Heidi Rand Actions, Events, Get Involved, ICE, Our Impact, Rallies & Protests, Uncategorized

Lights for Liberty

Deadline: July 12 (but don’t stop there!) – The struggle for liberty didn’t end on July 4 (as if we ever thought it would …) On July 12, 2019, thousands of people across the country will pour into the streets and into their own front yards to protest the inhumane conditions faced by migrants as part of Lights for Liberty: A Nationwide Vigil to End Human Detention Camps.

Indivisible East Bay is proud to join the wide coalition of groups presenting Lights for Liberty events! We will co-host an event on Friday July 12 from 8 to 9 PM with Together We Will-Albany Berkeley and El Cerrito Progressives. Gather at the University Avenue Pedestrian Bridge over Interstate 80, Berkeley. Please bring a candle for the vigil – we will have a few. Large signs are preferred so cars on the freeway can read them until it gets dark. Signs should reflect the inhumane conditions of refugees, detentions, and camps. After dark, we will light our candles against this darkness in our country.

The vigil will occur on the pedestrian crossing over I-80, not on University Avenue. Parking options: there’s a dirt parking lot on West Frontage Road, just south of University Ave. From there, you can walk or roll up to the pedestrian bridge. There’s also a little parking on the east side of I-80, near the Berkeley Animal Services building.

Can’t make our event? You’ve got a LOT more choices of events in the East Bay and San Francisco (most on Friday, July 12, a few on Saturday, July 13). Find a local event here and keep checking as more are being added. Or organize one of your own!

Graphic by Lights for Liberty

indivisibleebadmin Events, Get Involved, Our Impact, Rallies & Protests, Uncategorized, Volunteer Opportunity

IEB Comes Out for Pride 2019!

By Elizabeth Douglas

Indivisible East Bay proudly joined Indivisible San Francisco to march with the Resistance Contingent in the June 30 SF Pride Parade. Pride’s 2019 theme, “Generations of Resistance,” honors the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Riots; our contingent was dedicated to honoring these revolutionary renegades for civil rights and justice for the LGBTQIA+ community.

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Many of your fave Bay Area resistance groups came out, including Alameda4Impeachment (A4I), and we all pushed the “Justice is Coming” message with calls for impeachment. The crowd was super eager to repeat our message throughout the whole long parade – we got loud enough that even Speaker Pelosi couldn’t deny the public groundswell!

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Whether you joined us or not, don’t miss more wonderful photos than we could fit into this article, all taken by Mary DeShaw, a volunteer photographer with Pro Bono Photography; and videographer Lis Cox’s videos, here and here.

This beautiful and joyful day was a welcome reminder that even in tumultuous times, if we come together as a community to fight injustice, love has the power to triumph and unify all.

Elizabeth Douglas is a mom, runner, and activist from Alameda. She is also a Climate Reality Leader (Seattle 2017) with a strong interest in protecting our ocean and corals.

All photographs by Mary Martin DeShaw, Pro Bono Photo

Heidi Rand Actions, Events, Get Involved, ICE, newsletter action, Our Impact, Rallies & Protests, Volunteer Opportunity

Show UP for immigrant justice!

Updated July 3, 2019: We had a great, spirited protest in El Cerrito on June 29 – nearly 200 people showed up to chant, sing, hold signs and banners, and take direct action to fight for immigrant justice. El Cerrito mayor Rochelle Pardue-Okimoto also spoke about El Cerrito’s Sanctuary City status, reaffirming that “families belong together.”

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There are many ways you can keep fighting — see the section below, “More Ways You Can Help.” 

Deadline: ongoing – Raise your voice LOUD AND CLEAR for immigrant justice! Join members of Indivisible East Bay, El Cerrito Shows Up, El Cerrito Progressives (ECP), and many others, from noon to 2 PM on Saturday June 29, 2019, at our protest in El Cerrito – part of the nationwide call for events by Immigrant Justice Now (formerly Families Belong Together). RSVP here, and please spread the link!

From “zero tolerance” to the detention of over 15,000 refugee children, current immigration policies are cruel, inhumane, and unjustified, and we MUST reject them. Families and individuals fleeing dangerous conditions have the right to seek asylum in our country. It has been nearly a year since we rallied and marched in over 60 cities to protest family separation, and things have only gotten worse. We have to keep the pressure up!

We’ll gather at the west entrance to El Cerrito Plaza, outside the Daiso Store at the busy intersection of San Pablo Ave. and Carlson Ave. Join us in songs, slogans, and solidarity! We’ll hold a peaceful, family-friendly, visible direct action, with signs and banners to bring this issue to life for passersby and drivers. We’ll also hand out info on actions people can take. Bring a sign – check out this chant list for ideas.

