often writes fabulous chants and leads a chant at the end of our Saturday protest. We have a few avid photographers who capture our determination, joy, and artistic talents in wonderful photographs and videos. We have a few natural organizers who plant seeds for actions we might do.

For example, we often have a special feature display, like our recent Graveyard of Democracy around Halloween.

Our summertime Signs of Fascism action led us to create a spontaneous black and white video with music which won the “best video” category at the recent Tesla Takedown Awards!

What started as a group of individuals who barely knew each other has become a devoted and loyal community of protestors, united in our determination to restore Democracy to the country we love. The cause is what unites us, however the stories of how we arrived at the Arlington, VA Tesla Takedown are as diverse as we are. Read on to see how we found each other in Arlington.

LN: A Once Reluctant Warrior Quickly Beame A Mainstay

In January, after Trump was sworn in and began his reign of terror, I decided I needed to start looking for an escape route in case things became unbearable here and I could no longer morally justify living in the US. As I was organizing myself to try working from abroad for a few weeks, Elon Musk and his marauding middle school tech bros began decimating the Federal government. While I was away, my ex-husband and best friend G went to his first Tesla Takedown.

Although I loved my time abroad, I came back ready to fight for my country. G insisted that I come to a Tesla Takedown protest, and for some reason, I took a lot of convincing. I finally agreed to come just once to see what it was like, but I didn’t think it was going to be my cup of tea. Was I ever wrong! I was immediately hooked and started coming weekly and then twice a week. At first, people were friendly, but I didn’t know anyone’s names. G and I had code names for people that we recognized but didn’t really know yet, like “the-lady-who-always-yells-thank-you!” when the drivers honk.

In my protest past, I’d only ever been to large rallies which could be inspiring in a different way. It was nice to be amongst a sea of like-minded people and to enjoy the creativity of their protest signs. However, there is nothing like a local TT protest: the community and friendships we have developed; the endorphin hits from the honks/waves/peace signs we get from the drivers; the creative synergy; the many acts of kindness from people driving by (the little Swiftie girl and her mom who dropped by with friendship, bracelets, the immigrant family who pulled over to give us a case of water on a hot summer day, the Asian woman who ran down the sidewalk to give us some amazing milk bread buns); the look of absolute delight when the Latino drivers spot one of our Chinga la Migra signs. Pure joy!

M: I Have Found My People!

My first protest anywhere was in March, I think not long after the Arlington TT got started. I read about it on a Bluesky feed by Firemouse. When I got to S. Glebe Rd. that first day, no one was there! My heart sank a little bit, and I reasoned with myself that you can’t trust anything on the Internet, etc. I had arrived early because I didn’t know where I was going, and when I saw one lone person walking nearby with a banner to hang, I decided to take a little drive around the neighborhood and come back a bit later. After I parked on a nearby street and began walking from my car, I heard a honk. Then another. Then more. As I got closer, I could hear cowbells and music. I turned the corner and I saw all these people lining the sidewalk, and I started crying and running because it was like: MY PEOPLE! I HAVE FOUND YOU! I try to drive through the chute when I leave, and I still get teary-eyed every time.

MW: This Was My Best Decision in Years

It was a Saturday afternoon in mid-March 2025. I was driving my spouse to National Airport, when an unexpected traffic delay affected our route as we tried to exit from I-395 southbound onto South Glebe Road. But unlike normal congestion, a whole mess of honking and hollering befell us when we turned right onto Glebe and approached the local Tesla dealership. Despite no foreknowledge of Tesla Takedowns, I quickly figured out that everyone on that block was protesting the rampant demolition of the U.S. government by Elon Musk on behalf of Donald Trump. Inside, I screamed Hallelujah, but for the moment, for the sake of my companion, I pretended to be grumpy about any delay and unimpressed with any messaging on the signs.

Driving by, I couldn’t help but think, “That’s exactly the kind of activity for someone like me to join.” But then I forgot all about those rabble-rousers for a few days. I went back to my depressingly familiar pattern of scouring online news every day, sometimes every hour, to learn what new indignities were being foisted upon us. Since Inauguration Day on January 20, 2025, we’d all been suffering through a new form of hell on earth. Trump 2.0 was already a zillion times worse than 2017-2021, when inept presidential buffoonery prevailed. I was miserable, scared and depressed, and so were most of my friends.

As I continued to follow the news, dozens of writers had reached a brand-new consensus for 2025: JOIN SOMETHING. Embrace a new community or create one, if necessary. Find other humans who, like you, are in shock. Do yourself a favor: take immediate action to protect your mental health.

I talked by phone with a long-time friend, and we agreed we had no choice. We had to get out of the house and join some local activists. I headed over to Tesla Takedown in Arlington on Saturday, March 22 and came back again on Sunday, March 23. It turned out to be the best decision I had made in years. Now, I cannot NOT be here in the streets with my beloved fellow Americans.

B: The F(ELON) Made Me Do It

It was early March, 2025 when I had heard and seen enough of Elon Musk’s rhetoric and behavior to be galvanized to “DO SOMETHING”. Reports were coming out that DOGE was stealing all our personal data, and by juveniles nonetheless, with no experience, who were reporting to Musk with no oversight from other departments. Then there was Musk’s Nazi salute, which no amount of verbal gymnastics could convince me was anything other than what I saw. I learned about a local Tesla Takedown and meandered down to Glebe Road and immediately felt at home. My very first TT sign was “You Can’t spell Felon without Elon”. I’m very grateful for the camaraderie of others who are as incensed and enraged as I am at the travesty this regime is making of our Constitution and hard-won Democracy.

MK: This Community is Now Such an Important Part of My Life

Saturday, March 8, 2025, I was feeling hopeless and helpless and sad and angry and a wealth of other emotions. I don’t remember what I had even watched on the news or read online at that point, but I started crying out of frustration and got in my car to go buy some ice cream and red wine. On my way to the store, I drove past the Arlington Tesla Takedown crew. I didn’t even think about it, it was an involuntary reaction, I turned right instead of left, parked, and almost ran around the corner to get to them. I had never protested, or even been involved in politics aside from making sure to vote in every election (big and small), but that day, I felt called to get involved and I was searching for a way to support others and feel supported. I didn’t know how I would contribute and I didn’t have a sign, but not only was I welcomed with open arms, I was greeted with the most joyful faces and a huge basket of sign options. I have found my people and this group has become such an incredible community and an important part of my life. We’ve been on that corner together for 41 weeks and I couldn’t be more grateful, every single day, to be fighting for love, joy, equality, and democracy with them all.

