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Category Archives: Resist

Some genius at ICE thought this was a good idea?

06 Friday Jun 2025

Posted by Michael Bersin in Resist

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#resist, California, David Huerta, ice, immigration, SEIU, Trump administration

SEIU California President David Huerta Injured, Detained at ICE Raid in Los Angeles
/ Press Releases
Los Angeles – David Huerta, President of SEIU California and SEIU- United Service Workers West was injured and detained at an ICE raid in Los Angeles today while exercising his First Amendment right to observe and document law enforcement activity.

**UPDATE FRIDAY 6/6 AT 5:30PM:

David Huerta, President of SEIU California and SEIU- United Service Workers West, has been released from the hospital where he was treated for injuries sustained during his arrest and at this time remains in custody. He made the following statement:

“What happened to me is not about me; This is about something much bigger. This is about how we as a community stand together and resist the injustice that’s happening. Hard-working people, and members of our family and our community, are being treated like criminals. We all collectively have to object to this madness because this is not justice. This is injustice. And we all have to stand on the right side of justice.”

Tia Orr, Executive Director of SEIU California, made the following statement:

“SEIU California members call for the immediate release of our President, David Huerta, who was injured and detained at the site of one of today’s ICE raids in Los Angeles. He is now receiving medical attention while in custody.

“We are proud of President Huerta’s righteous participation as a community observer, in keeping with his long history of advocating for immigrant workers and with the highest values of our movement: standing up to injustice, regardless of personal risk or the power of those perpetrating it.

“We call for an end to the cruel, destructive, and indiscriminate ICE raids that are tearing apart our communities, disrupting our economy, and hurting all working people. Immigrant workers are essential to our society: feeding our nation, caring for our elders, cleaning our workplaces, and building our homes.”

###

Over 750,000 Californians make up SEIU in California; we work throughout the state, in all 58 counties, and we represent California in all of its diversity. We are social workers, nurses, classroom aides, state workers, security officers, college professors, home care workers, janitors, doctors, and more.

The Los Angeles Rapid Response Network (LAARN) has scheduled a news conference in response to today’s raids for 4pm today at the LA Federal Building.

LAARN is a coalition of local and national organizations working together to protect immigrants from enforcement actions, defend constitutional rights, and provide legal and social services.

“RESIST” (2024)
Posterboard. Permanent marker. 22 x 28.

California has 750,000 SEIU members.

March and Rally – Warrensburg, Missouri – May 30, 2025

30 Friday May 2025

Posted by Michael Bersin in Resist

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#resist, Fascism, march, missouri, protest, Trump, Warrensburg

Again, today, people in Warrensburg, Missouri showed up.

Starting at around 5:00 p.m. people gathered on the Johnson County Courthouse lawn in downtown Warrensburg for march and rally protesting the continuing travesty which is the second Trump Administration. By the time the march started there were around 100 people marching.

After gathering on the lawn (and visiting, and voter registration) the organizers had an invocation, then communicated the march route and rally agenda. Local law enforcement agencies blocked the intersections while the marchers were in the street on their way to the amphitheater on the University of Central Missouri campus.

Missouri House Democratic Leader Representative Ashley Aune and Representative Ray Reed (D) participated in the rally and march.

“Resist Now. Because it is easier than hiding a family in your attic later.”

“Only YOU can prevent Fascism”

“Respect my existence…”

Missouri House Democratic Leader, Representative Ashley Aune.

Representative Ray Reed (D).

“MO GOP hates voters”

“We the people…”

“Resist”

“My body, my choice”

At the amphitheater:

“I want to live without fear”

As do we all.

Anything else going on?

24 Saturday May 2025

Posted by Michael Bersin in Resist

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#resist, Donald Trump, Fascism, Fascist pig, parade, right wingnut

Just asking.

“No Kings”

Yesterday:

Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump

I am proud to announce that we will be hosting a magnificent Parade to honor the United States Army’s 250th Birthday, on Saturday, June 14th, in Washington, D.C. For two and a half centuries, our brave soldiers have fought, bled, and died to keep us FREE, and now we will honor them with a wonderful Parade, one that is worthy of their service and sacrifice. Americans across the Nation are invited to attend. RSVP [….]