More ways you can help:

Read our recent articles about immigration:

Heidi Rand Actions, Call and Email MoCs, Congressional legislation, Events, Get Involved, Meetings, Mueller report, Our Impact, Rallies & Protests, Uncategorized

East Bay Hella ❤ Impeachment

Inform, inspire, and activate – that’s what Indivisible East Bay and Alameda4Impeachment (A4I) did at the Summer Impeachment Pop-Up in Oakland on June 15, 2019. One of over 140 events called nationwide by MoveOn, By the People, Indivisible National, and many other partners, the focus was to urge the House of Representatives to open an impeachment inquiry against Trump.

Whether you joined us or not, don’t miss these images – more wonderful photos than we could fit into this article – taken by Mary DeShaw, a volunteer photographer with Pro Bono Photography; and videographer Lis Cox’s video recap of our event. Also check out Raw Story’s read-out from around the country.

Quanah Brightman, of United Native Americans, opened the event with a stirring Blessing. 

#Impeachtrump protest June 15 2019, Photo by Mary Martin DeShaw, Pro Bono Photos
Quanah Brightman, United Native Americans, offered an opening blessing, photo by Mary DeShaw

Jain Thapa, Representative Barbara Lee’s district staffer, addressed the gathering with prepared remarks, expressing Lee’s regrets that she wasn’t able to attend and delivering Lee’s thanks to A4I and IEB for their steadfast efforts to build awareness of the need for an impeachment inquiry. Thapa specifically called out as valuable A4I’s work and leadership in encouraging local City Councils to adopt Impeachment Resolutions.

Many people stepped up to read and record short portions of the Mueller Report. Members of Indivisible SF classed up the event by appearing in Hamilton costumes! (Photos by Mary DeShaw).

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At education and take-action stations, A4I and IEB members answered questions about impeachment and provided handouts urging people to call their Representatives (see the call script below). A4I/IEB member Larry created an “Impeachment Tree” participatory poster, on which dozens of people stuck “peaches” and “leaves” about corruption, abuse of immigrants, incompetence, criminality, attacks on democracy, and more. Contributions included “Encouraging DOJ to defy subpoenas,” “Taking babies from mamas & daddies,” “Using the WH and the gov’t as a personal ATM – stealing our future,” and more.

Impeachment Tree
Impeachment Tree, photo by Heidi Rand

A4I’s “Impeachment is Patriotic” banner was an ideal selfie-station backdrop, particularly for Angela Jarman, who appeared in her Lady Liberty costume.

Lady Liberty at Impeach Trump event
Lady Liberty, photo by Heidi Rand

Folks’ signs got right to the point! (Photos by Mary DeShaw).

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You can keep fighting for the next step to stop Trump’s unconstitutional power grab!

What you can do:

  1. Get Informed & Inspired! Sign up at ImpeachmentGuide.com to learn more about how you can join the movement to impeach Trump
  2. Read more about impeachment at this article written jointly by Indivisible East Bay and Alameda4Impeachment.
  3. Take action! Check out our recent articles for more info and actions you can take NOW:


What to say:

My name is ____, my zip code is ____, and I’m a member of Indivisible East Bay. Please use the full extent of your oversight and investigative powers to get to the truth and hold Trump accountable, including opening an impeachment inquiry.

  • Do you live in CA-13, represented by Rep. Barbara Lee? Say also: Thank you for cosponsoring House Resolution 257.
  • Do you live in CA-11 (Rep. Mark DeSaulnier), or CA-15 (Rep. Eric Swalwell)? Say also: Thank you for speaking out publicly in favor of an impeachment inquiry! Please cosponsor House Resolution 257.
  • Rep. Mark DeSaulnier: (email); (510) 620-1000 • DC: (202) 225-2095
  • Rep. Barbara Lee: (email); (510) 763-0370 • DC: (202) 225-2661
  • Rep. Eric Swalwell: (email); (510) 370-3322 • DC: (202) 225-5065

 

Photographs by Mary Martin DeShaw, of ProBono Photography, and Heidi Rand.

anngdaniels Actions, Contact, Events, Get Involved, newsletter action, Uncategorized, Volunteer Opportunity

IEB needs YOU to volunteer!

Updated June 20

Everything got you down? Join the club. No, literally – join us! Come on out and spend some quality time with your fellow ticked-off resisters. We are terrific company, and together we make a difference!

Here are a couple of FUN opportunities in early summer 2019:

Pride!

