Before we get to the part where we can crow and chortle over our successes on June 14, Grassroots North Shore is already looking to the next big thing for us: Wisconsin Helps Wisconsin Volunteer Fair. As Professor Timothy Snyder exhorted the 100,000+ people at the NO KINGS Rally in Philadelphia, "We act together today and we DO SOMETHING TOGETHER tomorrow." That's because freedom comes after we kick out the kings, the wannabe dictators and tyrants through struggle, together. So Sunday, June 22, we are coming together in Doctors Park (1870 E Fox Ln, Fox Point) from 4:00 - 5:30pm, to meet, hear from, and sign up with a range of grassroots groups who will be undertaking various actions that collectively advance the cause of freedom for our families and our futures. I hope you'll be there to carry on the struggle.
In case you haven't heard, a HUGE number of people turned out for the NO KINGS events — old, young, black, brown, white and everything in between. We demonstrated and marched as American patriots, a melting pot of opposition to the current regime whose goal on that day was to suppress, intimidate, and frighten people — after all, that was the message the illegal deployment of the California National Guard and the US Marines over the objections of Mayor Bass and Governor Newsom was supposed to send to the rest of us. We understood the message. We just chose to defy it. To get a sense of the diversity, the energy, and the sheer size of the more than 2,100 NO KINGS events, Indivisible created this NO KINGS Indivisible mash-up. You should take some time to watch it: Milwaukee and Baltimore (where I was that day) both make the cut!
The Milwaukee rally attracted more than 12,000 people, according to the Wisconsin Examiner. Cathedral Square Park was packed with an overflow crowd who stood off to the side in the shade. Cheryl Maranto, co-chair of Grassroots North Shore and an essential participant in the planning committee, deserves our thanks and congratulations: she worked with the city to obtain the necessary permits, to provide the insurance certificate, to rent the portapotties, and to make sure the police were notified and prepared to ensure the safety of the protesters. As the Examiner notes, "There was no evidence of property destruction or clashes with police, and counter protesters were nowhere in sight." It was a great and glorious day!
Because I was in Baltimore on June 14, I had to find a demonstration I could attend with my family and friends, including our 8 year old grandson. So we all went to one in Catonsville, a Baltimore suburb where, as it happens, my husband was born and raised. A blogger at Daily Kos posted about it: "there appeared to be some 700-800 people at the protest in Catonsville." We all had made signs and wore matching NOPE t-shirts in a range of colors.
The number of participants nationwide is still somewhat in flux, as you can imagine. Some of the NO KINGS events took place in highly visible and centralized locations, such as the ones in Philly, Chicago, Atlanta, Houston, and LA. But many took place in small locations, like Eagle River, WI! Getting all the data from so many different places takes a bit of doing. The substack Strength in Numbers published an account of the data from about 40% of the events and extrapolated from there. The result? "According to our back-of-the-envelope math, that puts total attendance somewhere in the 4-6 million people range. That means roughly 1.2-1.8% of the U.S. population attended a No Kings Day event somewhere in the country yesterday."
The centerpiece of the day, of course, was supposed to be Trump's military parade ostensibly to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the founding of the US Army but really to celebrate his 79th birthday. So how did it go? Josh Marshall at Talking Points Memo reports. The Biggest Loser: The Public Is Rejecting Trump’s Degenerate Police State Antics. "The soldiers manning the tanks trundling down the city streets were all smiles, waving at the admittedly sparse crowd, saying “hi” to kids. I don’t think that’s the kind of parade Trump wanted. That’s not what a strongman’s military parade looks like. The soldiers are impassive. Their eyes are fixed on El Jefe. This wasn’t that."
Here's how Rex Huppke in USA Today (June 16, 2025) assessed it: "All he wanted was to celebrate his 79th birthday with a massive military parade that made him look powerful, scary and beloved. Instead, thanks to millions of Americans and their stupid First Amendment rights, he got a derpy, dull parade overshadowed by massive nationwide protests denouncing him."