America250
America250 is a nonpartisan initiative working to engage every American in the 250th anniversary of the United States.

6.33k ReTruths 23.4k Likes May 23, 2025, 2:25 PM

A million here, and a million there, pretty soon you’re talking about some serious money.

The something else, across America:

If you’ve ever wondered what you would have done had you lived in Germany in the 1930s, you’re doing it now.

Yvonne Reeves-Chong (D) – Warrensburg, Missouri – May 10, 2025

12 Monday May 2025

Posted by Michael Bersin in Resist

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#resist, Democrats, Johnson County, missouri, Warrensburg, Yvonne Reeves-Chong

“…Right now things are about as perilous as they’ve ever been in our nation’s history. That is the simple truth. Things haven’t looked this dim since right before the Civil War. And, like Jess [Piper] mentioned, when we’re talking about suspending habeas corpus, that has not been done since the Civil War. When we have people being grabbed off the street the simple truth is this – this is a pivotal moment and I don’t know if the United States of America survives this moment. It’s not guaranteed. [voice: “We’re not united anymore.”] Liberty and justice, freedom, those things are not guaranteed to us. And if we fail this moment our country will cease to exist in the way we’ve known it…”

Yvonne Reeves-Chong, Vice Chair, Missouri Democratic Party.

On Saturday, May 10th, Johnson County Democrats held a social and organizing event in a park on the west side of Warrensburg. Over 100 individuals attended, listening to a number of speakers. Yvonne Reeves-Chong, Vice Chair of the Missouri Democratic Party addressed the crowd:

https://showmeprogress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/YvonneReevesChongWbgMo051025.mp3
.
“…Here’s the other thing that’s true. No one is coming over the hill to save you. No one. Superman is not coming up over the trees. Barack Obama is not dropping from the sky. The only people that can save us, the hero of this moment has to be you…”

“…It’s the week in, the week out that’s the heroic thing. So for this moment I’m calling each of you to be like Blanche [Rudolph], to get up, to knock the door, to talk to your neighbor, to not let injustice stand. And you do that week in, you do it week out. You run for office when it’s scary. When you hear that bigoted comment. Ya’ll, I’m not asking you to get into a long philosophical argument, but I am asking you to turn around a say, ‘Hell no.’ We don’t have to let bigotry stand…”

“…We are the Democratic Party. But more importantly, we are Americans. [applause] And, ya’ll that flag means something. It means something to me. We are the party that truly understands that liberty and justice for all means everybody or it means nothing at all. [applause]…”

“…We don’t need to explain trans people. We don’t need to explain gay people. And, please, stop explaining black folk. Ya’ll ain’t good at it. [laughter] Yeah, not good at it. Stop explaining things. It’s liberty and justice for all. And all is all is all is all…”

“…All. Because that’s who we are. That’s where we stand. That’s how we fight. Every single one of us. Week in, week out…”

Previously:

Jess Piper (D) – Warrensburg, Missouri – May 10, 2025 (May 11, 2025)

Jess Piper (D) – Warrensburg, Missouri – May 10, 2025

11 Sunday May 2025

Posted by Michael Bersin in Resist

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

#resist, Democrats, Jess Piper, Johnson County, missouri, organizing, Warrensburg

“…We’ve got judges being arrested, we’ve got the Newark, New Jersey mayor being arrested. If they can do those things to people with that much power we have got to be in the streets. And that’s what people, I was hesitant for a long time, ’cause people would say, ‘What should we do?’

We should be in the streets. Every single weekend. We should show them that we do not approve of this, that we are not okay with this. And we do it with our signs and we do it with our bodies. And if it gets to a point I think a general strike is the only thing we’ve got left. We have to hit them in their pocketbooks ’cause they don’t care about anything else. They sure don’t give a ….damn about the rest of us…”

Jess Piper (D).

In the early evening on Saturday, May 10th, Johnson County Democrats held a social and organizing event in a park on the west side of Warrensburg. Over 100 individuals attended, listening to a number of speakers. Jess Piper (D) – The View from Rural Missouri – an organizer, an activist, a writer, and a voice for dirt road Democrats – drove from the northwest part of the state to be there.