This is the real thing, folks, SF Pride Parade! June 30 in, of course, San Francisco. We’re joining forces with other Indivisibles, to make it even greater. Join our contingent at 10 AM, at the intersection of Steuart St. and Don Chee Way. Wear your Indivisible East Bay t-shirts if you’ve got ’em! Here’s the Eventbrite page with the info – and watch the IEB newsletter and our facebook page for more details as we get them.

We need people to:

  • Hold the Indivisible banner in shifts
  • Carry Justice Is Coming banners in shifts
  • Act as monitors
  • Bring signs!

To help out, or for more info, email us at info@indivisibleeb.org and/or join the #ieb-pride-2019 channel on Slack.

Celebrate the Fourth the IEB way!

Show your resistance colors by volunteering at Indivisible East Bay’s booth at the fun-tastic City of El Cerrito/worldOne Fourth of July Festival on Thursday, July 4, 2019, 10 AM to 6 PM. All you need is a basic familiarity with Indivisible and a friendly smile, and our experienced IEB members will help you with anything else. Non-El Cerrito folks welcome, kids welcome, friends welcome, folks with disabilities welcome (the event is wheelchair accessible) – you get the idea, everyone is welcome. We especially need volunteers between noon and 4 PM. To sign up for shifts or if you have questions, email Outreach co-lead Toni at tonihenle@gmail.com or message her on IEB’s Slack: @toni_henle. Read more (and see great photos from last year!) at our article.

 

Summer Impeachment Pop-Up [see our article about this great event!]

Pitch in to help IEB and co-hosts Alameda4Impeachment at our Impeach Trump event in Oakland on Sat. June 15, 1-3 PM, on the plaza outside 1301 Clay St., Oakland. We’re planning a fun, creative and family-friendly event to inspire, inform, and activate people to urge the House to open an impeachment inquiry.

  • Help us unload and set up in 30-minute shifts from 11 am until 1 pm; and clean up & tear down at 3 pm.
  • Spread the word on social media – follow IEB on facebook and share our event. On twitter, follow A4I and IEB — and RT our posts. At the event, post your great photos of the activities with the hashtag #ImpeachTrump. Also tag @IndivisibleEB 
  • Feed the resistance: bring some peaches to share as snacks! 

To help out, or for more info, email us at alameda4impeachment@gmail.com and/or join the #impeachment channel on Slack.

Photograph of IEB’s July 4th booth by Heidi Rand

anngdaniels Actions, Events, Meetings, newsletter action, Uncategorized

No two ways about it: watch the debates!

Deadline: June 26 (but get your RSVPs and party invites out earlier) –

There are so many Democratic presidential candidates, the Democratic National Committee is limiting the first debates to a “mere” 20 of them over two nights, based on requirements that are even stricter than their original winnowing criteria. As of this writing, it looks like those 20 candidates are – in alphabetical order – Bennet, Biden, Booker, Buttigieg, Castro, De Blasio, Delaney, Gabbard, Gillibrand, Harris, Hickenlooper, Inslee, Klobuchar, O’Rourke, Ryan, Sanders, Swalwell, Warren, Williamson, and Yang.

Go to a debate watch party!

Do you think politics are more fun with a crowd? Then get a ticket for one of these debate watch parties! But act fast – tickets are going like hotcakes!

  • IEB Debate Watch, First night (June 26): Join IEB to watch the first debate at the Side Room at the Rialto Cinema, 10070 San Pablo Ave., El Cerrito, Wednesday, June 26 at 5 PM. You can get yummy food and drink (including beer & wine) from their cafe and watch with great company! Space is limited to 20 guests, and some tickets are already claimed, so be sure to sign up (and if you’ve signed up and can’t make it, please let us know; there will be people who’ll want your seat). Email info@indivisibleeb.org with any questions. FREE. Please note: this event is for Weds. June 26 only. 
  • Everett & Jones, Jack London Square, First night (June 26): Join Swing Left East Bay at E&J BBQ, 126 Broadway, Oakland, Wednesday, June 26, 6 PM (but they advise early arrival). RSVP here but please note: RSVP’ing does not guarantee you a seat. FREE. Please note: this event is for Weds. June 26 only. 
  • The New Parkway Theater, June 26 AND June 27 (BOTH NIGHTS): The New Parkway features food and drink and couches or cafe tables. Buy tickets for June 26 (first night) or June 27 (second night) or both! $7 regular, $6 students/seniors. 474 24th Street, Oakland.

Watch on your own/host your own party

Can’t make it to a party? Don’t like crowds? Prefer your own food? You can watch or stream live on June 26 and 27, 6-8 PM Pacific Time. Or invite friends over and have your own debate watch party! Here’s a great resource from Indy National.