JZ: Documenting History - The Power of the People Cannot be Defeated

My first week at Tesla Takedown was a cold rainy day in mid-February. My friend and I drove to another dealership with a dance protest. I wanted to get some video and write a story about the campaign sweeping social media and I wanted to catch it on its first day.

Since Inauguration, Elon had been sending unqualified young men into government buildings to conduct what amounted to a raid on and theft of the databases of all of the agencies and their federal workers. This theft of personal employee data enraged every person I know who worked for the federal government. This is not something we would allow foreign adversaries to do, nor contractors, much less unvetted, unverified IT youngsters. Mining such a vast trove of information felt like the biggest crime ever committed against our republic.

Going to the Tesla Takedown to video record and write a story with the possibility that it would inform or influence 1000s to join this movement was especially important because most mainstream media outlets wouldn’t touch, were ignoring, or were afraid to cover the story. It was also a personal issue for me, as a federal employee with a lot at stake. Being present to document was a the most effective form of resistance I could personally imagine doing.

While we were at the first protest in DC, I heard that a similar action was taking place in nearby Arlington, VA, so my friend and I drove to it only to get caught in a wicked rain deluge on our way there. We expected it would be a washout, but it was the opposite—nearly 100 or more were there in the pouring, cold rain.

The people were joyful as if it were a block party. I got great video and wrote a story and published it right away. The video was a hit on Bluesky and was viewed by thousands.

I returned again the next weekend and the next, and I kept returning and writing stories. Over the weeks and months to follow, TT at the Arlington dealership began to form a robust ecosystem of resistance. As the weeks passed and the regime grew more desperate and destructive, the TT got even more organized. The participants have grown close and maintained bonds unlike most campaigns I’ve covered over the years. The power of the people is truly something that cannot be defeated. The people must have courage and some amount of patience with their actions, because fighting a regime like this takes time and patience. But it can be done.

Tesla Takedowns have primed the well of resistance and now the resistance is strengthening while the regime is weakening and growing more desperate. Tesla Takedowns were credited with tanking Tesla stock by 50%, causing billions in losses to Musk. It has been one of the most successful brand-resistance campaigns ever.

CG: Sometimes it Pays to Keep Looking

I started participating in the Tesla Takedowns at the Tyson’s Corner dealership up the road from my house because it was very convenient. Then I learned that other Tesla dealerships were having protests, too, so I decided to drive a little farther afield. I ended up at the Arlington dealership. There I discovered more traffic, more honks, and definitely more camaraderie…. the rest is history!

It’s not always easy to take the first step in protesting. Some avoid it because they worry about joining a group of strangers. The stories here show that joining a local protest is not only a welcoming experience, it can also lead to a fabulous community. If the Arlington TT has taught me anything, it’s that sometimes the best families are those created organically when we come together over a united purpose. We came from many walks of life, we brought with us so many different talents and experiences, and together we have woven the perfect fabric to support and sustain us during these precarious times. I am so thankful for my protest family.

No Kings Day

For starters, No Kings Day 2 was amazing. I was out of the country on October 18, which crushed me, but I followed the events in DC and around the country closely. The news reports and video were so uplifting. Seven million people gathered in peaceful and jubilant protest, carrying fabulous signs and some wearing great costumes, to clearly proclaim that we will not be ruled by a king.

We proved to the MAGA followers that we are organized, we are determined, we are non-violent, and our numbers are growing. The Hands-Off rallies in April drew three million protestors, the No Kings rallies in June brought out five million participants, and No Kings Day 2 last week saw at least seven million people take to the streets. Those who joined a protest for the first time discovered the great community and hope we find in gathering to defend our democracy. Judging by the signs, there were plenty of Republicans joining No Kings Day. Any worries first-timers had about bad actors showing up to disrupt the protests were quickly dispelled - everyone who told me of their experience used the word “joy” to describe the day.

Americans across the country are eager to learn about the next big event…whenever it takes place, we should aim for nine million!

Leaders Are Starting to Speak Out

Gavin Newsom, JB Pritzker, Jasmine Crockett, Eric Swalwell, Jamie Raskin, AOC, Bernie Sanders, Adam Schiff, Hakeem Jeffries and Melanie Stansbury are some of the more outspoken Democratic governors and legislators who are actively pushing back against the regime’s cruelty, lies, and brazen violations of the Constitution.

Pritzker sued the Trump administration over the threat of sending federalized National Guard troops to Chicago, and a federal appeals court upheld a lower court ruling blocking the deployment. This is how to face a bully, and many took notice of how effective Pritzker was in shutting down Trump’s attempt.

Some Republicans have joined Democrat Ro Khanna in calling for the release of the Epstein files, including Thomas Massie, Anna Paulina Luna, James Comer and, surprisingly Marjorie Taylor Greene. This fight is not over, and once Mike Johnson calls the House back to work, the bipartisan call for the Epstein files to be released cannot be ignored.

Three months ago, there were few voices speaking out. As more leaders openly address the lies, hypocrisy and cruelty of this administration, others are likely to join. And with Republicans like Marjorie Taylor Greene clashing with Trump, the cracks in the walls of this regime are sure to grow.

Things come apart so easily when they have been held together with lies. (Dorothy Allison)

In addition to their ridiculous portrayal of Democrats as a violent group, which No Kings 2 quickly put to rest, Trump and his regime are working overtime to spread lies and hypocrisy:

• blaming the shut down on Democrats while refusing to negotiate, and chastising Rep. Adelita Grijalva for not working yet refusing to swear her in;

• claiming that the protests are poorly attended and that protestors are paid by George Soros;

• stating that healthcare premiums will not go up, that Medicaid is safe, and that grocery and gas prices are coming down;

• claiming that only violent criminals are being deported and that detention facilities are being run in a safe and humane manner;

• promising to end the war in Ukraine on day one, claiming that Ukraine started the war, and saying that Trump has ended seven wars himself;

• claiming that the crime rate is high in cities where Trump wants to send troops while ignoring the high crime rate in cities in red states;

• using public office to profit financially through cryptocurrency and demanding compensation from the Justice Department for federal investigations Trump faced;

• most recently, we have witnessed the complete demolition of the East Wing of the White House, which Trump assured the public would not even be connected to the ballroom he is building.