Jess Piper (D):

https://showmeprogress.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/JessPiperWbgMo051025.mp3
.

‘…That’s why they attack trans kids. Because they got nothing else. Well, you know what? We should stand for trans kids ’cause trans kids are human. And every single human deserves dignity [applause] [voice: “Damn right!”]…”

“…They want us to be scared of standing up. But I’m more scared of not standing up. Every single one of us in here who has privilege, I want you to listen to this. If you see someone who is kidnapping someone else from the street I want you to put your body in the way. I want you to stop them. [applause] Use your privilege to stop this. [applause] They are not deporting people, they are kidnapping them. They have no due process. And let me tell you this, friends, if they don’t have due process neither do you. All of us have to be standing up right now.

Stephen Miller yesterday said they were gonna get rid of habeas corpus. Okay, fantastic. You know what that does? Makes sure that you’re not in jail under false premises. Makes sure that they have charges against you. Of course they want to get rid of it. Because they want everything to fail…”

“…I didn’t need a crystal ball to see what was happening, neither did you. You read ‘Project 2025’. I knew they were gonna defund Head Start. When I said it I sounded like a lunatic. Guess what they did?…”

They’re doing it now

09 Friday May 2025

Posted by Michael Bersin in Resist

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Tags

#resist, Donald Trump, Fascist pigs, Habeus Corpus, Kapo, Stephen Miller, Trump administration

“If you’ve ever wondered what you would have done had you lived in Germany in the 1930s, you’re doing it now.”

German Nazi Swastika Flag, National Museum of American History. Catalog number 1977.0788.03, 29 in x 49 in; 73.66 cm x 124.46 cm.

Today:

Trump ‘Looking At’ Suspending Habeas Corpus, Stephen Miller Says
By Jacob Knutson

May 9, 2025

The Trump administration is looking into suspending people’s right to challenge their incarceration in court, to carry out President Donald Trump’s mass deportation efforts, White House aide Stephen Miller said Friday.

“The Constitution is clear, and that of course is the supreme law of the land, that the privilege of the writ of habeas corpus can be suspended in a time of invasion, so it’s an option we’re actively looking at,” Miller said. “A lot of it depends on whether the courts do the right thing or not.”

Miller said the White House suspending habeas corpus ultimately “depends on whether the courts do the right thing or not.”

Though Miller described it as a “privilege,” the writ of habeas corpus is a fundamental right guaranteed by the Constitution and can only be suspended “when in Cases of Rebellion or Invasion the public Safety may require it.”

[….]

WTF?

Fascist pigs.

March – Clinton, Missouri – April 26, 2025

27 Sunday Apr 2025

Posted by Michael Bersin in meta, Resist

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

#resist, Clinton, dissent, Fascism, meta, missouri, protest, Trump administration

“Resist”

“No King”

We drove thirty minutes south to Clinton, Missouri on Saturday morning for an 11:30 a.m. gathering near the town square. For the past several months a group of concerned “non-partisan” citizens have been meeting weekly to figure out what they can do to oppose the current authoritarian administration. They decided to organize a teach-in (they didn’t call it that) and a march around the downtown area at noon. Clinton, Missouri is a town of around 9400 people and is the seat of Henry County. It is touted by the locals as the gateway to the Lake of the Ozarks.

We showed up at the appointed time. These folks aren’t the usual suspects for this type of activism. I’ve known some to many of the Democratic Party people around these parts, off and on, for over thirty years. This ain’t them.

The organizers used social media to promote their event. They told me that they had been planning this event for a long time and that none of them had ever organized a public protest before.

Long story, shorter: around forty people showed up (with signs), they had their teach-in (Fascism is bad, Fascism is happening here now), there were donuts, there were march marshals, the local gendarmes were notified that this was happening, and there was a march.

Here’s the thing. This was a big undertaking for them, they were thorough, they did it right (no major incidents). This was their first, they’re doing it again on (gasp) May Day. In Clinton, Missouri.

“Your vote matters”

“Resist Now”

“ICE is the new Gestapo”

If this kind of thing is happening across America, then there may, indeed, be something going on.

