Image: Remix by Nonviolence News from a photo of a march in Brazil by John Potter on Pixabay
Editor’s Note From Rivera Sun
Did you know that the largest act of civil disobedience in US history just occurred? Few people have put it together yet, but here’s what happened: over a million federal workers just refused to comply with Elon Musk’s order that they submit reports on “5 Things You Did This Week” to DOGE. Numerous agency heads – both Trump appointees and not – instructed their staff not to reply. Unions echoed the call for widespread resistance. The White House Press Secretary claimed that around 1 million federal workers did send in a reply, which means that more than 50% of the 2.4 million non-military federal employees flat-out refused to obey the order even when threatened with losing their jobs. This makes it the largest act of civil disobedience to an unjust order in US history, by far.
Now Elon Musk has reissued the demand. Will they resist again? Stay tuned for the next round – but remember: just because this regime wants to take over and destroy everything doesn’t mean they can. We’re seeing many signs that resistance is having an impact. Federal judges continue to push back in important ways. Citing the First Amendment (freedom of speech), a federal judge put a preliminary injunction on parts of Trump’s anti-DEIA executive order. Another judge similarly restrained DOGE from accessing US Treasury data, including social security numbers and bank account info, extending the earlier ban. A third judge used a preliminary injunction to extend the block on Trump’s funding freeze while the courts decide its legality.
While the wrecking ball is cutting a wide swath, we’re also seeing that resistance is forcing the administration to make concessions. Trump had to backtrack on slashing jobs at the National Park Service and the Consumer Finance Protection Bureau, USDA bird flu staff, and public power workers. He also reinstated a few EPA workers and tried to rehire the nuclear weapons workers he fired. In addition, he was forced to restart legal aid for migrant children held in detention centers and funding for a 9/11 World Trade Center attacks survivors program
It’s not just the president who’s feeling the heat. An Idaho construction company CEO was fired for lifting an Elon Musk-style Nazi salute; he also had to make the company commit to DEI training. Also in Idaho, the security firm whose unmarked agents hauled a woman out of a town hall meeting was suspended for that chilling display of fascism. A Los Angeles hospital that had paused gender-affirming care is now accepting patients again after state officials and advocacy groups put the pressure on them not to cave to the Trump administration’s threats.
Federal workers have launched a site to share inside information about the secretive DOGE. The website was made for the general public and created by people who “made government websites easier to use while protecting the integrity of your personal information.” On the website, the workers state, “If DOGE wanted to use technology to build a more efficient country, they would ask us. But they haven’t. They are destroyers. We are the builders.” Perhaps the 21 tech workers who resigned in protest from the US Digital Service (now subsumed into DOGE) are among them.
Around 263,000 people have signed a petition to revoke Elon Musk’s Canadian citizenship, prompting Canadian officials to explain why it can’t – and maybe shouldn’t – be done even if they empathize with the sentiment. The displeasure is duly noted, however. In the US, Tesla Take Down protests continue to pop up at showrooms, some calling on drivers to Honk If You Hate Elon. Scientists demonstrated against funding cuts in Seattle, WA. Citizens showed up to defend the IRS, noting the irony of having to stand up for an institution we all love to hate, but recognize its necessity for tax collection. Hundreds marched on the SpaceX building in DC. New Yorkers rallied to tell Trump to leave their congestion pricing plan alone. Social reels are revealing which large companies support DEI policies and which have cut them, encouraging people to spend their money wisely. Illinois schools are openly defying the federal government to teach Black and Asian History, LGBTQ+ studies, and other DEI topics. A growing number of schools and districts are refusing to back down on transgender policies, reaffirming their commitment to some of their most vulnerable students.
In upstate New York, locals held a peace parade to oppose a plan to use a military base as a migrant detention center. A Los Angeles team is using a radio scanner, megaphone, and car to alert the neighborhood about the presence of ICE agents. Houston demonstrators filled three bridges over the freeway in a heartening display of solidarity with migrants. A North Carolina community resistance group shares how they’re spreading solidarity, not panic, in thwarting ICE raids. Healthcare workers – like schools and churches – are pushing back against Trump’s break with established ‘protected areas‘ and demanding that hospitals remain safety zones for migrants. Los Angeles remains the leading hotbed of migrant solidarity with widespread resistance and near-daily marches and protests. (Chicago comes in a close second, though.)
