Anna Eshoo’s event on the 5th was wildly successful!  With 33 activist groups connecting with more than 450 attendees, this was a breeding ground for a big boost to the movement to protect our people and institutions.

She followed up, as she said she would, and proposed a “Privileged Resolution under House Rule IX”  to force Donald Trump to submit his tax returns. She was shut down by the Republican Dennis McCarthy, the House Republican Majority Leader, but not before she had her entire resolution read by the House clerk.  Below are are two parts of a youtube video of her effort.  The motion by McCarthy to table Anna’s appeal of being shut down that appears at the end of Part 2 passed along party lines.

It’s been a while since the last update.  Much is happening as the Trump engine sputters as it attempts to pick up steam.

First, here is a link to a comprehensive list of groups working on defending our Democracy from the current attempted ravages and the ones to come: United States of Resistance.  Names on the lists of groups are hyperlinks — click on each for more information.

Also, Anna Eshoo is listening!  She is hosting a Call to Action that is designed to include an activist match.

Crowne Plaza Cabana Hotel, 4290 El Camino Real, Palo Alto, 94306
Sunday, March 5th
2-5PM

Become engaged in progressive action, including resistance. An activist fair will feature many groups charting resistance and shaping the 2018 election.  Included will be the national groups Indivisible, Swing Left, and Flippable, as well as many local affiliates of these groups and other dynamic local groups of passionate activists.

Click here for a flyer for the event.  You can RSVP at http://tinyurl.com/AECallToAction or 650-328-3700.  Questions? email helen@annaeshoo4congress.com.

Finally, and just as important, in her inspiring and indefatigable activism, Alice Smith has launched a group to attack voter suppression — the National Voter Corps.  Click here for a flyer with information about their next informational meeting.

Inauguration Day Weekend Events

Here’s information about events this coming weekend to launch our resistance to a Donald Trump/Republican Presidency.  Included is more about about womens’ marches on Saturday in Oakland, San Francisco and San Jose.  These marches will be among over 600 other marches throughout the country, with close to a million and a half marchers, in solidarity with the big march in Washington, D.C.  Please visit https://www.womensmarch.com/sisters for more information.  More events that you may also be interested in (thanks to Barbara Kyser of the PDC) are listed below.

At the end of this list is a warning about possible disruption by a group not friendly to our cause (in particular DON’T RESPOND TO ANY SURVEYS).

Always in solidarity (and resistance),

Eitan

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The Ghostlight Project: Thursday, January 19, 5:30 p.m.
In each time zone across the country, members of theatrical organizations actions outside their theaters and art spaces “to protect the values of inclusion, participation and compassion.” Participants include companies on Broadway, regional theaters and at colleges and high schools. In the Bay Area, participating organizations include Berkeley Repertory Theatre, Shotgun Players, American Conservatory Theater, San Jose Stage Company and Palo Alto Players. For more information, visit the Ghostlight Project.

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Inauguration Day Sidewalk Protest in the Peninsula.
Friday, January 20, noon-1 p.m. 
People who live or work in communities from San Francisco to San Jose can bring signs or banners to a stretch of El Camino Real closest to them to engage in a peaceful demonstration. More information at http://ecrprotest.blogspot.com/

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Inauguration Day Protest: “Human Billboard” Picket / Vigil
Friday, January 20, 5:00 PM ~ 7:00 PM
Palo Alto
Corner of El Camino Real and Embarcadero Road, Palo Alto
Web Page | Facebook Page 

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Rise Up for Justice
Friday, January 20, 11:00 AM – 2:00 PM
San Jose
Plaza De Cesar Chavez
170 S Market St, San Jose
Organized by a coalition of environmental, faith, justice and labor groups with the support of San Jose Peace and Justice Center
Web Page | Facebook Page

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Women’s March San Jose
Saturday, January 21, 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
San Jose City Hall
200 E Santa Clara St, San Jose
Sponsored by Women’s March San Jose
Web Page | Facebook Page

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Women’s March San Francisco
Saturday, January 21, Rally: 3:00 – 5:00 PM March: 5:00 – 8:00 PM
San Francisco Civic Center
1 Dr. Carlton B. Goodlett Place
Sponsored by Women’s March San Francisco
Web Page | Facebook Page

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Community Action Rally, Saturday, Jan. 21st, 11:00 am – 2:00 pm, Redwood City
On the list of musical performers is San Mateo County’s own legendary JOAN BAEZ!
Join Congresswoman Anna Eshoo, Supervisor Carole Groom and other local leaders for a non-partisan, multi-generational gathering to affirm community values supporting the Environment, Education, Healthcare, Religious Tolerance, LGBTQ+, Immigrants’ Rights, and Breaking the Glass Ceiling.  Redwood City Rally details