Take the pledge

No matter who you watch with – or even if you watch by yourself – don’t forget to take the Indivisible Pledge. And make sure all your friends take it too:

  • Make the primary constructive.
  • Rally behind the winner.
  • Do the work to defeat Trump.

Scroll down on that page to see if your favorite candidate has taken the pledge – if they haven’t, tell them they need to!

Ask a questionIndivisible Pledge

Want to participate in the debates? Yes, you can! NBC News, which is broadcasting the debates, is asking: “Do you have a question for the 2020 candidates? What would you ask at the first debate?” Send them a question on their website and they might choose it and ask it at one of the two debates.

indivisibleebadmin Events, Our Impact, Uncategorized, Who We Are

IEB attends the CA Democratic Convention

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By Kristen Law

For the first time in over 20 years, the California Democratic Convention was held in San Francisco at the Moscone Center from May 31-June 2, 2019. The convention had both statewide and nationwide importance for the Democratic party: on a statewide level, the delegates had the task of choosing the next state party chair (after a series of lawsuits were filed against the party and the previous chair, Eric Bauman, for discrimination, sexual harassment, workplace bullying, and more). And nationwide, with California’s 2020 primary now on “Super Tuesday,” presidential candidates are taking California more seriously than in the past; and many candidates attended and spoke at the convention.

I had the good luck to attend as a delegate representing Region 5, since Representative Mark DeSaulnier appointed me to help promote progressive thinking in the state party. I had the opportunity to join thousands of other delegates and guests in caucus meetings, meetings with the candidates for the California Democratic Chair, and general sessions, including speeches from 14 Democratic presidential hopefuls; and to stand in a two-hour line to vote for the new chair of the California Democratic Party. I also got to hug “Auntie Maxine” Waters, which made the cost of admission and long lines worth it.

Rusty Hicks, a labor leader from Southern California, garnered 57% of the votes to become the new California Democratic Chair. I supported Kimberly Ellis, a local Bay Area activist, who finished second with 36%. Ellis would have been the first woman to lead the state party in more than 30 years and the first Black woman to chair the organization. She drove a progressive agenda and I heard rumors that the party establishment breathed a sigh of relief because of Ellis’ support of publicly financed elections.

It was exciting to have 14 presidential candidates address the delegates about their platforms and how to remove the current occupant from the White House. Overall the narrative was pushed further left than expected – perhaps because of California’s spot in the primaries. Hot topics in many of the speeches included climate change, women’s rights, health care for all, immigration, education, getting corrupt money out of politics and much more. John Delaney and John Hickenlooper were booed off stage.

We also heard from numerous Californian elected officials, including Governor Gavin Newsom, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and many more. Pelosi was met with shouts of “impeach” throughout her speech – shouts that got louder as she discussed the Mueller Report.

The convention was filled with progressive demonstrations and tabling. Two of my favorites: Planned Parenthood was promoting Project X, their campaign to protect and expand health care, and the Sex Workers Outreach Project asked for support on SB 233, the Immunity from Arrest Law.

Without multiple clones, it was impossible to get to every event – thankfully the California Democratic Party has posted videos and results online!

  • You can watch the General Session videos at this link.  
  • You can find the floor packet, resolutions passed, legislation endorsed, rules changes, and training materials at this link.

The next convention is just a little over five months away in Long Beach (November 15-17). I’ve been told that this one will be focused on endorsements; details coming soon!

 

Kristen Law loves her Richmond community and when she is not working as a Community Engagement Specialist or teaching and practicing yoga you can find her snuggling her pets, saving butterflies or testing vegan recipes. She was one of the founding members of Indivisible East Bay and co-leads the CA-11 team.

 

Heidi Rand Actions, Events, Get Involved, Our Impact, Volunteer Opportunity, Who We Are

Resistance is patriotic!

Meet new people and show your red, white and blue resistance colors by volunteering for an hour or two at Indivisible East Bay’s booth at the fun-tastic City of El Cerrito/worldOne Fourth of July Festival on Thursday, July 4, 2019, 10 AM to 6 PM.    

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You don’t have to be an expert! All you need is a basic familiarity with Indivisible and a friendly smile. There’ll be experienced members at every shift, so if you’re unsure what to say you can listen for a bit to get into the swing. Got an hour? Perfect! Got two? Even better! Don’t live in El Cerrito? No worries, everyone is welcome! Bring a friend or three, and children are more than welcome too. We especially need volunteers between noon and 4 pm. To sign up for shifts or if you have questions, email Outreach co-lead Toni at tonihenle@gmail.com or message her on IEB’s Slack: @toni_henle.

