February, 28 2017, 10:30am EDT
Activists Evaluate the State of the Resistance Movement Before Trump's State of the Union Address
When: Wednesday Feb. 28th, 6:00-8:00pm
Where: Busboys and Poets (14th and V), Washington DC
Just before President Trump appears before Congress to give his State of the Union address, activists from some of the nation's most dynamic movements will evaluate the state of rebellion against Donald Trump, including his Muslim ban, deportations of immigrants, gutting of environmental protections and his latest call for an enormous increase in the military budget at the expense of domestic needs. We will answer the critical questions: Is the movement effective? Is it sustainable? What exactly are fighting for? What is our goal? We will reflect, evaluate and recalibrate for the struggles ahead.
Speakers include:
Gonzalo Martinez from Indivisible, the movement started by former Congressional staffers that has spawned thousands of local groups, many of whom filled the town hall meetings during last week's congressional recess.
Erika Andiola from Our Revolution, the group that evolved from the dynamic Bernie Sanders presidential campaign. Erika Andiola is an Arizona State University graduate whose personal struggle as an undocumented woman has given her the drive and the passion to keep fighting for immigrant and human rights.
Karen Topakian is the chair of the environmental group Greenpeace. She has been involved in nonviolent civil disobedience for three decades, with her latest arrest coming from her courageous and inspiring scaling of a crane in front of the White House to unfurl a massive banner reading "Resist."
Medea Benjamin, the cofounder of the peace group CODEPINK, has been resisting the US wars overseas and will discuss Trump's proposed budget, with its $54 billion dollar increase, which will make the US even more militarized and will drain funds from critical nonmilitary programs at home and abroad.
CODEPINK is a women-led grassroots organization working to end U.S. wars and militarism, support peace and human rights initiatives, and redirect our tax dollars into healthcare, education, green jobs and other life-affirming programs.
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