Editor’s Note:
The United States is going through some growing pains. (Understatement of the year.) With secret police snatching protesters off the street, journalists being arrested for doing their jobs, and the Portland mayor being simultaneously tear gassed by federal agents and booed by his constituency (for doing the same thing to the protesters the previous week), the scenes coming out of Portland, OR, are familiar to citizens who have lived under dictatorship, fascism, and totalitarianism.
Fortunately for US citizens, our fellow global citizens have a proven track record in using nonviolent action to oust dictators and stop tyrannical regimes. In 2019, Sudan became the latest in a long list of countries that have had nonviolent revolutions. Armenia, Iran, India, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Lithuania, the Philippines, Zambia, Portugal, Greece, Mali, Chile, El Salvador, Brazil, Ghana, Georgia, Malawi, Thailand, and many others have all used nonviolent action to transform their political situations.
Can the US manage to stop its slide into abject fascism? Many hope so. Many are organizing to counter Trump’s expansion of secret police to other US cities in the coming weeks. From Dictatorship to Democracy should be on everyone’s summer reading list.
Nonviolent action offers hundreds of tools, including tactics for directly challenging repressive police in the streets and strategies for emptying the streets while still engaging in resistance. Nonviolence is versatile. It can be incredibly effective. Each week in Nonviolence News, I collect 30-50+ stories that show us ways to use this diverse and resilient toolbox to make meaningful change. This week, you’ll find stories about divesting from fossil fuel banks, living statues protesting Trump, poor people organizing mutual aid and occupying vacant homes, strikes and boycotts, creative street protests, tool libraries and tiny houses as Gandhian constructive programs, and more.
Take courage. Get organized. People around the world have withstood dictators and ended tyrannical regimes. Nonviolence has got this covered.
In solidarity,
Rivera Sun, Editor
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German Peace Groups Halt Lego War Toy Sales: Lego planned to release a combat vehicle – German peace groups opposed it and stopped the release. Their campaign pushed Lego to recognize that war and military toys are not “cool” for the children who live in war zones … or for any children, really. Read More>>
Charlottesville, VA, City Council Votes To Ban Militarized Police: The city took action to halt the increasing use of militarized policing that’s being seen in cities across the US. You can do the same. Read More>>
Reparations Walk Raises $50K in Weeks: From $5K to $10 donations, this project demonstrated that people are willing to pay reparations. Read More>>


Inspired By Portland Moms, Other Cities Form A Wall Of Moms: Trump’s Homeland Security agents are headed to more cities, including Kansas City, MO, Chicago, IL, and Albuquerque, NM. But the Walls of Moms are popping up everywhere. Read More>>
Moms Form Human Shield In Front Of Protesters In Portland: Amid federal kidnappings, police attacks, and repression, these moms formed a human shield in front of protesters. Read More>>
50 Days of Protests, Secret Agent Crackdown, Here’s How We Got Here: What on earth is going on in Portland, OR? Here’s the backstory of 50 days of protests for racial justice, a little bit of graffiti, and a shocking amount of secret police snatching people off the streets. Read More>>
Kumeyaay Nation Resists Trump’s Border Wall: Marchers chanted, “We didn’t cross the border! The border crossed us!” The Kumeyaay are native to both San Diego County and Northern Baja California. The border wall divides their tribal lands. The Kumeyaay are now divided into bands all over the east and north county sections of San Diego. Read More>>
Tens of Thousands of Russians March For 8 Straight Days Against Putin: The protests are in support of a governor who has been accused of involvement in two murders; the participants also raise a number of grievances against Putin and concerns about an extension of his term. Read More>>
Zimbabwe Government Uses Lockdown Curfews To Crush Opposition Protests: Accusations of massive corruption have led to protests. Now the government has banned them with a curfew. Read More>>
Peruvian Miners On Indefinite Strike Over Lack of COVID-19 Measures: Political leaders and social organizations agreed to relief measures, but the mining companies opposed them. Read More>>
Repression of Social Unrest in Trinidad & Tobago Raises Debate About Police Power And Public Trust: “We must invest in — not alienate — underserved and vulnerable communities”. Read More>>
How US Prison Abolitionists Are Meeting This Moment: Two arguments now entering the mainstream—that incarceration is an urgent public health crisis and that policing takes needed resources from communities—have long been argued by abolitionist organizers. Read More>>
Illinois Nurses’ 2-Week Strike Threatened By Hospitals and Big Unions: The nurses, who walked out on July 4, are demanding improvements that are necessary for all health care workers, particularly in the midst of the pandemic: safer patient-to-nurse ratios, improved wages and protection against management retaliation. Read More>>
US Teachers In Red States Plan To Revive #RedForEd Actions: Remember the waves of teacher strikes in West Virginia, Oklahoma, and Arizona? They’re baaa-aack. And now they’ve got the Sunshine State. Read More>>
Poor People In US Organize For Their Rights: Poor People’s Economic and Human Rights Campaign organizes Projects of Survival, including housing and anti-eviction work, mutual aid, and collaborations with #LivesOverLuxury. Read More>>
Bay Area McDonald’s Workers Walked Out On Strike: Workers are protesting racism and economic inequality. Read More>>


