Tag Archives: Trump administration

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

Democracy under attack, Good Trouble, Labor Day, Local vigilance

Labor Day in Benicia – Rally on Monday, September 1, 10:30am

17 July 2025 Benicia, Photo by Mary DeShaw

Labor Day Rally, sponsored by Vallejo-Benicia Indivisible
Monday, September 1 – 10:30am – 12pm PDT
Benicia Gazebo Park, 150 Military, Benicia, CA  [MAP]

Join Indivisible Vallejo and Benicia this Labor Day as we come together in solidarity with communities across the country. Working people built this nation, and we know how to take care of one another. We will not back down—we will never stop fighting for our families and the freedoms that ensure opportunity and a better life for all.
FOOD DRIVE – We’ll also be collecting donations for the Food Bank of Contra Costa & Solano—help feed our neighbors and support families in need. (The Food Bank cannot accept glass containers, food one year past its ‘best by’ date, open or partially-used products, alcohol, food without nutrition labels, or any frozen or refrigerated foods.)

NON-VIOLENCE – A core principle behind all Indivisible 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.

LABOR DAY RALLIES – IN BENICIA
& ALL OVER THE BAY AREA…
Benicia Gazebo, corner of First & Military Streets

>> IN BENICIA / VALLEJO: September 1, 10:30am at the Gazebo in Benicia City Park (map: First and Military Streets) – see more above.

> ALL OVER THE BAY AREA: Go to  MOBILIZE.US for info about Labor Day rallies in El Sobrante, Pittsburg and Oakland.

Nearly 1,000 ‘Workers Over Billionaires’ Protests Planned Across US for 2025 Labor Day – Common Dreams

Democracy under attack, Good Trouble, Labor Day, Local vigilance, May Day Strong

Nearly 1,000 ‘Workers Over Billionaires’ Protests Planned Across US for Labor Day

“This is about workers showing up and demanding what workers deserve all across the country,” said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers.

Common Dreams, by Stephen Prager, August 29, 2025

Unions and progressive organizations are planning nearly 1,000 “Workers Over Billionaires” demonstrations across the United States this Labor Day to protest President Donald Trump’s assault on workers’ rights.

The day of national action has been organized by the May Day Strong coalition, which includes labor organizations like the AFL-CIO, American Federation of Teachers, and National Union of Healthcare Workers, as well as advocacy groups like Americans for Tax Fairness, Indivisible, Our Revolution, and Public Citizen.

“Labor and community are planning more than a barbecue on Labor Day this year because we have to stop the billionaire takeover,” the coalition says. “Billionaires are stealing from working families, destroying our democracy, and building private armies to attack our towns and cities.”

Since coming into office, the Trump administration has waged war on workers’ rights. Among many other actions, his administration has stripped over a million federal workers of their right to collectively bargain in what has been called the largest act of union busting in American history and dramatically cut their wages.

He has also weakened workplace safety enforcement, eliminated rules that protected workers against wage theft, and proposed eliminating the federal minimum wage for more than 3.7 million childcare and home workers.

Despite Trump’s efforts, Americans still believe in the power of collective action. According to a Gallup poll published Thursday, 68% of Americans say they approve of labor unions, the highest level of support since the mid-1960s.

“Just like any bad boss, the way we stop the takeover is with collective action,” the coalition says on its website.

The May Day Strong coalition previously organized hundreds of thousands of workers to take to the streets for International Workers Day, more commonly known as “May Day.” On Monday, rallies are once again expected across all 50 states.

Four months later, their list of grievances has grown even longer, with Republicans having since passed a tax cut expected to facilitate perhaps the largest upward transfer of wealth in US history, featuring massive tax breaks for the wealthy paid for with historic cuts to the social safety net.

“There are nearly 1,000 billionaires in the country with a whopping $6 trillion, and that is still not enough for them,” said Saqib Bhattie, executive director of the Action Center on Race and the Economy, another group participating in the protests. “They are pushing elected officials to slash Medicaid, [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program] benefits, and special education funding for schools in order to fund their tax breaks. We need to claw back money from the billionaire. We need to push legislation to tax billionaires at the state and local levels. We need to organize to build the people power necessary to overcome their money.”

The group also plans to respond to Trump’s lawless attacks on immigrants and his militarized takeovers of American cities.

“This Labor Day,” said Lisa Gilbert, co-president of Public Citizen, “we continue the fight for our democracy, the fight for the soul of our nation, the fight against the vindictive authoritarian moves Trump and the billionaire class aimed at stealing from working people and concentrating power.”

“This is about workers showing up and demanding what workers deserve all across the country,” said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers. “This Labor Day is really different, because it’s not just labor unions, as important as we may be to the workers we represent. It has to be all workers and all working families saying enough. Workers and working families deserve the bounty of the country.”

May Day Strong will host a national “mass call” online on Saturday. The locations of the hundreds of protests on Monday can be found using the map on May Day Strong’s website.

Democracy under attack, Good Trouble, John Lewis, Local vigilance

Why Good Trouble? – Benicia Rally this Thursday, July 17

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

Axios,  by April Rubin, July 12, 2025

Tens of thousands of people are expected to protest the Trump administration again on Thursday, the fifth anniversary of the death of civil rights leader and former congressman John Lewis. [Details for the Benicia rally below.]

