Take action, strengthen Democracy, build Community
Together We Are Strong
We are Waltham residents who believe in preserving and strengthening American democracy. We are coming together and taking action to prevent the dismantling of our country by people and groups pushing an authoritarian vision of America.
If we all do a little bit, we can accomplish a lot.
“Now is not the time to sit and ask what’s going to happen; now is the time to create what’s going to happen. And we might have a very different future if all of us do that.”
-Heather Cox Richardson
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We won’t spam you and we won’t share your info - we’ll just let you know about our events in defense of democracy. Including sign-making parties!
Events
In Waltham
For November, we encourage everyone to support food security efforts: volunteer at a food pantry, cook for your neighbors, donate to Healthy Waltham and other food banks. With SNAP benefits being held back, many families will go hungry as the weather gets colder, but we can support each other and build a stronger community!
NEARBY
Vets Say No To War On Our Cities
Veteran’s Day, Tuesday November 11, 3-4pm | WWII Memorial, 100 Park Drive, Boston
Stand with vets and take action against corruption and tyranny in veteran-led protests in cities threatened with military occupation. This Veteran’s Day, join About Face Veterans in Boston to say no to the misuse of our military against our own citizens and cities. Join the Boston event or sign up to host in another locality at VetsSayNo.org.
ONGOING
Wednesdays, 11-1pm | Bearing Witness to ICE, Burlington
Stand in solidarity outside the ICE Enforcement & Removal Operations Office in Burlington, MA. Together, we can show love and support for immigrants, express our shame at ICE, and bear witness to the cruel and unconstitutional actions of our government. Info and Sign up.
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Saturdays, 11-1pm | No Fear Street Theater, Burlington
Another time and place to stand in solidarity against ICE, bearing visible witness to the unconstitutional cruelty of ICE detentions. Burlington Mall Road at District Avenue.
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Thursdays, 11am-1pm | ICE Detention Center, Burlington.
Hosted by Justice for ALL, launched by GAIN, Greater Assabet Indivisible Network. 1000 District Ave, Burlington. More info at https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1AwsxL8JXy/.
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Every Other Friday, 4:30-6:30pm | The Soiree Series, Black Tie Protests at Cafe Escadrille, Burlington
The owner of the ICE detention facility in Burlington also owns Cafe Escadrille, and he has refused the town’s request to inspect the ICE facility. These gatherings outside the restaurant aim to increase awareness of the situation and objection to ICE detentions without oversight. Every other Friday evening starting September 12. More information available on the organizers’ website.
Get started, stay involved
Not sure what to do next? Join our mailing list and choose at least one of the following ways to stay involved:
TIME-SENSITIVE
Tell MA lawmakers: Don’t let ICE deputize local police!
Send a letter via the ACLU to tell MA lawmakers to support legislation that will end 287(g) agreements in Massachusetts. 287(g) agreements allow the federal government to deputize local officials, including local police, as ICE agents. They break down community trust in local law enforcement and risk massive civil rights violations. We must not let our local police become tools of ICE! Sign here.
Boycott Citizens Bank / Demand Divestment from ICE-related Businesses
Citizens Bank is a major investor in ICE's 2 largest detention contractors, CoreCivic & GEO Group. At least nine other major banks have divested from these for-profit prison contractors, and Citizens needs a push to do the same. Find a toolkit at https://www.boycottcitizens.org/.
Also, MoveOn has a petition you can sign at
https://sign.moveon.org/petitions/citizens-bank-stop-financing-corecivic-and-the-geo-group
Demand that Etsy remove Alligator Alcatraz merchandise
Online retailer Etsy is selling numerous hats and t-shirts promoting the dehumanization of our immigrant relatives and community members being caged at Alligator Alcatraz. Their designs include caricatures of alligators wearing ICE gear, images of alligators and the American flag, and vacation-themed shirts, while hundreds of people are being denied legal representation, medical care, and food inside this concentration center. No one should profit from ICE’s human rights’ violations! Sign petition here.
Participate in One Million Rising: Strategic Non-cooperation to fight authoritarianism. Indivisible National is launching One Million Rising, which aims to train one million people in the strategic logic and practice of non-cooperation as well as the basics of community organizing and campaign design. Join this important training series and become part of the movement!
ONGOING
Call Members of Congress: The Five Calls app or website makes it easy to call your congresspeople. They have scripts and tips, so anyone can do it! https://5calls.org/ This Indivisible website also has resources to Stop the Cuts proposed in Trump’s budget.
Vote with your Dollars: Boycotts and protests at Tesla dealerships nationwide are already having an impact. https://www.teslatakedown.com/. We can expand to boycott the major advertisers on Fox News, a key pillar of the Trump Administration’s propaganda machine.
Call MA Legislators: Our state legislators can and should take action to resist federal overreach and law-breaking. Find your reps and your senators, and give them a call!
Hanscom Civil Air Terminal in Lincoln is the hub of ICE transport in the Northeast. ICE pays Signature Aviation to use Hanscom to transport detainees to ICE centers in the South. GroundICE.org is working to bring attention to this activity. See also https://www.groundavelo.org/
Join the Visibility Brigade! Be part of groups on overpasses and bridges across our nation, proclaiming: BE BRAVE WITH US. WE’LL STAND WITH YOU. Or present this message wherever you are: on sidewalks, on display in store windows, in the front dash of your car, on your lawn, taped onto telephone poles - anywhere that is public and where we have 1st Amendment Rights or where you have permission to display it. More info at https://www.visibilitybrigade.com/
Signs of Solidarity. When businesses and communities stand together, we send a powerful message: immigrants are essential and welcome here. Indivisible has a toolkit to help you engage with your favorite local small business owners, asking them to put up a sign that ICE is not welcome there without a warrant. They offer gorgeous full-color signs you can download and print, plus tips and scripts for how to start these conversations with business owners. Help build visible, united resistance across your community!
Send Postcards: Indivisible Waltham is spinning up some postcard-writing efforts, so stay tuned for that, but in the meantime, you can participate in The Majority Project. Signs of Justice, a Black-owned family-operated printing company, is offering preprinted postcards that you can purchase and send to your Congresspeople. Flood those legislators with cards and show them that the majority prefers kindness, progress, and the rule of law!
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Support our efforts to protect democracy and the rule of law.
One of the most important things we can do to resist authoritarian intimidation is to show up — to demonstrate to others that ordinary people like them understand that things are not normal, not okay, and not acceptable. This “social proof” gives more folks — inside and outside the government — the courage to resist.
policy Impacts people
Current federal policies are negatively affecting lots of us and our Waltham neighbors in many ways. The news can be overwhelming and hard to sort out!
As we find useful summaries or other information to share, we’ll link them here, to help us all make sense of what’s happening and how it can affect our lives and the lives of our family, friends, and neighbors.