Vice President Henry A. Wallace (1888 - 1965) summed up political deceit when he stated, “A fascist is one whose lust for money or power is combined with such an intensity of intolerance toward those of other races, parties, classes, religions, cultures, regions or nations as to make him ruthless in his use of deceit or violence to attain his ends.”

While mainstream media are not vigorously fact checking much of anything these days, independent media are becoming more popular as they regularly fact-check and challenge the repeated violations against the Constitution and the many reckless lies being told.

The ever-growing protests make it clear that Americans are increasingly fed up with all the lies, and as this dissatisfaction grows, so too will the movement to take back our democracy.

Oops, Where Is Their A-Team?

If Trump’s DOJ Prosecutor Lindey Halligan is any indication, the government will be losing more than winning in court. Halligan is clearly not up to the task. She lacks prosecutorial experience and has frustrated the judges she encounters with sloppy and incomplete paperwork. If that is the best they have, they are doomed.

I have been an observer in many immigration courtrooms recently and almost without fail, the government lawyer is unprepared, unaware of the case details, or simply not engaged. Several months ago, I attended the federal hearing of Georgetown University Professor Badar Khan Suri, who was arrested by ICE and held for months. At the hearing, the government lawyers repeatedly failed to satisfactorily address the judge’s questions, they did not file the requisite paperwork, and they presented specious charges in the first place. A clearly unimpressed judge called for the release of Khan Suri.

There are hundreds of legal challenges currently pending against the Trump administration, and they will likely lose many of these due to the incompetence of their legal team.

Mockery, Cruelty and Violence

We see daily examples of the mockery, cruelty and violence from Trump’s team. Some of these are so shocking that people believe them to be hoaxes, but as the evil spreads, so too does the realization that this evil is being perpetrated from the White House and that it must end. Look no further than Truth Social for the perverted memes, and videos of ICE kidnappings for the wanton cruelty.

Trump’s AI wizards are regularly churning out childish, vulgar and ridiculous memes depicting Trump as a fighter jet pilot, as Superman, or as the Pope, all underscoring his deep-seated lack of confidence and his need to mock his opponents. The frequency with which these memes are posted makes them difficult to ignore, even if mainstream media chooses not to adequately address their vulgarity.

ICE’s cruel and violent kidnapping of immigrants (and others) is being captured on video by concerned citizens for the whole world to see. Trump claimed that he wants to deport immigrants who are violent criminals, but some of those who are detained are in the U.S. legally, and the majority of detained immigrants are not criminals. Of those who do have a record, the majority involve either a traffic violation or an immigration violation.

ICE hangs out at Immigration Courts to nab people who have just completed an immigration court hearing. They also wait at schools for parents picking up children and they troll Home Depot parking lots looking for hard-working immigrants who hope to find a day job. There is absolutely no due process involved, ICE grabs people based on accent, skin color and location. The violence with which they kidnap their targets is difficult to fathom. It must be horrifying to have masked, armed men who do not identify themselves tackle you to the ground. The inhumane treatment continues after victims are detained - they cannot easily be located by their families, and they are taken to facilities with sub-human conditions.

The Tide Will Turn

As more people are exposed to the depravity of Trump and his goons, the outcry will only grow, causing more people to mobilize.

The lies are disturbing, the greed is disgusting, the incompetence is galling, the cruelty and violence are shocking.

The shock continued this week as Americans watched the demolition of the White House East Wing. People are devastated by the erasure of history and furious that a major portion of the People’s House has been demolished without National Capitol Planning Commission approval.

We won’t be able to restore the East Wing, but we can and will restore our democracy. As Americans watch this surreal chapter in our history play out, complacency and silence are being replaced by outrage and activism.

We have a long road ahead of us, but the streets are beginning to fill with people demanding honesty, demanding decency, and demanding justice.

If you are concerned about the future of our country and you find solace in venting to friends or engaging in vigorous hand-wringing, know this: all the venting and hand-wringing in the world will not save our democracy.

Erica Chenoweth, political scientist and public policy professor at Harvard University, has shown through extensive research that sustained non-violent resistance by just 3.5% of the population has always succeeded in change. That means we need about 11 million Americans to be actively resistant, in a sustained manner, to this fascist regime. Having 11 million people protest on one day is not going to be enough. We need to mobilize that many people to resist the cruelty and desecration of our civil rights for a prolonged period. We face a serious threat, and we need to get very serious in response.

For many, the step from taking no action to engaging in non-violent resistance is a step too far. If that describes you, here is a list of many different ways to safely engage, starting with safe and easy actions for anyone who is new to activism and isn’t sure where or how to start. There are also a few actions which are more resistant-adjacent.

• Postcarding: Join a local group that meets to write postcards encouraging voters to show up for democratic candidates in upcoming elections. They provide the materials, you meet in someone’s home to write postcards, and it’s a great way to meet neighbors with who share your values. Or, link to an organization that supplies the names, addresses and messaging for you to write postcards on your own. Either way, you will be helping to shift the tide in an upcoming election. Some of the groups that organize postcard writing are: Third Act, Postcards to Voters, Activate America, Mobilize.US and Trouble Nation.

• Vote: It goes without saying, but make sure to vote in every election, and encourage those you know to do the same. Down ballot voting is very important!! Volunteer at your local polling location. Get involved in any way you can, and support candidates by canvassing, etc.

• Join a local grassroots organization: Search for a group in your area. Indivisible is probably the best known organization and there are thousands of Indivisible chapters around the country. You can find other organizations near you through this Grassroots Directory. It’s a lot more fun to join actions with a group than by yourself.

• Spread some joy: Today, at our Tesla Takedown protest, a mother and daughter walked through the crowd and offered all the protesters beautiful bracelets which they made together. What a powerful act - mother and daughter working together to spread hope, joy and encouragement in the fight to save democracy. My favorite was one that said “Prevent Truth Decay”, but there were literally dozens to choose from.