Black and Brown Students Organize To Remove Police From Schools: The movement is growing to kick armed cops out of US public schools. Read More>>
Tens of Thousands Walk Off Jobs In Strike For Black Lives: Organizers of a national workers strike say tens of thousands walked off the job in more than two dozen U.S. cities to protest systemic racism and economic inequality that has only worsened during the coronavirus pandemic. Read more>>
Pan-Africanism Organizes To Counter Global Anti-Black Racism: African diaspora relocation and international African solidarity efforts were shifted – not stopped – by the pandemic. Read More>>
#BlackLivesMatter Resonates In South Asia As Unilever Drops ‘Fair’ from ‘Fair & Lovely’ Cosmetic Line: “This war of complexion has created a huge problem for our women”. Read More>>


Banks That Fund the Fossil Fuel Industry Don’t Deserve Your Business: A revolt by young people to collectively refuse to do business with banks driving the climate emergency is a worrisome prospect for these financial institutions. That’s why we have banded together to launch the Not My Dirty Money Pledge, where you can resolve to bank elsewhere, like with not-for-profit credit unions that invest in sustainability and local communities. Read More>>
Climate Groups Demand a Just Recovery From G20: Through a wave of action and protests, communities from South Africa to the Philippines sent G20 finance ministers and Central Bank governors a clear message as they met on July 18 to discuss economic stimulus in response to coronavirus. Instead of the same old bailouts for fossil fuel companies, polluting industries, and corporate executives, we need a truly Just Recovery that aims to make a dignified, liveable future accessible for all. Read More>>
World Mayors Call For Car-Free Streets, And More: The C40 Mayors’ Agenda for a Green and Just Recovery, announced Wednesday, includes measures already being adopted in many cities to recover from the pandemic in a way that addresses inequalities and keeps global heating to the Paris agreement goal of 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Read More>>
The US Climate Movement Won Some Big Victories. Here’s How We Build On Them: Future efforts can link climate justice, anti-racism, and workers’ rights work, as well as the anti-war movement because the US military is the biggest polluter and fossil fuel user on the planet, to create an unstoppable movement no matter who is the next president. Read More>>
115+ Groups Unveil ‘Transformational’ Actions for Next US President to Kick Off Climate Justice Agenda ‘From Day One’: “We demand the next president commits to end fossil fuels, hold polluters accountable, and stand up for climate justice and human rights.” Read More>>


A US Eviction Crisis Is Coming — We Need to Treat Housing as a Right: As millions of people, particularly Black and Latinx Americans, are on the verge of eviction, it is time that we look at the idea of private housing and the role it plays in maintaining economic violence in those communities. Read More>>
Philadelphia Encampment Protests Demand Housing As a Human Right: Residents of the James Talib-Dean tent encampment, set up on June 11 on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway in Philadelphia, held a press conference July 13 to denounce city plans to evict them. Calling for housing now for people who are homeless, camp residents say they are not willing to leave. Read More>>
Tiny House Villages Grow As Housing Squeeze Pushes People Out: “Tiny houses are ideal for pandemic housing because they are separate. In traditional shelters, people sleep a few inches from each other, so the city of Seattle immediately recognized this and asked us to build more units,” says Aaron Long, a representative from the Low Income Housing Institute. Read More>>

