January 18th People's March Rally in Utica
Mohawk Valley People's March: Sign Up Now
Please sign up and then spread the word about our Mohawk Valley People's March Rally, Saturday, January 18th, 12pm-1:30pm at Oneida Square Roundabout in Utica. Sign up HERE so you will receive additional information including "snow date information" in case of inclement weather. Currently it looks like it should be a bit warmer next weekend than the weather we've had this past week, but we still urge everyone to dress warmly!
What is the People's March all about?
IMV is working with a broad local coalition to plan this event. Our co-sponsors include Citizen Action, the Oneida County and Kirkland Town Democratic Committees, the Oneida County Democratic Women's Club, the Oneida County Pride Association, Mohawk Valley Latino Association, and the Utica/Oneida County Branch NAACP. We all march for different reasons, but we march for the same cause: to defend our rights and our future from the greedy billionaires about to take the reigns of government.
If you believe that decisions about your body should remain yours, that books belong in libraries, not on bonfires, that healthcare and housing are rights, not a privilege for the wealthy; if you believe in the power of free speech and protest to sustain democracy; or if you want an economy that works for the people who power it—then this march is for you. The People’s March is about one thing: our power.
We may have dark days ahead, but we will always work to protect our freedoms, our families, and our communities. We deserve a brighter future and we will continue to work for it. We are worth fighting for. Our families and futures are worth fighting for. There will be events in DC and around the country. Hashtags are #PeoplesMarch and #KeepMarching.
Make your sign now. Ideas include: "We are not going backwards. We're going forward" and "People Power" Or: "Billionaire power (crossed out) --People Power" You can use your favorite reproductive freedom message like "Keep your bans off our bodies," or a message about an issue that is important to you, like "Health care is a human right, "Affordable Housing Now," or "There is no Planet B: Act Now." What ideas do you have? Send them to us at our new email address: IMV@indivisiblemv.org.
If you want to volunteer to be a safety marshal at the rally in Utica on January 18th, please email Jill (icgujill@gmail.com) or Diane (dberry13wfp@gmail.com).
We can't wait to see everyone at the Mohawk Valley People's March Rally on January 18th!
Justice 4 Robert Brooks Rally
IMV is co-sponsoring Citizen Action's Justice 4 Robert Brooks Rally to call for an end to state violence and mass incarceration on Saturday, Jan. 11th at noon. The event will be held in front of the State Office Building in Utica (207 Genesee Street). Locally, the NAACP Rome Chapter has released a statement in response to the murder of Robert Brooks at Marcy Correctional as well. We urge everyone to come to this rally.
Make Calls Today: Mannion, Sens. Schumer & Gillibrand
NY22 Rep. John Mannion fell for Republican manipulation and fear-mongering and voted YES on the Laken Riley Act. He took the bait and supported a bill that demonizes all immigrants, playing right into the hands of the MAGA anti-immigrant movement. We don't have time for this. Democrats must stay united with Leader Hakeem Jeffries and oppose all Republican attempts to harm immigrants and erode human rights in our nation.
Get your phones out.
Our Democrats must know that we are watching them and their voting record. If you live in NY22, call John Mannion's DC office (202) 225-3701 and express your disappointment in his yes vote on the Laken Riley bill. Here's an example of an accountability script you can read to the staffer when you make your phone call. It's ok to leave a voice message.
"Hello, I’m [name], and I’m a constituent from [zip code]. I’m calling to let Rep. Mannion know that I’m outraged that he voted yes on H.R. 29, the Laken Riley Act. The bill exploits the tragic death of Laken Riley to sow widespread fear of immigrant communities. It’s bad policy that demonizes all immigrants and opens the door for more harmful and dangerous rhetoric about immigration. We know that Trump and his allies would use this new enforcement authority to criminalize and target immigrant communities so it’s disappointing that Rep. Mannion fell for their false narrative and voted for a bill that will harm these communities.
I expect him to do better and to stand up against anti-immigrant fear-mongering instead of going along with it. I want my member of Congress to be bold on voting for our shared values instead of worrying about Republican tv ads next year."
Next, call Sens. Schumer and Gillibrand
The Senate version of the Laken Riley Act is expected to come up for a vote on Friday. After you call John Mannion, call
Sen. Schumer (315) 423-5471 or (202) 224-6542 and Sen. Gillibrand. (315) 448-0470 or (202) 224-4451.Here's a sample script to read when calling about this vote:
"Hello, I’m [name] and I’m a constituent from the Mohawk Valley. I’m calling to urge [Senator’s name] to vote NO on S. 5, the Laken Riley Act. The bill would impose mandatory indefinite incarceration on any undocumented person who has merely been accused of burglary, theft, larceny, or shoplifting-related offenses, making it easier to criminalize and target all noncitizens. It’s bad policy that demonizes all immigrants and opens the door for more harmful and dangerous rhetoric about immigration. It will only serve to dehumanize and harm immigrant communities. We don’t have to guess what Trump and his allies would do with this new enforcement authority. [Senator] cannot allow Republicans to exploit the tragic death of Laken Riley in order to sow widespread fear and distrust of immigrant communities. That’s why it’s critical that they push back against this anti-immigrant fear-mongering and vote NO on S. 5."