• Contact your legislators: Make phone calls to your legislators using the Five Calls app to tell them how you expect them to vote. This easy-to-use app lets you know who your legislators are, how to reach them, and it also provides a list of current issues and scripts you can follow if you aren’t sure what to say. If you prefer to write letters, that is another way to reach your representatives. Call or write often - their offices track calls and letters, and the more they hear from us, the more seriously they will take our demands.

• Buttons: Make a simple, decorative statement by wearing buttons to give voice to your thoughts. I have a collection of them, some of which I purchased on Etsy, others made by friends, and I wear them often. I also give buttons away, especially when someone comments that they like what one of my buttons says. Yes, I carry extras with me. Everyone loves a button!! Wearing them is an easy way to let others know where you stand and to remind them that these are not normal times.

• Boycott: Since January, I have completely boycotted Amazon, Whole Foods, Home Depot. Starbucks, Target, Walmart (with a few minor lapses for protest materials), and other stores/companies that are kowtowing to Trump or have eliminated DEI policies. Instead, I shop locally and support small businesses while saving a lot of money on things I don’t really need anyway. Costco, Trader Joe’s and Mom’s Organic Market get my regular business, as do small local shops.

  Target has suffered a notable slowdown from continuing boycotts after it scaled back DEI initiatives. Tesla has also seen a huge drop in market share as a result of protests against Musk’s outrageous behavior with DOGE. Following the recent decision of ABC (owned by Walt Disney Company) to yank the Jimmy Kimmel show, angry viewers canceled their Disney Plus memberships in droves, causing the Disney website to crash. Your dollars speak, and you can choose to use boycotts to send a clear message to retailers and companies more concerned with their bottom line than with democracy. Imagine how powerful this could be if millions did it, over a prolonged time.

• Rocks and more rocks: An activist friend who goes by SB paints the most gorgeous protest rocks and leaves them in public spaces wherever she goes to give people hope and inspiration. A photo of her amazing handiwork is below. Another artist paints rocks with reminders to vote and left one at our Tesla Takedown site a few weeks ago. I am happy to report that no one has moved it, so all the pedestrians get to see it each day, as do we.

• Ribbons: Remember the song “Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree” by Tony Orlando and Dawn from 1973? Yellow ribbons are a symbol of hope for the safe return of those who are missing. They played a role in the Iran hostage crisis and are also a symbol of support for POWs and MIAs. A local group of protesters is continuing this tradition with a twist. They are writing “Release the Disappeared” in English and Spanish on ice-blue ribbons and tying them around fences, benches and other public structures in support of the thousands of wrongfully disappeared immigrants. You can do the same, or use your creative talents to come up with your own ideas for giving voice to those facing the direct and undeserved cruelty of this regime.

• Stickers: A few friends have ordered small vinyl stickers using designs they have found on the internet, and I plan to do the same. These are a great way to spread the message of your choice far and wide. I place them in public places (lamp posts, signs, utility poles, etc.), where pedestrians are most likely to see them. I use some discretion in placing them since this could be considered defacing property. Unlike chalk, they don’t wash away.

• Protests: The organizers of every protest I attend make it clear that the goal is to be non-violent, and I am happy to report they have all been very peaceful. Yet some are afraid to attend due to the large crowds and uncertainty about bad actors. I’ve been to protests with as few as 20 people, and some with as many as 10,000, and in every case, there has been joy and community along with many diverse protest signs, vibrant chants and great costumes. There are also bridge brigades that hang banners over highways. Attending a protest or a march brings concerned citizens together and lets you know you are not alone. In the case of our Tesla Takedown protests, the honking from passersby can give you a real dopamine hit, and we love the “dogs for democracy” that lean out of car windows! Attend a protest, meet others like you who want to see change, and be the difference!!

• Chalking: Each locality has its own code, so be sure you know what is permitted in your area. In many cities, chalk is allowed on sidewalks and in public spaces like playgrounds. Some law enforcement may be opposed to the anti-regime messages you write. Friends and I learned this the other day when we were detained for chalking a bike path wall. On previous occasions at the same location, officers told us we were okay to proceed. On this particular evening, the Sergeant who showed up detained us for “defacing property” and we had to provide our personal information. No charges came of it, and we later learned that his claim was false. This kind of ambiguity is not for everyone - and that’s okay. But if you are willing to risk an encounter with local law enforcement by spreading messages of resistance with chalk (which does not damage anything and washes away with rain), I can highly recommend it! We are going to wait for things to cool down a bit before we go back to our wall. Today we left some chalked rocks on top of it… they are not going to silence us.

  

The injuries our democracy has sustained in the past eight months are severe and they will continue. Our rights and freedoms will increasingly be challenged. We are no longer the leader of the free world, and we have lost our allies, who can no longer trust us. The threats to our health, climate, environment, security, education, diversity, culture, and infrastructure are growing more serious by the day.

If, like me, you find the prospect of being ruled by a dictator who has no regard for your welfare to be frightening, then this is the moment to get involved. Take that first step: make a poster or make one phone call to your representative; attend a rally or attend an organizing call with a grassroots organization; wear a button or place a sticker in a public location. Whatever you choose, commit to an action and see how it feels.

When more people take that first step and commit to doing something that conveys “This is not okay, and we do not consent,” we will begin to make inroads. Inaction is complacency, and if too many are complacent, we will be surrendering to a horrific future. Join the movement to resist tyranny and save our democracy.

There are alarming changes taking place in our country. Every week, no - every day - there are new developments, each one often more shocking than the last. I understand why so many friends and family just don’t want to talk about any of this. It is truly horrifying to watch the nation being torn apart at the seams. I have a similar reaction when I watch a horror movie, I cover my eyes and ask when the gory part is over and it’s safe to look again.

Much as we want to, we cannot avert our eyes. If we want to salvage our democracy and save our country, we have to take a courageous stand now, before we head so far to the right that there’s nothing left to repair.

Unchecked Power: The Department of Defense is now the Department of War, and Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, is positively giddy. He has been salivating over the prospect of war for months, clearly not familiar with the gravitas needed in making the decision to strike another country or the horror war brings. The two recent strikes against alleged drug-smuggling boats in international waters off the coast of Venezuela are clear examples of his unchecked bellicose nature. There is no indication, at least not that has been shared with the American public, that the boats or their occupants - all killed by American firepower - posed a direct threat to the U.S. Normal protocol would dictate that we board the boats to determine their purpose, but Hegseth and his merry band of warriors skipped that step and simply eradicated the “problem.” The potential for disaster with this stance is self-evident.

