Image: Remix by Nonviolence News from photo by Antonio Cansino on Pixabay
Editor’s Note From Rivera Sun
Let’s start with the wins. (And savor them – justice is sweet and keeps us going.) A US federal judge ordered Trump to pay out $2 billion in USAID funds for work already completed. Nearly 6,000 USDA workers were reinstated after being fired, as well as 180 CDC workers. An important court case got 6 federal workers across different agencies returned to their jobs and laid the groundwork for protecting more federal workers. A judge blocked Trump’s order on gender-affirming care which means hospitals and medical facilities can’t have their federal funding pulled for supporting trans youth. The National Institutes of Health got an extended protection against funding cuts for research. Apple and John Deere shareholders voted to uphold DEI policies, likely due to public pressure and the impacts of boycotts against Target for dropping DEI policies. Musk is having a bad week with Mexico’s Carlos Slim pulling out of proposed contracts for Starlink in 25 countries and Canada’s Doug Ford actually ripping up that $100 million contract. Tesla Takedown protests continue to slump sales and crash stock with showroom protests in Maryland, Virginia, DC, New York, Louisiana, and London.
And for a completely heartening bit of news that we’ve all missed in the whirlwind: the great state of California ran on 100% renewable energy for 3 months this year without a hitch. The Trump Administration can try to erase the climate crisis, but California – the 9th largest economy in the world and 15% of the US GDP -already runs on renewable power. That’s good news for environmental activists, who were busy this week musically pushing the Church of England to rewild its 130K-acre estate, calling out BP for backsliding on investing in renewable energy, disrupting the NYC comptroller’s speech for city funds divestment from fossil fuels, campaigning for a dark skies sanctuary in Nevada, and launching a spoof ad against LNG’s greenwashing.
Thousands of protesters descended on hundreds of National Parks, opposing layoffs and budget cuts ahead of the parks’ busiest season. Besides being one of the nation’s most-beloved institutions, the parks are a net gain for the US economy, with their federal funding generating nearly a tenfold return to the American people. Alt National Parks Service now has a coalition of #AltGov entities that includes Alt NOAA, Rogue NASA, and AltCDC (they/them). Thousands demonstrated against cuts to NOAA (the national weather service) in Boulder, CO, and at its headquarters in Silver Spring, MD. Vermonters sent Vice President Vance packing with a 1000-person protest during his ski vacation. A whopping 2500 people flooded the Iowa State Capitol to oppose anti-LGBTQ+ laws. Though they lost the vote, they did set a state record for the largest demonstration of its kind.
There are many signs that mass noncompliance is rising across broad sectors of the US population. Trump issued a deadline for ending DEI programs in schools – and the schools aren’t jumping to get in line. They’re dragging their feet, playing wait-and-see with court cases, ignoring the order, or openly resisting it. Canadians are taking their US goods boycott seriously using apps that identify Canada-made goods. Ontario premier Doug Ford also slapped a 25% surcharge on electricity for New York, Michigan, and Minnesota, threatening to cut off power completely if Trump proceeds with high tariffs. The National Economic Blackout on February 28 was large enough to made a noticeable dent on Target’s web traffic, but could grow even stronger in the next round with more strategic organization. Migrant rights groups continue to resist ICE raids, with the US Virgin Islands’ governor refusing to cooperate, medical workers attending Know Your Rights trainings to defend hospitals’ historic right of sanctuary, near-daily protests continuing in Los Angeles, and US-Mexican communities protesting and thwarting ICE. Even the IRS took a stand, denying the Dept. of Homeland Security access to the private data of 700,000 people when they sought the addresses of undocumented immigrants. Even #TinyActs of resistance are spreading like humming protest songs at work, keeping pronouns on profiles, holding a talk-in on the phone with congressional staffers to bog down the lines, and more.
In Nonviolence News across the world, massive protests in Greece continued over government inaction on a deadly train crash. Serbia’s opposition party caused chaos – and injuries – by throwing smoke grenades into parliament in solidarity with the months-long daily demonstrations of students protesting the president’s hardline rule and involvement in building collapse. In Indonesia, a new student movement is countering the right-wing allure among youth, opposing spending cuts and militarism. In Nicaragua, the ‘self-summoned‘ movement is bringing people into the streets who eschew traditional politics, many upset by Ortega’s turn from a left-wing, pro-democracy president to a hardline, repressive regime. From China to South Africa, fishery workers are organizing to stop global exploitation in their industry. In Argentina, health care workers, patients, and activists mobilized against President Milei’s cuts that have lead to drug shortages and staff crises. Congolese activists are pressuring the NBA (National Basketball Association) to cut ties with Rwanda over their dictator’s abuses at home and war crimes in DRC.
This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to all the incredible nonviolent action that is happening this week – we collected over 100 stories. You will find these stories in our Nonviolence News Research Archive, including in-depth analysis, clever and bold housing justice campaigns, info about upcoming actions, and much more.
Find more stories in the Nonviolence News Research Archive>>
Here’s a couple of creative protests that you’ll appreciate: After Trump’s anti-trans executive orders, the Stonewall National Monument removed all mention of trans individuals despite their lead role in these historic events for the LGBTQ+ movement. So, an artist has recreated their sign, showing the words S onewall Na ional Monumen without any t’s. And on the subject of pointedly appropriate names, Elon Musk has a proposed bill named after him – the Eliminate Looting of Our Nation by Mitigating Unethical State Kleptocracy (ELON MUSK) Act ensures transparency and honesty in government spending.
But the absolute winner of resistance this week was a feisty Canada Goose – no joke, an actual wild goose – that fought off a bald eagle. With millions of Canadians ‘hissed off’ at the US, the symbolism was just perfect.
In solidarity,
Rivera Sun
Have these stories lifted your spirits today? Pass on the gift.
Donate here>>