Thank you for being ready to take action to keep our Democrats in Congress voting for our values. They get our praise when they do, and our heat when they don't.
Defense of Democracy to Protect Public Schools
IMV member Debbie Lindon has become the Volunteer State Director of New York for Defense of Democracy (DoD)-- the only national, non-partisan, non-profit organization single focused on protecting our public school system from attacks by religious extremist organizations like Moms for Liberty. Debbie writes:
"We work to educate the public about how to deal with pressures on the public school system by religious extremist groups, and we advocate for inclusive public schools and libraries. Our volunteers are tasked with attending their local school board meetings and speaking in support of marginalized students. We believe that all children who attend public schools deserve to see themselves in books, and we believe that all subjects should be taught honestly and accurately by qualified professionals. We are action-based and jump in whenever there is a call to action!
I'm reaching out to invite you to attend our upcoming Democracy Roundtable workshop on Tuesday January 28th at 8:00 pm. This workshop will be a collaborative “meeting of the minds” of state based pro-democracy organizations where we will share what different efforts are available to protect our public institutions. It is our hope that these discussions will open a larger network of support for our schools and libraries and beyond. You can find out more about our organization at www.defenseofdemocracy.org. The event will be held over zoom, a link will be sent to all registrants. Register at https://givebutter.com/BcutU8"
Free Film Series of Interest
Utica University will be hosting a campus film series this spring that may be of interest to members of Indivisible Mohawk Valley, including The Great Dictator, Democracy Noir, Daytime Revolution, and House Arrest. Films are FREE and open to the public. The films are about democracy, government, and corruption, and are from around the world. Full details can be found HERE.
"Bracing for Impact" Conversations with Indivisible Co-Founders
A new MAGA congress has now taken office, and inauguration is around the corner. Some Democratic electeds are fighting back, while some are capitulating. Corporations and mainstream media are finding ways to obey in advance. But on the ground, we’re seeing the biggest wave of new energy organizing to fight back since 2017.
Join Indivisible’s co-founders Ezra and Leah for a live discussion about what we’ve learned so far from this new Congress and how to prepare for what’s to come. Most of the time will be spent on Q&A, so come ready to engage with your fellow Indivisible members from across the country!
Here are the registration links for each opportunity.
Thursday, January 16th at 3pm ET
Thursday, January 23rd at 3pm ET
Thursday, January 30th at 3pm ET
Indivisible NYS Training & Organizing Calls in January
Whether you are new to Indivisible or you're an Indivisible Guide "pro" we encourage you to sign up for upcoming events with Sarah Reeske, our NYS Indivisible Organizer. Even if you live in NY22 it's going to be all hands on deck for the NY21 special election as soon as Elise Stefanik officially announces her resignation. Just click on the links to register.
Grassroots Activism 101 Crash Course, Tuesday, January 14th at 6-8pm. Register here. New to activism? This training is for you! Come learn the organizing basics, vocabulary, and the Indivisible activism cycle that groups have used to be successful in their activism work. This training will help you understand calls to action and feel more confident in participating in your group's 2025 activities.
NY21 Special Election Call, Tuesday, Jan. 21st, 6:30 pm, Register here. Open to Indivisibles in NY21 and those in NY who want to learn how they can take action to support the special election. There's going to be something for everyone on this call. The last time there was a special election in NY21, a Democrat won and held the seat for 5 years. Let's do this! Dem chairs in NY21 are interviewing 8 candidates. Nobody has been dubbed the official candidate yet, and that's ok. Indivisible is positioned well for us to get a head start.
We're Proud of Our Organizing, and We're Not Done Yet
If you listen to podcasts, check out the excellent conversation between Indivisible Co-founder Leah Greenberg and Chris Hayes on his podcast, "Why Is This Happening?" You can find it at MSNBC or wherever you get podcasts. Leah gave a pretty great shout out at the end of the interview to Indivisible groups like ours that have built a strong community and a visible presence in a region that is purple to red and largely rural.
Leah said: "One of my favorite kind of under known statistics about Indivisible:...we’ve actually got a really large rural caucus and a very significant rural organizing footprint. And if you think about it a little bit, it’s actually for some pretty clear reasons. Because if you’re in a metropolitan area, you probably know a lot of other Democrats. You probably know a lot of other liberals and progressives. If you’re in a rural area, if you’re in a pretty red area, the Indivisible group might be your only social outlet, right for people who think like you do. And so some of the groups that I’m actually really the proudest of are the folks who are kind of holding up the banner for progressive causes or even just center left causes in really rural areas. They might not be doing organizing that we even think of as super partisan, but they’ll be doing a campaign on why is the local hospital closing or they will be running the town's gay pride parade. They’ll be holding up some kind of stand for liberal values even in places that are pretty hostile to them."
Sounds kind of like IMV for the past eight years, doesn't it? We're proud of us too! And we especially proud of the broad coalition we've built with so many groups who share our values across the Mohawk Valley and beyond (hint: that's the coalition joining together for our local People's March.) Together, we are going to use the tools and strategies from the new Indivisible Guide, A Practical Guide to Democracy on the Brink to fight back against the Billionaire takeover over the White House, the MAGA Congress, and Project 2025.
#PeoplesMarch #KeepMarching #Indivisible
"No one let go of anyone's hand."
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