Tag Archives: Local vigilance

Democracy under attack, Good Trouble, John Lewis, Local vigilance, Vallejo-Benicia Indivisible

Good Trouble Lives on in Vallejo & Benicia, Weekend of July 17-19 2026

Remembering  John Lewis,  Calling  for  Democracy,  Freedom  &  Justice  for  All

Vallejo-Benicia Indivisible, July 14, 2026

Stand Up for Democracy Rally & Food Drive

When Congressman John Lewis passed away, he left us with a clear directive: “Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble.”

Saturday, July 18th, Vallejo-Benicia Indivisible is answering that call by participating in a national Good Trouble Day of Action. If you were with us last year, you know how powerful it is when our local community unites to protect our democratic institutions.

Saturday, July 18, 11:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Stand Up for Democracy Rally & Food Drive
At the corner of Admiral Callaghan and Plaza Dr
1175 Admiral Callaghan Lane in Vallejo
(near Home Depot)

The fight to protect voting rights never ends, and right now, we’re witnessing a Jim-Crow-era effort from politicians and their billionaire friends to restrict our freedoms, silence our voices, and consolidate power.

But in America, we choose our leaders. We will decide our future. The same spirit that fueled Selma, Montgomery, and the March on Washington lives on in our unified action.

Six years after the passing of Congressman Lewis, we’re organizing an event in our community to carry the torch, continue the legacy of John Lewis, and pass it forward to future generations. Join us!

We are expanding our standard Saturday rally into a dedicated, peaceful Good Trouble demonstration and community food drive. Bring your passion, your energy, and your homemade signs as we stand united for our freedoms!

True democracy means taking care of our neighbors. We are hosting a food drive alongside our rally to benefit Food is Free Bay Area. Please bring non-perishable, shelf-stable food items to the Chevy’s parking lot. Learn more about their vital food rescue work at fifbayarea.org.

Good Trouble Lives On is a non-partisan weekend of action. We require that participants commit to not advocate for, endorse, or oppose any political candidate or ballot initiative. A core principle behind all Good Trouble Lives On events is a commitment to nonviolent action. We expect all participants to seek to de-escalate any potential confrontation with those who disagree with our values and to act lawfully at these events. Weapons of any kind, including those legally permitted, should not be brought to events.

MORE from Vallejo-Benicia Indivisible – Full Schedule for Saturday July 18

11:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Stand Up for Democracy Rally & Food Drive
• Location: Sidewalks at Admiral Callaghan Lane & Plaza Drive (near Home Depot).
• We are taking our standard Saturday rally and amplifying it to represent the spirit of Good Trouble. Grab your progressive signs and line the sidewalks with us!
• Supporting Food is Free Bay Area: Because a healthy democracy includes taking care of our community, we are hosting a food drive right alongside the rally. Please bring canned goods and shelf-stable items to drop off in the Chevy’s parking lot. Check out their amazing food rescue work at fifbayarea.org.
• Action: Please sign up here so we know you’re coming!

2:00 PM – 4:00 PM: Reclaim Our Vote “Write & Hold” Postcard Party
• Location: Vallejo Private Residence (Address sent upon RSVP)
• Keep the momentum going after the rally! Reclaim Our Vote is gearing up for the critical midterm elections, and we need your hands, and your passion! Between now and October, we are launching “Write and Hold” postcard campaigns, getting out the vote in areas of the country where there is ongoing voter suppression. We will be urging people to vote by writing to BIPOC voters in five key states: North Carolina, Georgia, Virginia, Texas, and Alabama. Every month, we will focus on a different state—writing the cards now and holding them to mail right when it matters most, closer to the election.
• How to Join: Email Geri Kahn at rov.solanocounty@gmail.com to RSVP and get the address.

📬 Can’t make it this Saturday? You can still help!
Come write with us at a future event! We have scheduled upcoming Saturday postcard parties from 2:00pm – 4:00pm on August 22 or September 26

o Locations: Parties will be held in Vallejo. Address provided upon RSVP!
o Want to host? If you’d like to host a party on a different date, let Geri know!
o Write from home: No problem! Email us, and we will prep a packet of postcards for you to pick up at Geri’s office so you can write from home.

Let’s make a difference!

In solidarity,
Vallejo-Benicia Indivisible

MORE: www.goodtroubleliveson.org.

GOOD TROUBLE WEEKEND – ALL OVER THE BAY AREA…

MORE ALL OVER THE BAY AREA: Go to goodtroubleliveson.org and enter your zip code. Then click a city on the big map to get details.