Lies: The current federal budget is set to expire on September 30, and without a new appropriations bill or a continuing resolution (CR), the government will be forced to shut down due to a lapse in funding. Today, House Speaker Mike Johnson released a CR to extend funding through November. Republicans refuse to negotiate with Democrats on the budget, and Johnson called the CR he offered “clean,” implying there is nothing in the bill that would be offensive to Democrats. What Speaker Johnson failed to say, however, is that the CR will lead to huge increases in healthcare costs, or loss of coverage altogether, for millions of Americans, an issue Democrats have vowed they won’t accept. Rest assured that if there is a government shutdown, the Republicans will point their collective finger at the Democrats, when in fact the healthcare debacle was brought on by Republicans creating tax benefits for the wealthy at the expense of healthcare for everyday Americans. Once again, Johnson reveals himself to be a wolf in sheep’s clothing, nothing less.

Hypocrisy: The assassination of controversial right-wing political activist Charlie Kirk last week has brought into clear focus the immense and dire divide in our nation. Commentary from both the left and the right in the past week underscores the totally unacceptable hypocrisy governing us. Kirk regularly made horrid racist, misogynistic and violent comments directed at liberal Americans. No matter how shocking, his comments were protected under the First Amendment. However, following his death, the tables have turned, and those on the left who are exercising their own First Amendment rights in speaking out about Kirk’s vile and cruel rhetoric are being targeted by the current regime. Many have been doxed, some have lost their jobs, and liberal non-profits are being threatened. The same rights that Charlie Kirk was able to exercise for years are now being explicitly denied to those speaking out to condemn his divisive commentary. Not only is this glaring hypocrisy, it’s a denial of a fundamental constitutional right and is unacceptable.

It won’t be easy to stop the unraveling of our country, nor will it happen quickly. The unchecked power, the lies and the hypocrisy are sure to continue for now. But if we keep averting our eyes in an attempt to spare ourselves from experiencing the gory, unsavory and illegal actions unfolding before us, we risk losing any chance of having a say in how this horror movie ends.

First, the Bad Days….

For starters, Trump (or his AI lackeys) recently posted a totally unhinged meme of a brawny Trump salivating over his preposterous declaration of war against Chicago. It was revolting and appalling to see an official post like this from the White House. There are apparently no boundaries anymore. To threaten war against people and states Trump swore to defend as president strikes me as an impeachable offense, yet I am not seeing much outrage in response to the post. Sure, it seems like childish behavior from a bully, but the ramifications are far too serious to let this pass for a childish prank. Not included in the image below are the “Truth Social” comments accompanying the meme, one of which is: “Chicago about to find out why it’s called the Department of WAR.”

In another unexpected turn of events: I and other Tesla Takedown protestors regularly chalk on a wall near the Tesla dealership. We’ve had the cops called on us before, and the outcome was fine - we were told we were okay to chalk, since it is not permanent and does not damage the wall. In fact, every time it rains, our beautiful artwork is washed away, as it was last night. So, we returned to the wall today and created some very colorful thoughts. As we chalked, we heard sirens and joked that “they were coming for us.”

Turns out, the joke was on us. We had four cars with state troopers and local county police show up. The first three officers were pleasant and didn’t seem terribly concerned with our activity, nodding in response as I explained that the chalk was easily washed off and that we were demonstrating our First Amendment rights.

The fourth officer, the Sergeant we were told was ultimately in charge, was a totally different matter. He made it clear that the wall could not be chalked on and that we were guilty of defacing county property. When my friends and I started to talk amongst ourselves, the Sergeant made it clear we were not allowed to do so. It was then that we learned we were being detained. He accused us of “rising” and threatened hand cuffs, when all we did was calmly ask basic questions about what our crime was. The tattoos on his arm made it clear he was not likely to be sympathetic with us expressing our First Amendment rights, and the way he talked to us was completely uncalled for. After he left, the state trooper all but apologized and told me the Sergeant did not explain himself clearly or carefully enough. Put more bluntly: he was hostile. Four women chalking on a public wall. Detained for defacing property and accused of causing unnecessary expense to the county for cleaning up the mess. Pro tip - wait for the rain, and it will all wash away.

This is not a closed case - we are working with an attorney to see if the wall is truly out of bounds for chalking. It remains to be seen if charges are going to be filed, and if they are we will fight them. According to Trump, there is a crime emergency in our country, and he needs to deploy the National Guard to put an end to lawlessness. I suggest law enforcement focus on something other than four women applying colorful, washable chalk messages to a wall along a bike path.

And Let’s Not Forget the Good Days!!

Yesterday there was a Free D.C. rally and march which drew thousands to the city. It was a hot and humid day, and those who gathered at 11 a.m. for the rally and then marched to the White House were in full sun for over three hours.

Protestors carried signs expressing concern and outrage over the recent arrival of National Guard troops to “take over” D.C. and quell a fabricated crime emergency. In addition to signs calling for a free DC and statehood for DC, there were banners supporting the Free Palestine movement and calls for impeaching Trump and an end to ICE kidnappings. Young and old marched together, and some young children carried signs they made themselves. There were fabulous signs featuring sub sandwiches, now an emblem of the government’s failed and ridiculous attempt to charge a D.C. resident with a felony for throwing a sub sandwich at border enforcement officers.

In spite of the brutal heat, the joy was palpable and the chanting non-stop. People cheered us on from roof tops and waved to us from overpasses. The unity was striking, and it was a moment so many of us needed.

Following the rally, I went to my local Tesla Takedown protest. Some of us have recently been making signs in Spanish, as we have many immigrants driving by. The honking, cheering and blowing of kisses has grown exponentially since we began displaying signs in Spanish saying, “We Support Immigrants” and “ICE, Leave Our Neighbors Alone.” Knowing that we are bringing a little joy to and showing respect and support for good, hard-working people who are being hunted down and kidnapped by ICE is a feeling that is hard to describe. Yesterday, a car drove by and honked energetically. It returned a short while later and a Hispanic woman rolled down the window to hand us a bag of ice-cold bottles of Gatorade. It was a moment we won’t soon forget.