At last year’s booth we spoke to many people eager to learn about Indivisible and hungry for suggestions about how they could take action against the Trump agenda. We’ll engage fair-goers with fun activities like taking their picture in a resistance-themed frame that they can post to social media or by sending a message to their representatives. Before or after your shift, you can explore other booths, check out the music, and of course eat corn dogs and other yummy food at the Food Court, only steps away from our booth.  

We welcome volunteers with disabilities – the event is wheelchair accessible, and our booth will accommodate wheelchairs.

Photos of IEB’s 2018 July 4th booth by Heidi Rand

Heidi Rand Actions, Call and Email MoCs, Call Scripts, Congressional legislation, Events, Get Involved, Meetings, newsletter action, Our Impact, Rallies & Protests, Uncategorized

Give me an I! Impeachment National Day of Action 6/15

Deadline: RSVP now & join us on June 15 –

​​It’s high time we reclaim all of the positive “I” words we can think of from the dirty, filthy, disgusting UnIndicted Co-conspirator Individual-1! We’ll start with: “Inspiring” “Inclusive” “Indivisible” …  And of course in our current situation these three “I” words: “Investigate” and “Impeachment Inquiry.”

MoveOn and a long list of partners, including By The People, Need To Impeach, Indivisible, March for Truth, Credo Action, and Free Speech For People, are calling for a national day of action on Saturday, June 15, on the specific issue of impeachment. These groups have all concluded it’s time for the House of Representatives to initiate an impeachment inquiry.

What you can do:

  1. Get Inspired and Informed! Join Indivisible East Bay, Alameda4Impeachment (A4I), and many others at the flagship Bay Area event in Oakland, June 15 at 1 PM outside Representative Barbara Lee’s office at the Ronald Dellums Federal Building at 1301 Clay St. Among many other activities we’ll thank Rep. Lee for being the only Indivisible East Bay representative so far to cosponsor Rep. Tlaib’s H.Res. 257 to open an impeachment inquiry. Got friends outside the Bay Area? Of course you do – please share with everyone you know this link to search for events nationwide.
  2. Read more about impeachment at this article written jointly by Indivisible East Bay and Alameda4Impeachment.
  3. Check out our recent articles for more info and actions you can take NOW:

What to say:

My name is ____, my zip code is ____, and I’m a member of Indivisible East Bay. Please use the full extent of your oversight and investigative powers to get to the truth and hold Trump accountable, including opening an impeachment inquiry. As Mueller said in his public statement on May 29, only Congress can accuse a sitting president.

[If your Rep. is Mark DeSaulnier or Eric Swalwell, also say: Please do your job and cosponsor House Resolution 257.]

[If your Rep. is Barbara Lee, also say: Thank you for cosponsoring House Resolution 257.]

  • Rep. Mark DeSaulnier: (email); (510) 620-1000 • DC: (202) 225-2095
  • Rep. Barbara Lee: (email); (510) 763-0370 • DC: (202) 225-2661
  • Rep. Eric Swalwell: (email); (510) 370-3322 • DC: (202) 225-5065
indivisibleebadmin Events, Our Impact, Rallies & Protests, Uncategorized

Beach Bodies are IMPEACH Bodies

By Larry Baskett

Beach Impeach June 1 2019, photo by Stefan Ruenzel
Beach Impeach June 1 2019, photo by Stefan Ruenzel

On a typical cold, breezy June 1, Indivisible East Bay members were among the six hundred volunteers who formed a gigantic “IMPEACH” sign on San Francisco’s Ocean Beach. Indivisible San Francisco hosted the event, and participants came from every congressional district in the Bay Area (with a few from the Central Valley!). Many participants were from their own local Indivisible groups, and the effort was supported by many organizations including Indivisible National, Indivisible South Bay, Alameda4Impeachment (A4I), CREDO Action, MoveOn, SOS America, Need to Impeach, and By the People.

The event coincided with this year’s California Democratic Party convention (CADem) and with MoveOn’s “Big Ideas Forum” for presidential candidates across town; the organizers also had a plane flying a banner saying “SPKR PELOSI: IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY NOW” over downtown San Francisco!

In addition to looking great on the beach, we handed out congressional district-specific “call cards” with contact info for our Members of Congress, and with our request for the MoCs to cosponsor H.Res. 257 and open impeachment hearings. Read on to find out how you can do this and take other actions supporting an impeachment inquiry!

What you can do:

 

Larry Baskett is a mechanical engineer from Berkeley who spent a year on staff at the California State Senate and who previously volunteered with Wolf PAC, the campaign finance reform organization.

“Beach Impeach June 1 2019”, photo by Stefan Ruenzel