GOOD TROUBLE EVENTS IN BENICIA IN RECENT YEARS…

U.S. Representative and beloved activist John Lewis…

“From a small farm in Alabama, to life-risking service in the civil rights movement, to three decades in Congress, he was always ‘walking with the wind,’ steered by a moral compass that told him when to make good trouble and when to heal troubled waters. Always true to his word, his faith, and his principles, John Lewis became the conscience of the nation.”
– Former President Bill Clinton and Former Secretary Of State Hillary Clinton, Associated Press, July 18, 2020

4th of July, Democracy under attack, Donald Trump, No Kings!, United States of America

So many greetings of “Happy 4th” feel wrong. And yet, there’s hope…

The United States turns 250 – opportunities to turn it all around, again…

By Timothy Snyder, on YouTube, July 4, 2026

On the Fourth of July, Americans celebrate a rebellion.

To celebrate a rebellion means not to obey in advance, not to accept any of this as normal: not the lies told about the history by the people destroying our future, not the saccharine veneration of the Constitution by people who violate it every day, not the seizure of the mantle of revolution by a band of reactionary oligarchs. It is to be as courageous as you can: to speak the truth, to protect the elections we still have, and above all to organize in a great a joyful coalition.

History is not something that our oligarchs and fascists can take, try though they will today. History is what we make. It does not come to us. We come to it — with what we know, what we say, and what we do. Nothing in history dooms us; and nothing in history saves us. In the months between now and the next elections, there will be much forecasting, speculating, and worrying. None of that matters. All that matters is organizing a great and joyful coalition.

All that matters is the work. If my words are useful, if the beautiful reading here of my words is useful, it is only because those words bring you to act.

To celebrate a rebellion is to know that, from a flawed world, we can make new things. We can hold on, we can find each other, and not just imagine but create a much better America.

Joyful thanks to those who pronounced the lessons: Isabel Allende, Judd Apatow, Margaret Atwood, Joan Baez, Sophia Bush, Misha Collins, Kimberlè Crenshaw, Ted Danson, Ron Funches, Tony Goldwyn, Eric Holder, Jenifer Lewis, Leslie Odom Jr., Sarah Jessica Parker, Billy Porter, Maria Ressa, Lisa Rinna, Molly Ringwald, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Mark Ruffalo, J. Smith-Cameron, Holland Taylor, Viet Thanh Nguyen, and Bradley Whitford.

Benicia, Democracy under attack, Donald Trump, Local vigilance, No Kings!

VIDEO: BENICIA NO KINGS DAY #3

Flag Day in Benicia, Benicia Standing Strong…

Video by Dr. Constance Beutel, June 14, 2024

ABOUT 200 GATHERED ON FLAG DAY IN BENICIA, JUNE 14, TO OPPOSE AUTHORITARIAN RULE

JUNE 14—Trump’s Birthday,
The president celebrated and promoted himself
by giving Ultimate Fighting Championship
unfettered access to the White House and Lincoln Memorial
to stage a private, for-profit sports event.

JUNE 14—Flag Day
We supported the republic for which the flag stands. . .
Where power flows from the people,
Where leaders are accountable to the Constitution.

It was festive and encouraging, but we’re not done yet. The danger is real, and we’re in it for the long haul. We will lift every voice in the struggle to save our Democracy – we will continue the momentum. Benicia Standing Strong!

Democracy under attack, Donald Trump, Local vigilance, No Kings!

BENICIA NO KINGS RALLY! Sunday June 14, 12-2PM, See you there!

JUNE 14—Trump’s Birthday,
The president is celebrating and promoting himself
by giving Ultimate Fighting Championship
unfettered access to the White House and Lincoln Memorial
to stage a private, for-profit sports event.

JUNE 14—Flag Day
Support the republic for which the flag stands. . .
Where power flows from the people,
Where leaders are accountable to the Constitution.

(Click image to enlarge for download.)

The every-Sunday protest in Benicia will gather as usual on this Sunday June 14 at noon. We will be observing it as a No Kings event, with special significance on Flag Day and in opposition to Trump’s disgusting observance of his 80th birthday. EVERYONE please come to Benicia City Park at noon. Bring a flag if you can, & also your signs, noisemakers, and goodwill. We’ll show up, stand strong, and let the world know – the US will never put up with a King! [map / directions]

Later on Sunday… gear up for the nationwide online Indivisible Watch Party at 4:30pm Sunday afternoon (pacific time)! More about the Watch Party here: https://indivisible.org/events/rise-up-sing-out-celebrate-virtual-watch-party/