As a person of considerable privilege, the least I can do is show support for those who came to our country to seek opportunity, to take on the jobs we don’t want, and to work hard to support their families (and our economy). It is appalling that this regime is systematically kidnapping and deporting these good people, the vast majority of whom have no criminal record, and tearing apart families and communities in the process. I will stand at the Tesla Takedown with my signs as long as it takes, spreading what little joy I can to those who so desperately need it.

Stay the Course!

The bumps in the road are sure to keep coming. Some of them will be big, cruel, and ugly, others will rattle us a bit, but we have to stay the course and focus on the positive. Our many forms of protest are necessary and satisfying because we see that we are not alone and we are building community, which keeps us strong. By reaching out to those in need, we are reaffirming what this country is all about. We are a welcoming nation, one built by immigrants. We are a nation guided by a constitution and led by its people. We reject the rule of a king.

It will take time, probably a long time, but our efforts will eventually restore sanity to our country. In the meantime, hang on - it’s going to be a bumpy ride.

Most everyone I know is horrified about this regime’s rampant abuse of power and the thoroughly incompetent leadership purporting to run the country.

• Trump is defying the courts, Kristi Noem has no idea what the Constitution is about, Pam Bondi is thoroughly confused about the Epstein List, among other things, and JD Vance has proclaimed the Big Beautiful Bill as marking a new era of stability and prosperity for working families. The cruelty of this regime is unlike anything we have seen in our country’s history.

• In reality, the ridiculous funding bill signed into law on July 4 will leave many Americans with no health coverage and no food security, all in the name of giving billionaires more money through tax cuts.

• ICE is boldly kidnapping immigrants who have no criminal record and depriving them of their right to due process. Horrid concentration camps are housing illegally kidnapped people.

• U.S. Government agencies continue to reel after the chainsaw massacre imposed by Musk’s DOGE. Universities are being targeted and losing billions in research funding due to what Trump believes is ideological indoctrination, and Trump is suing mainstream media whenever he gets his nose out of joint. Most recently he sued the Wall Street Journal for its report on the Epstein case.

You don’t need to look far to see the damage being done, so my question to you, to quote Bob Marley, is “Whatcha gonna do when they come for you?” And make no mistake, they are coming for all of us. No one is safe.

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed with all that is happening and the speed at which it is unfolding, but simply observing and commenting on it is not the answer, it’s not what’s going to save us. I am increasingly distraught by how many people who could do something are finding endless excuses not to.

It’s easy to make excuses: I’m too busy, it’s too hot, I have a job, I don’t like public speaking, I can’t draw well enough to make a sign, I’m not sure what to do, I’m afraid. WE ARE ALL AFRAID! Fear is not a remedy. It’s action we need. It’s time for us all to step outside our comfort zone and do something, anything, to keep democracy alive.

I have recently done so much that is way out of my comfort zone. For starters, I’m an introvert. Meeting people at protests, joining group calls, attending meetings - so not my style. But it helps that those I am meeting are good and just people wanting to make our country whole again. We are forging bonds and finding so much common ground as we join in protest, make signs together, brainstorm non-compliance ideas and share strategies. The core group at my local Tesla Takedown protests, people I had never seen before March, are the people who inspire me every day to do more, to be strong, and to step up. We are a community and we keep each other strong and hopeful.

I’m hanging ribbons around my neighborhood that say “Release the Disappeared” in Spanish and English. I bought a bucket of chalk and leave messages on public property (like sidewalks) letting neighbors know about our local Tesla Takedown and inviting them to join the resistance. I’ve visited the offices of House Representatives to pass out flyers and to discuss concerns. It’s amazing how easy it is to find your voice - and we all have one - when you care deeply about what’s happening around you.

I recently spoke at a county Board Meeting to encourage the Board to do more to protect our immigrant neighbors from ICE. I have signed up for training to be a court monitor at local immigration hearings, and I’m learning how to safely protect my neighbors from ICE. I join countless zoom calls, organized by grassroots organizations, where I learn about upcoming actions and how to make a difference.

One of the best calls I’ve been on this year was the first of three One Million Rising calls organized by Indivisible, held on July 16. Over 100,000 people joined that call to learn about next steps in saving our democracy. The organizers asked participants to sign a Gathering Pledge - they hoped to get 1,000 participants to host local meetings to bring others on board. Over 5,000 of us signed up on the spot - and I was one of them. Out of my comfort zone? Hell yes, but I am all in.

If ever there was a time to take action and to do things you aren’t used to doing, that time is now. I am guessing you will find, as I have, that it’s actually liberating to step outside your comfort zone and help resist tyranny. Taking action goes a long way to easing the anxiety of what we see happening around us, and by joining with others, you will find the hope you need to get through these troubling times. With hope, we can do anything.

We show up in the rain, we show up in intense humidity and heat. The only thing to stop us yet is thunder and lightning. We all chip in for the gear we need to keep going: one of our crew sourced a free canopy which we set up to provide shade. A lightweight camping table was provided to put out snacks and cold water which are regularly supplied by group members.

Several protestors bring cooling clothes to give us relief when the temperatures soar above 100. We have buttons (so many different buttons!) and flyers to hand out. We bring portable Bluetooth speakers so that we can enjoy the fabulous resistance playlists we have created, as well as dance music to keep us joyful as we wave our flags and display our signs. Bubble makers are often on hand to keep the mood upbeat. We have an abundance of signs and banners, and anyone who shows up without a sign is encouraged to borrow one. We even have wagons to cart all this gear from our cars, parked a few blocks away. As one organizer recently quipped: looks like we are here to stay! Yes, yes we are.

In the last month we have been getting lots of questions - both from within our group and from passersby - about the impact of our Tesla Takedowns and why we continue them. There are many good answers - here are a few.

• DOGE: While Musk has distanced himself from Trump since the end of May, Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) continues to operate and has accumulated vast amounts of our personal and financial data from the IRS and Treasury Department. The chainsaw massacre of federal government offices led by Musk will have a lasting and dangerous impact on the many vital services provided by the U.S. government. USAID has been gutted, the CFPB is barely limping along, USIP has been dismantled (twice), and countless other agencies have been decimated due to extensive and unwarranted personnel cuts.