The protests are getting more and more creative, too. Activists held a Job Fair for federal workers at the US Senate in protest of illegal firings. At Acadia National Park, they drew a line in the sand and wrote a giant message to Save Our Parks. New York City has a new tourist attraction: a trip to Trump Tower to take a selfie flipping off Trump. (It’s not just for tourists, either.) After Yosemite Park Rangers scaled El Capitan and hung an upside down US flag as a sign of distress, Alt National Park Service issued a call for people nationwide to invert the flag. The hacktivist collective Anonymous broke into tv screens at the US Office of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) office in DC and put up an AI video of Trump licking Musk’s feet.
There’s a sense that, even with all this happening, the resistance is just getting started. You can now follow The Resist List to keep up-to-date with the actions large and small. As the resistance grows, it’s also important to become more skillful and strategic. Some groups are stepping up to help this happen. For example, the popularity and loose organization of the Feb 28 National Blackout (more on that next week), prompted Choose Democracy to launch Boycott Central to help people participate in these kinds of economic resistance actions with more strategy. At Boycott Central, you can find out about upcoming boycotts, register your intention to join in, and learn how to make the effort more effective.
There’s a wealth of knowledge for us to tap into. In this week’s news alone, you can learn about the role of the courts in defending democracy and how Pakistan’s lawyers ousted an authoritarian president in 2009. You can borrow pro-tips from activists on how to make your protests more effective in practical ways. You can consider how to start making change with people we’re all sorely tempted to just cancel. Or you can examine the role of truth in today’s mess of lies and misinformation. You may also appreciate this faith-based article on soul care for weary activists. These are lessons that can be used on many campaigns.
Explore more stories in our Nonviolence News Research Archive>>
In other struggles across the United States, 5,000 nurses in Oregon won their 46-day strike. In Alabama, 100 pharmacies closed in a mass strike aimed at reining in the high rates charged by pharmaceutical ‘middle men’ that are threatening small pharmacies and favoring large chains. Greenpeace is on trial in a court case that could have a significant effect on all protest movements in the United States. The oil company behind the Dakota Access Pipeline, Energy Transfer Partners, alleges that Greenpeace “incited” the mass resistance of the Standing Rock NoDAPL Water Protectors uprising in 2016-2017. They seek $300 million for frayed business relationships caused by the successful divestment campaign. The results of the case will impact all divestment movements and protest campaigns. Can anyone say #JuryAcquittal?
In Nonviolence News around the world, Chinese workers overturned a discriminatory age limit on sanitation jobs. France banned ‘forever chemicals’ in cosmetics and clothing. They also took another step toward taxing the super-wealthy at a higher rate. In Colombia, Japan, Cameroon and dozens of other countries, over 60 actions took place to close military bases. Sudanese activists are building an antiwar campaign throughout the diaspora, calling out US meddling. South Sudan’s churches are circulating a booklet about nonviolent resistance and mobilizing congregations to work to stop violence and the civil war.
My absolute favorite action this week came from British musicians. Angered over AI policies trawling through their creations, over 1,000 musicians released an album together in protest. On it? Just silence.
In solidarity,
Rivera Sun
_______
You have permission to republish this article if you provide a link back to this original page.
________
Author/Activist Rivera Sun has written numerous books and novels, including The Dandelion Insurrection and the award-winning Ari Ara Series. She is the editor of Nonviolence News and the Program Coordinator for Campaign Nonviolence. Her articles are syndicated by Peace Voice and published in hundreds of journals nationwide. Rivera Sun serves on the board of Backbone Campaign and the advisory board of World BEYOND War. www.riverasun.com
Short on cash, but rich with love for Nonviolence News? You can support us by encouraging friends to sign up. It’s free and a source of hope. Your friends will thank you. Get on the list here>>
The newest episode of the youth-led Nonviolence Now Podcast focuses on the timely theme of Countering Authoritarianism. Listen here>>