Why it mat#belowters: Lewis was one of the most vocal critics of President Trump during his first administration. Trump’s 2017 inauguration was the first that Lewis missed during his three-decade tenure in Congress.

By the numbers: 56,000 people RSVP’d for more than 1,500 events across the country as of Friday, organizers said.

What they’re saying: “Good Trouble Lives On is a national day of action to respond to the attacks on our civil and human rights by the Trump administration,” the protest website said.

  • “Together, we’ll remind them that in America, the power lies with the people.”

The other side: “Nearly 80 million Americans gave President Trump a historic mandate to Make America Great Again and he is delivering on that promise in record time,” White House spokesperson Liz Huston said in a statement.

Context: Lewis, the son of sharecroppers, grew up in rural Alabama. The civil rights leader was arrested more than 40 times and injured repeatedly but remained an advocate for nonviolent protest, per the Library of Congress.

  • “Rosa Parks inspired us to get in trouble,” he said in 2019. “And I’ve been getting in trouble ever since. She inspired us to find a way, to get in the way, to get in what I call good trouble, necessary trouble.”

State of play: Anti-Trump protests since January have retained their momentum, including Tesla Takedown in March, Hands Off! and 50501 in April, May Day, No Kings in June, and Free America on Independence Day.

  • Indivisible, a leading protest organization group, launched a project ahead of the protest to train a million people in non-cooperation, community organizing and campaign design.

Zoom out: In March 1965, Lewis led more than 600 peaceful protesters across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. What was meant to be a push for voting rights became known as “Bloody Sunday” after state troopers attacked the marchers.

  • He was elected to the U.S. House in 1986, representing most of Atlanta, and served until he died in 2020.
  • “Lewis was a formidable legislator who exerted moral and political leadership within the Democratic Party and never forgot his roots as an activist,” a biography said.

Go deeper: Interviewing John Lewis: What his presence inspired

[sta_anchor id=”below” /]In Benicia…

You are cordially, personally, and expansively invited…

…to a Vallejo and Benicia Day of Action – Good Trouble Lives On, commemorating the July 17, 2020 death of Rep. John Lewis. Together, we will advocate for freedom and democracy in the Trump era. RALLY in CITY PARK,  Thursday, July 17th, from 5-6 pm at the Gazebo, corner of First & Military in Benicia.

Rep. John Lewis – “When historians pick up their pens to write the story of the 21st century, let them say that it was your generation who laid down the heavy burdens of hate at last and that peace finally triumphed over violence, aggression and war. So I say to you, walk with the wind, brothers and sisters, and let the spirit of peace and the power of everlasting love be your guide.” (July 30, 2020)

Crowd at the Gazebo, Roger Straw – Benicia Independent

Benicia California — On Thursday, July 17, community members in Benicia and Vallejo will join Americans at hundreds of events nationwide to honor the legacy of Congressman John Lewis and fight back against the growing attacks on our civil and human rights.

The local action in Benicia is part of Good Trouble Lives On — a nationwide day of peaceful, nonviolent action rooted in the legacy of the civil rights movement and inspired by John Lewis’ call to make “good trouble, necessary trouble.”

Participants from Vallejo and Benicia will gather to demand an end to the authoritarian attacks on our freedom to vote, protest, and organize — and to stand united against efforts to criminalize our communities, roll back our rights, and slash vital public programs.

The event is cosponsored by Vallejo-Benicia Indivisible, League of Women Voters Solano and the Vallejo-Benicia AAUW, and expands on Benicia’s EVERY Thursday 5-6pm vigil for democracy.

Speakers include Dr. Tonia Lediju, Vallejo City Council and Kari Birdseye, Benicia City Council

The rally will also provide opportunity for voter registration, information about Unite and Rise 8.5, and 5Calls, and other ways to participate in the democratic process, plus a canned food drive for the Food Bank of Contra Costa and Solano counties.

>> For the food drive please bring one or more of the following items: Peanut butter, Canned Tuna or chicken in water, Boxed mac and Cheese, Shelf stable milk, Applesauce, Beans/lentils (dry or canned), Rice, Whole grain cereal/crackers, Whole wheat/grain pasta, Canned soups/vegetables/tomato products, Canned fruits, cartons of 100% juice, non-perishable ready-to-eat meals (chili, ravioli, etc.)

Bring your homemade signs, gather around the Gazebo with banners, hear the speakers, visit a popup canopy with tables for people registering to vote and signing up to get involved, leave your food items in the drive barrels.

To learn more about the national campaign, visit www.goodtroubleliveson.org.

GOOD TROUBLE – ALL OVER THE BAY AREA…
Benicia Gazebo, corner of First & Military Streets

>> IN BENICIA / VALLEJO: July 17th GOOD TROUBLE LIVES ON! 5-6pm at the Gazebo in Benicia City Park (map: First and Military Streets) – see more above.

>> IN FAIRIELD: Thu, Jul 17
5:00 PM — 6:00 PM, Garamendi’s Office Building, Fairfield, CA . Here’s a map.

>> IN NAPA: Thu, Jul 17, 5:30 PM — 7:00 PM PDT, Veterans Memorial Park, Napa, CA.

> 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.

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