• Conflicts of Interest: Musk used his role in DOGE to ensure protections for his lucrative contracts with the government: His companies Starlink, SpaceX, the Boring Company and most recently his Grok chatbot all benefitted as a result of Musk steering oversight away from the obvious conflicts of interest. Starlink has been installed in various government installations, SpaceX is not adhering to federal reporting protocols (including those which impact safety), and the Federal Railroad Administration is in talks to use Musk’s Boring Company on an Amtrak rail project. This egregious lack of oversight and rampant conflicts of interest will line Musk’s already full pockets and steer the competition away, often with ramifications for safety.

• Hateful Speech and Anti-Semitic Comments: Musk continues to spread disinformation and hateful, extremist rhetoric, including antisemitic comments, most recently through his controversial AI chatbot Grok, which , it was announced today, will be used by the Defense Department. This normalization of hateful speech cannot be given a platform.

• We are Making an Impact: Tesla sales in the first half of 2025 were down 13%, and Tesla’s 2nd quarter 2025 deliveries are down 14% year-over-year, the largest ever year-over-year drop for Tesla. Sales expectations for 2025 have been revised downwards. While a number of factors are at play here, Musk’s role in DOGE and his public comments have soured both investor sentiment and sales.

• Community: We continue the protests to celebrate the strong, compassionate community we have formed over the months. It’s uplifting to know we are not alone in this fight, and, more importantly, we are learning from each other as we all bring our own history, stories, fears and concerns to the protests.

• Joy: I will admit that I was confused the first time I heard one of the organizers encourage us to bring joy to the demonstrations. I asked myself how anyone could possibly find joy in this time of great upheaval and cruelty. Over the weeks and months, I have found that joy - it is the joy of knowing that we are not alone, that we will continue to fight, and that we respect and lift each other up. There is the joy of hearing hundreds of cars, buses and trucks honking at us, often for a prolonged time, and seeing countless drivers give us a thumbs up, flash us a peace sign, or raise a determined fist in the air. We are not alone, our numbers are great, the fight will continue unabated, and that alone is cause for joy. Those honks are like a dopamine hit, trust me.

• Learning: We are learning from each other every single day: about the threats within our communities, where and how to speak up, how to make rain-proof signs, what wording is most effective, which Zoom calls to join, other protests to attend, where to park for the banner drops at local overpasses. We adjust our signs and flyers to meet the needs of a particular week’s news. We are all stepping out of our comfort zones in this time of need, and that is much easier to do when surrounded by compassionate people who support you and cheer you on.

I’m so grateful for my Tesla Takedown community. This group is a window into what compassion and diversity look like. We have each other’s backs, and we are fighting together to keep our communities safe, to keep each other safe, to let our neighbors know their rights, to help get out the vote and ultimately, to save our democracy. We know this is not a sprint - sadly, we are in this for the long haul. If you drive past us, be sure to give us a honk!

Much of the conversation around the bill has been about the horrific cuts to Medicaid and SNAP that will go into effect after the midterms, resulting in millions losing healthcare and far too many children facing food insecurity. Additionally, hospitals, especially those in rural areas, will be forced to close, requiring residents in those areas to travel great distances for care, including any emergent needs. At least one hospital has already been forced to close due to the financial hardships starting to face many states.

Of more immediate concern, however, is the alarming amount of funding this bill allocates to ICE: a stunning $170 billion is dedicated to immigration enforcement over the next four years, of which $45 billion is earmarked for ICE detention space. These vast sums will enable a rapid escalation of the horrific scenes we have witnessed playing out in a number of cities across the country, in which masked, armed goons without badges or judicial warrants are grabbing innocent immigrants off the streets, often with undue force. We need to call them what they are: Secret Police. ICE is preying upon those who show up to their court appointments in addition to trolling immigrant neighborhoods and raiding businesses where immigrants are employed. Families are being pried apart, and upstanding members of our community are being illegally targeted. Many immigrants are afraid to be out in public, go to the grocery store, or visit their place of worship.

ICE agents, whose ranks will swell to an alarming number with this new infusion of funding, are shockingly brazen in their quest to detain as many immigrants as possible in response to quotas issued by Trump. Since the Inauguration in January, more than 39,000 people have been arrested, and, according to federal data, over 80% of these detainees have no criminal record. Many of the immigrants who have been arrested are in the U.S. legally, and once they are captured, their future is uncertain, as they are removed to detention centers out of the area and likely out of the country. They are not being deported - that word does not do justice to reality. They are being disappeared. Often, their families do not know their whereabouts and are unable to be in contact with them.

The detention centers being utilized by ICE are nothing more than concentration camps, and Alligator Auschwitz in Florida, where squalid conditions are reported, is a perfect example of the inhumane conditions in which harmless immigrants will find themselves. Trump’s flippant remarks about detainees who try to escape being eaten by alligators underscore the cruelty being dealt to immigrants who have committed no crime and who have been illegally seized from their families and their communities.

Anti-ICE protests are growing as communities are increasingly shocked by the cruel disappearance of non-violent immigrants. At the same time, the tactics ICE agents are employing are growing more vicious and occasionally ensnare members of Congress and even a judge seeking to defend the innocent targets. The scenes playing out daily in citizen-captured videos of these ICE arrests are shocking, difficult to watch, and in complete violation of the Constitution.

Make no mistake, the cruel tactics and disappearances that we have seen at the hands of ICE will grow exponentially in the coming months. Communities have been organizing to inform immigrants of their rights, to witness the disappearances, and to prevent ICE agents from making arrests on private property. While these actions have been bold and courageous, they alone will not be enough to stop the newly emboldened ICE or to prevent the continued dismantling of our vibrant immigrant communities.

It is up to us to respond to this dangerous escalation of ICE. We must protect the immigrants in our communities who bring such vitality and economic support to our nation. The time is now, and the need is real.

Instead of celebrating today with fireworks or watching the parade in DC, I attended a group reading of the Declaration of Independence. It was originally slated to take place in front of the National Archives, home to the original, signed copy of the Declaration. The organizers had to move the location across the street, next to the Gallery of Art Sculpture Garden, due to crowds, the parade, and a previously scheduled event at the Archives. There were about 30 or 40 of us gathered.

