by Susan N.
With the midterms fast approaching, it’s critical to get corporations to take a stand against the Trump regime. That’s why a coalition of organizations from Bay Resistance (including Indivisible East Bay) has organized a Bay Area Hands Off Our Vote Caravan on August 25 — traveling from Richmond to Oakland before reaching its final destination: the Salesforce Tower in San Francisco. It’s part of a statewide day of action that will also see caravans happening in Los Angeles and San Diego.
The caravans are part of a longer campaign to get corporations to oppose the actions of the Trump regime. Trump is depending on corporations to stay on the sidelines while he sabotages the elections. Part of the plan for defending the elections is to crack the business pillar, with the goal of getting at least some corporations to end their complicity and hopefully even join those of us who believe in free and democratic elections.
The Hands Off Our Vote Caravan will kick off at 9:30 a.m. at the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE) in Richmond. From there, it will head to Snow Park in Oakland (where Indivisible East Bay members can join). It will culminate at Salesforce Tower, where Buddhist practitioners of the Plum Village Tradition will lead the action. They’ll read aloud their open letter, sent to Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff on Aug. 14, and lead a walking meditation practice and compassion chanting. We encourage you to read their beautiful letter and add your name to it here. The letter asks Benioff to sign the Business for Democracy pledge and to have Salesforce cancel all active pitches, ‘opportunities,’ and business with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The letter is part of a broader Bay Resistance campaign targeting Salesforce. A September action is planned during Dreamforce, the annual Salesforce conference at Moscone Center in San Francisco. Bay Resistance believes that Benioff may be willing to wield his power as a corporate titan to protect the election.
Taking a clear stand against oppression and injustice
The Plum Village practitioners have written to Benioff because he practices in their tradition and is a devotee of Zen Master Thích Nhất Hạnh, the organization’s late founder. The letter appeals to Benioff to align with the tradition’s values and take a stand against injustice and oppression.
Benioff’s connection to Plum Village runs deep. After the Zen Master suffered a severe stroke in 2014, Benioff paid for him to travel to San Francisco for care at UCSF Medical Center. He and his wife housed the Zen Master and approximately 60 members of his entourage during his stay and rehabilitation. Thích Nhất Hạnh, known as Thầy to his followers, died in 2022.
The letter is signed by Plum Village Sanghas, Dharma Teachers, Order of Interbeing members, students of Thích Nhất Hạnh, and other supporters. It expresses the group’s heartbreak at “the suffering and violence in this country” and states: “During these times of upheaval and division, we have been looking to Thầy’s teachings, especially The Fourteen Mindfulness Trainings. They instruct us to ‘take a clear stand against oppression and injustice’ and to ‘speak out about situations of injustice, even when doing so may make difficulties for us or threaten our safety.’ ”
Although Benioff is a major supporter of Democratic and progressive causes, he came under fire last October for backing Trump’s threats to deploy the National Guard to fight crime in San Francisco. He quickly walked back his comments after facing collective outrage. That same month, he and other corporate bigwigs clearly demonstrated the power they wield. Benioff, along with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, reportedly reached out to Trump to stop a planned surge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in San Francisco.
Targeting the Pillars of Support
The Caravan’s focus on corporate power is rooted in the Pillars of Support concept articulated in the One Million Rising initiative led by Indivisible and partner pro-democracy networks. It refers to the core societal institutions and groups that hold up and empower an authoritarian political system or regime.
By organizing non-cooperation within these specific sectors, everyday people can withdraw consent and crack the power of the regime. The primary pillars of support targeted for strategic non-cooperation include:
- Business: Corporations, local enterprises, and economic networks that provide wealth, resources, or operational complicity.
- Labor: Unions and organized workers who have the power to withhold their labor and disrupt economic routines.
- Faith communities: Religious institutions and houses of worship that can refuse to let religion be used to justify authoritarian or fascist agendas.
- Education: Schools, universities, and alumni networks responsible for shaping civic values and resisting ideological curriculum changes.
- Civil service: Government bureaucrats and public employees who can refuse to carry out unlawful or harmful directives.
- Military and police: Security forces and law enforcement agencies whose continued obedience is required to enforce state power.
The business and military/police pillars are load-bearing for any regime. This campaign focuses on getting members of the business pillar to defect from MAGA and stand up to Trump.
Take action: Here’s what you can do
You can support this campaign in several ways:
- Join the Salesforce caravan on Aug. 25. You can join at 9:30 a.m. at ACCE headquarters, 322 Harbour Way, Suite 5, Richmond or at 11:00 a.m. at Snow Park, 19th and Harrison Streets. Buses will be available to transport participants to San Francisco. Sign up here.
- Read all about it. Read the full Plum Village letter here and add your name to it here.
- Help spread the word. Tell your friends and loved ones about the Salesforce Caravan by sharing this blog and/or the links cited here.
- Tell your friends in Los Angeles and San Diego. Caravans are planned in both cities on Aug. 25. Share these signup links:
- Are you a corporate executive or the owner of a business of any size? Sign the Business for Democracy Pledge here.