The Nigerian Pop Star Fighting the Country’s Rape Crisis: After more than a decade of success, Tiwa Savage is now wielding her influence to tackle rape culture, as her country has what she calls “a #MeToo moment”. “Rape culture is so rampant in Nigeria that you can barely escape it,” she says. “You’re either unfortunate enough to have experienced it first hand, or through someone close to you.” Read More>>
Philly Marches For ‘Justicia Para Vanessa!’: Over 100 people, predominantly Mexican-American and young, marched in Philadelphia on July 12 to demand justice for Pfc. Vanessa Guillén. The protest was organized by JUNTOS and Lazos America Unida. Read More>>
Chileans Protest Weak Sentencing In Rape Case: Protesters gathered near the house of the accused. Police repelled them using tear gas. Protests also erupted in Maipu, Ñuñoa, and Providencia communities, as well as in Santiago de Chile. Feminist organizations also called for pot banging and other demonstrations on Thursday. They also loudly played “A rapist in your way,” a Chilean feminist anthem against femicides and gender violence. Read More>>


Living Statues Protest Trump In DC: Living statues were installed around Washington, D.C. depicting President Trump as a “destroyer of civil rights and liberties.” A group of artists known as the Trump Statue Initiative is behind the installations, including one that depicts Trump holding up a Bible while Black Lives Matters protesters are beaten and another showing him telling a masked child to “go back to school” while holding a golf club. Read More>>
Dads With Leafblowers Joins Wall Of Moms: The leafblowers blow away the clouds of tear gas as Portland protesters defend their First Amendment right to protest and stand up for Black lives. Read More>>
Uighur Rights Advocates Say Nearly Entire Fashion Industry Is Complicit: There is mounting global outrage over the atrocities being committed against the Uighur population in the region, including torture, forced separation and the compulsory sterilization of Uighur women. Read More>>
Black Creatives And Fans Hold K-pop Accountable On Race: As K-pop grows, international fans and those writing and producing songs want the industry to to develop a more sensitive understanding of race. Read More>>
Libraries Beyond Books: Throughout North America — and beyond — public libraries have quietly become the places to share whatever it may be that people wish to share in a non-monetized context. Katarina Michnik and Catarina Eriksson report how, in some Swedish public libraries, you can now check out bikes, bicycle helmets, bike pumps, fitness equipment and other “tools that facilitate active pastimes.” Read More>>
National Nurses United Places 164 Pairs of Shoes On Capital Lawn: The protest commemorates the 164 medical workers who have died from coronavirus. Read More>>


What Does Self-Reliance Really Mean? Stories From India’s Villages: These inspiring stories show the potential of empowered rural communities to cope with crisis. And they expose the tragedy of a path of ‘development’ and governance that has not recognized or, worse, taken away the extraordinary agency of ordinary villagers to manage their lives. Read More>>
5 Pitfalls Black Lives Matter Must Avoid To Maintain Momentum And Achieve Meaningful Change: Daniel Hunter explains the steps the Black Lives Matter movement can take to carry on the remarkable energy it has built — and steps that could cause it to disappear. Read More>>
No Evil Foods Unionization Attempt Offers Lessons: After losing a union election, employees at a growing vegan food company have insights into how to overcome the challenges of organizing in a liberal workplace. Read More>>
Worker-Run News Outlets Are Good News for the Labor Movement: The publishers of Payday Report, a crowdfunded publication focused on labor issues, discuss worker-run journalism. Read More>>
Nations That Plant Roots Of Peace: More than half the world’s countries have a lower homicide rate than 12 years ago. More than half have cut military spending. In the past five years, deaths from terrorism are down by half. Read More>>

Donate to the McDonald‘s Workers Strike Fund: Bay Area McDonald’s workers are on strike for several reasons, including racism and economic injustice. You can support them by donating to the strike fund. Read More>>
Pledge To Move Your Money From Fossil Fuels: Friends don’t let friends bank on fossil fuels. Here’s where you can pledge to move your money, and encourage everyone you know to join you. Read More>>
Bipartisan Roundtable on a Peace Agreement for the Korean Peninsula: Korea Peace Now! is organizing a bipartisan roundtable to discuss how a peace agreement can resolve the security crisis on the Korean Peninsula. “Undoing 70 Years of War: A Roundtable on Advancing Peace in Korea” will be held on Monday, July 27 at 1pm ET — the 67th anniversary of the signing of the Korean War armistice. Read More>>
“70 Years of the Korean War: Intergenerational Korean American Women’s Dialogue and Virtual Vigil.” July 23 at 8pm ET / 5pm PT. Read More>>
Nonviolence In Action: Planning & Strategy Webinar: Join Nonviolence News Editor Rivera Sun to learn how to organize effective actions, powerful campaigns, and movements for change. (Aug 18) Read More>>
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