As I stood and listened to a number of people taking turns, with a bullhorn/microphone, to read each paragraph of the Declaration with solemnity and conviction, I had to fight hard to hear these important words, as they were being drowned out by the passing parade. Marching bands, people yelling, and all the commotion that comes with a big city parade proved to be more powerful than the readers and the message of freedom that they sought to share as a reminder of what our country fought so hard for nearly 250 years ago when we declared we would not be ruled by a tyrannical king.

Watching the scene unfold, I realized that drowning out the reading of the Declaration of Independence provided a metaphor for this very moment in time. Millions of people are voicing their dissent, their outrage, and their refusal to accept fascism in the U.S., but is it loud enough? Are our voices making a difference?

We must prevent this regime from drowning us out. We must be louder, bolder, and stronger than those we seek to defeat. We cannot, we must not, let the noise around us be louder than our message.

Grab your signs, and if you don’t have any, make one. My favorite is “Oh Hell No”, a multi-purpose outrage that applies to everything being done to dismantle our democracy. Choose the topic(s) that matter most to you: protecting immigrants, crushing ICE, SCOTUS caving to tyranny, No Kings, etc. Join a banner brigade on an overpass near you. Join any rallies in your area. Be active in helping to get out the vote. The mid-term elections are going to be absolutely critical in helping us eliminate tyranny and repair the damage done. Most importantly, stay informed through independent media channels that bring accurate and timely reporting.

Whatever you do, however you show up in this fight to save our democracy and resist tyranny, make sure your voice can be heard above the relentless din of those who seek to control us. It’s up to us now.

Later that morning a few others chimed in to say they would show up and planned to protest, even if briefly. I assumed the heat would be too debilitating but, armed with several signs and a large bottle of ice water, I headed to the Tesla site. By the time I arrived, our shade canopy was set up, the large Bluetooth speaker was ready for my dissent playlist, we had ice and cold water available for all, and a handful of the regulars began to arrive. With colorful banners displayed, one of our crew who makes and distributes fabulous buttons set up his supply for us to hand out to interested motorists. We also had a handout for drivers, providing information about the One Big Beautiful Bill about to be voted on in the Senate, urging them to call their Senators and express concern about, among other things, the huge cuts to Medicaid.

Our crew captain for the day suggested we keep an eye on each other, and urged us to stay hydrated, to stand in shaded areas only, and to quit when the heat started to get the best of us. As it turns out, we were there for over an hour, and the honking and thumbs up from drivers was every bit as awesome as it usually is, maybe even more so. We handed out over 80 leaflets about the reconciliation bill and countless buttons. And we found joy in our community - a diverse group brought together in the past few months over our shared outrage at the hostile government takeover currently underway. (Check out the song, btw: Hostile Government Takeover - a staple on our playlist.) We play music at our protests, a mix of dissent music and joyful dance tunes - and the good vibes are contagious. We may be disgusted with our government, but we bring joy to out protests.

I’ve been joining the local Tesla Takedowns regularly since they began in February. At my local dealership, the protests take place three times a week, with the Saturday protest attracting up to 70 or 80 protesters who line both sides of the street carrying all manner of signs. The Sunday and Tuesday protests draw a smaller crowd, but there is always a determined crowd on hand.

The signs we carry have changed over the months. Some continue to focus on encouraging Tesla drivers to sell their cars, while others remind passersby of the damage Elon Musk did while he was leading his chainsaw massacre of the federal government. Musk’s pilfering of our personal data is the subject of a few signs, while others call for treating immigrants with humanity, supporting DEI, challenging the outrageous actions of ICE, and stopping the coup being led by the current regime.

We come from all walks of life: some are retired, some still working, people of color, members of the LGBTQ+ community, grandparents, and the occasional student. We are united in our refusal to accept fascism in the U.S. and our unwavering determination to fight for change, for equity, for safety, for sanity. And as we dissent, we are building relationships that I hope will last long after this ugly chapter in our history is over. We are a determined lot, and this determination is needed now more than ever.

It is critical to have as many people as possible participating in events that day. I’ve heard from some that they want the protest to take place on the weekend, but organizers want to hold the event on the anniversary of John Lewis’ passing. Organizers encourage participants to hold evening events for those who need to work that day.

Work to organize events across the country is now getting under way, and the first organizing call took place this evening. Events will take many forms, including rallies, meetings, banned book giveaways, and a national broadcast that evening for viewers to see all the events that took place throughout the day.

By participating in local events that day, we will continue the work of the Hands Off and No Kings protests and we will help build the nation we want. We cannot be silent, we must voice our dissent, and we need as many people as possible to stand up on July 17 and say that we stand for Democracy, we stand for our Constitutional rights, and we do not accept authoritarianism. Good trouble started this nation, and we must continue good trouble and necessary trouble to keep our country strong and just.

You can learn more and join future planning calls at goodtroubleliveson.org.

The courtroom was packed with journalists and Georgetown University friends and family of Khan Suri. I was likely the outlier, having no ties to Khan Suri, but I wanted to be present to support a man I felt was wrongly detained.

I can’t pretend that I understood the finer points of the habeas petition brought by Khan Suri’s attorneys, and I certainly didn’t follow half of what the slick, young government lawyer quickly rattled off as he cited case law ad nauseum to support the government’s case. But the judge’s remarks throughout the hearing were thoughtful and absolutely unambiguous. Judge Patricia Giles made clear that the mere fact that Khan Suri’s wife is a Palestinian national, whose father is a former advisor to a now-deceased Hamas leader, is not sufficient grounds to accuse Khan Suri of having ties with terrorists. Furthermore, Khan Suri’s postings about Gaza are protected under his First Amendment rights. Judge Giles noted repeatedly that the government failed to provide evidence in this case, specifically no evidence to support its contention that Khan Suri was a flight risk, a danger to the community, or a national security risk.

The judge ordered that Dr. Khan Suri be immediately released from detention and returned to Virginia to rejoin his family and to return to his position at Georgetown University. She denied the need for bond. This was a huge victory. Not only was it a win for Khan Suri and his family, but it served as clear evidence that the government is on very shaky ground (as we suspected all along) and will continue to struggle to make its case against the many illegally detained residents whose greatest crime is exercising their right to free speech. My hope is that they all have a judge who is as thoughtful and thorough as Judge Giles.