“Prejudice is not Patriotism”

“No Kings”

“No Kings”

A guy with two cameras (including a long lens on a monopod) with media credentials tends to tamp down the instinct of right wingnuts to get all confrontational. In three separate instances pointing the camera at them from a distance set off their radar, they’d turn away and then shrivel up as if they were slugs and a long ton of highway department road salt got dumped on them.

A truck stopped in traffic at a green light, next to the protesters, windows down. One of the parade marshals called out several times, “You can go now.” The truck stayed. I turned to photograph the driver and he called out to me, “No you don’t.” The shutter wouldn’t move since the lens was set to 10 meters and I was too close to the subject. He then drove off. I did get that.

“Bless your heart”

One memorable challenger almost prompted me to ask her how the Meth cooking was going this season.

Another bejeweled and betattooed person who had turned out from a health food parlor on the square, ostensibly to heckle everyone with “I like Elon Musk”, turned back inside when she saw the camera and then flipped me off from the shadows. I got the shot because Lightroom is my friend. She was wearing a I John 4:10 tee-shirt and had a pseudo runic dove tattoo on her right forearm.

Cue Gandhi.

I had a good time and I got nice images.

It was a good day.

On the Henry County courthouse lawn.

Previously:

March and Rally – Warrensburg, Missouri – March 29, 2025 (March 29, 2025)

The third rail (March 31, 2025)

#HandsOff – Warrensburg, Missouri – April 5, 2025 (April 5, 2025)

Due Process – Warrensburg, Missouri – April 19, 2025 (April 9, 2024)

Clinton, Missouri [pop. 9416] – April 26, 2025 (April 26, 2025)

Clinton, Missouri [pop. 9416] – April 26, 2025

26 Saturday Apr 2025

Posted by Michael Bersin in Resist

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

Clinton, dissent, missouri, protest

Today close to forty individuals participated in a teach-in and march in Clinton, Missouri.

Previously:

You are here (April 24, 2025)

March and Rally – Warrensburg, Missouri – March 29, 2025 (March 29, 2025)

The third rail (March 31, 2025)

#HandsOff – Warrensburg, Missouri – April 5, 2025 (April 5, 2025)

Due Process – Warrensburg, Missouri – April 19, 2025 (April 9, 2024)

You are here

24 Thursday Apr 2025

Posted by Michael Bersin in Resist

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

#resist, sign

“Resist Now. Because it is easier than hiding a family in your attic later.”
(2025)
Posterboard. Permanent marker, 22 x 28.

…There comes a time when the price of inaction outweighs the price of action. There comes a time when the cost of living with your failure to do something outstrips the cost of doing something and paying the price. What [….] talking about is integrity — integrating your thoughts and your words with your actions. Anything less is a betrayal of your soul, and on some level you know it. That’s why committing to the fight against oppression feels so freeing. It’s not because you’re now in less danger, quite the opposite. It’s because it makes you feel like a whole human, maybe for the first time ever. [….] What you do with it next is up to you.

– Sean T. Collins – 4/23/25 – Review of Andor – on Decider

Due Process – Warrensburg, Missouri – April 19, 2025

19 Saturday Apr 2025

Posted by Michael Bersin in Resist

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

#resist, 5th Amendment, Donald Trump, due process, missouri, protest, Warrensburg

“…nor shall any person be subject for the same offense to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law.” – 5th Amendment, United States Constitution

Today at noon at the Johnson County Courthouse in downtown Warrensburg, Missouri – protesting Donald Trump (r) and the Trump Administration – overcast sky and intermittent light drizzle, temperature in the upper 40s, over eighty people, signs, honking horns, and the occasional right wingnut pickup truck complete with scowling driver:

“Love thy neighbor isn’t conditional”

“Protect the VA”

“Uphold the United States Constitution”

“…No king for US”

“No Kings”

“…Due process”

“Read banned books”

“Mothers Against Tyrannical Rule”

“…due process…”

“…expect resistance”

“Power to the People”

Previously:

March and Rally – Warrensburg, Missouri – March 29, 2025 (March 29, 2025)

The third rail (March 31, 2025)

#HandsOff – Warrensburg, Missouri – April 5, 2025 (April 5, 2025)

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