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The Courage Campaign urged courageous resisters to hold rallies outside Congress members’ offices as a way of boycotting the inauguration.
If you would like to do something positive this coming Friday attend our rally in Palo Alto:
WHEN: Friday, Jan. 20 at 12 noon
WHERE: Congresswoman Anna Eshoo’s office
698 Emerson Street in downtown Palo Alto
PURPOSE: Let Anna know that we support her and expect her to fight for healthcare, human rights, justice, and environmental sanity.
WHAT: We will bring signs thanking Anna for her efforts to protect healthcare, immigrant’s rights, and other critical services. Feel free to bring your own signs. We will also deliver a letter to Anna’s staff letting her know that we are supporting her and monitoring her actions.
PRE-MEETING: Jan. 20 11AM Philz Coffeehouse 101 Forest and Alma. We will meet each other and discuss logistics and strategy then walk to Anna’s office from there.
Any questions:
Lynn Huidekoper Home 650-322-9609 Cell 650-248-3207 or
Greg Leonard Cell: 650)799-9618

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Women’s March Oakland
Time of March: 10AM – 3PM, https://womensmarchbayarea.org/oakland-march/
Starting Location: Madison Park
Ending Location: Frank Ogawa Plaza
No tickets required. Please register on the Eventbrite page.

The Women’s March is a national movement to unify and empower everyone who stands for human rights, civil liberties, and social justice for all. We  gather in community to find healing and strength through tolerance, civility, and compassion. We welcome all people to join us as we unite locally and nationally.

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OTHER LINKS
http://www.7×7.com/join-the-resistance-the-sf-womens-march-more-inauguration-week-events–2196504533.html
http://www.mercurynews.com/2017/01/13/womens-marches-other-bay-area-inauguration-events-where-and-when/
http://www.7×7.com/the-bay-area-rallies-vigils-demonstrations-political-gatherings-you-ne-2094745176.html
http://www.mercurynews.com/2016/12/16/women-on-the-march-bay-area-women-to-rally-in-dc-locally/

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CAUTIONS FROM ALICE SMITH:  WHETHER OR NOT YOU ARE MARCHING: READ THIS.. and don’t reply to any surveys …

In case anyone is doing ANY of the Marches.
Stay safe!
Be safe, those attending D.C. March:
WOMEN’S MARCH AND ALL OTHER ACTION PROTESTORS BE ADVISED:
James O’Keefe, domestic terrorist and spreader of disinformation about repro justice groups, is trying to infiltrate groups planning to protest at the “coronation” and also groups planning to attend the Women’s March. He produces secretly recorded undercover audio and video encounters, some selectively edited to imply its subjects said things they did not, with figures and workers in academic, governmental and social service organizations, purporting to show abusive or allegedly illegal behavior by employees and/or representatives of those organizations. He gained national attention for his video recordings of workers at ACORN offices in 2009, his arrest and guilty plea in 2010 for entering the federal office of then-U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu (D-LA) under false pretenses, and the release of videos of conversations with two high-ranking, now former, NPR executives in 2011.
A friend got this information from a source she trusts.
*****PLEASE DO NOT FILL OUT ANY “SURVEY” YOU GET FROM “THE WOMEN’S MARCH” ABOUT YOUR WHEREABOUTS, WHO YOU ARE, WHAT METRO YOU ARE TAKING, ETC
INFO BELOW
If you are planning any protests of the inauguration, please be aware that you may be a target of James O’Keefe operatives. If you have spoken to anyone from Breakthrough Development Group, this is an O’Keefe front.
If you are working with Disrupt J20 specifically, you are being targeted by O’Keefe. He is apparently trying to get progressives to incite violence.
There will be moles in your campaigns. PLEASE make sure to vet your volunteers.”

A Path Forward

The meeting last Friday was intense and reinforced the sense of urgency and passion that many of us share.  Over the next few days we will be connecting people with common interests and priorities for continuing activism.

Takeaways from last Weekend’s meetings:
Where do we go from here?

In the spirit of enhanced engagement in troubling times, we have scheduled a meeting on Friday, December 2, at 1PM for individuals who want to take leadership roles in providing our amazing group of DVC volunteers with options to collaborate and channel their energy effectively for the coming period.  Alas, the DVC office is now history — the keys were returned to the landlord yesterday — so this meeting will be held in Room M2 of the Cubberley Community Center in Palo Alto.

Please join us on Friday if you have the time, energy, and passion to help lead the way forward for our inspiring DVC community.  We aren’t creating a new activist group; we are all about doing research, identifying effective options for activism, and helping like-minded people make connections.  Click here for directions to the meeting at 1PM on Friday.

Click here for the notes taken respectively by Susan Markowitz and Diane Rolfe at the meetings that we held on November 20th and 21st.

Along with the notes, you’ll see a preliminary list of options/roles for engagement and resistance to the coming storm.

Our country needs us to be resilient and active.  More to come …

Thank you!
The DVC has created this video to celebrate:

This extraordinary community

The wonderful friendships that developed among the volunteers over the last several months

The dedication

All your hard work 

 A Difficult Day

This Election Day was a shocking disappointment. We grieve for the death of the dream that we worked so passionately to realize.

But we can’t let this result drive us into a dark place. Instead we must practice the principle of “Love Trumps Hate” that we so proudly adopted during these intense months. We’ll take time to lick our wounds and join together to come back to continue the good fight!

Please look to this space over the coming days to learn what’s next for the DVC.