Charles Pierce, writing I Went to Trump’s Military Parade. Everything About It Was Wrong in Esquire, called the parade "this leaden spectacle." He goes on to say "I have never experienced such a joyless, lifeless, and sterile mass event in my entire life. Grim-faced soldiers, marching past half-empty grandstands, many of them obviously wanting to be somewhere else. No bands. Little bunting. Just piped-in rock music and MAGA hats. If this truly was meant to honor the 250 years of the United States Army, all we got was an endless procession of uniformed troops looking like they’d prefer to have been at Valley Forge."
The nationwide protests carried the day and the military parade was a flop. But those events were marred by the assassination of Minnesota State Rep. Melissa Hortman and her husband. Another legislator and his wife were wounded but survived. Although several prominent Republicans used their official social media accounts to condemn the violence, some — including Representative Derrick Van Orden — used their personal accounts to joke about it or to insinuate that the shooter was a liberal or to point fingers at Governor Walz. See the story in Monday's Journal Sentinel. Shame on them. Senator Baldwin, Representative Pocan, and Representative Moore were among the other 70 or so names on the assassin's list of targets. Let's hope the shooter does not become a model for others.
And in other news, Trump flip-flops on ICE raid policies. First he announced on Thursday, June 12, that immigrant farm workers — including aquaculture, meat-packing plants — and those in the hotel and leisure businesses would be exempt from the mass deportation effort currently underway. But TACO Don reversed course, as we knew he would, once "pressure from Stephen Miller and other anti-immigration zealots in the Trump administration convinced the president to flip-flop again and re-start the ICE raids." Needless to say, the on-again-off-again policy deeply affects Wisconsin and other states with large agricultural and hospitality concerns. So much so that "one of its biggest business groups, the MMAC wants a policy stopping the deportations of workers needed in all industries" (Urban Milwaukee, June 17, 2025). Deporting lots of immigrants sounds great until one's own ox (or cow) is gored!
I'll leave you this week with some Gandhi wisdom: "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win." I think we're at the laughing at us and fighting us stages. Next up, WINNING!
TAKE ACTION
From Wisconsin Public Education Network: It is not too late to raise our voices about the terribly inadequate budget proposal put forward by Joint Finance Republicans last week: every legislator still has to vote on this, and the Joint Finance Committee is not the final decider on what the budget will look like. Both houses now have the power to improve this budget, and the governor has the power to reject any budget that fails to meet the needs of our kids and their public schools. With exactly two weeks until the July 1 target date for budget signage, now is the time to be a voice for Wisconsin kids and their public schools!
- Sign our letter to Governor Evers calling on him to reject any budget that does not meet Wisconsin's needs & priorities: sign on here and share widely (both individuals and organizations may sign).
- Contact your legislators: It's time to connect with our own lawmakers across the state to tell our local stories and make sure they know what’s at stake for local students. This is about meeting kids’ needs and providing them with the conditions it takes to thrive in our public schools. Let them know you appreciate our public schools and expect an investment in the 2025-2027 state budget that puts kids first. See our budget priorities here in English and in Spanish.
From LuAnn Bird (Birds on a Wire): The vote on the big awful budget bill is coming up in the Senate, perhaps as soon as this week. LuAnn writes, "Our Senator Ron Johnson was a no vote! He is adamantly opposed to adding to the debt, but after a conversation with Trump last week he started waffling! We can't let that happen! Now is the time to be a Superhero and use your superpowers - calls, letters, emails, etc. to make your views known. We know he does not care about the cuts but he does care about the budget deficit. Here is a script you can use!""
My name is _______ from _______ and I am calling to ask you to vote against the Big Beautiful Budget Bill as it will add more than $2 trillion to the debt. As you always say, we should not mortgage our children's and grandchildren's futures away!
Please Vote No!, Your constituent,
EVENTS
Wednesday, June 18
How the Executive Branch "Should" Operate, 6:30 - 7:30pm CDT
Virtual
Ever find yourself wondering what are the actual powers of the U.S. President? What exactly is an executive order? Can the President really just declare something to be the law of the land? Join us for Red Wine and Blue’s Civics Salon as we do a deep dive into the Executive Branch. Let’s get real about what the President can actually do and how Congress and the courts are meant to keep those powers in check. See you there! Sign up.
Oz Dems June General Meeting, 7:00 - 8:00pm
1930 Wisconsin Ave, Grafton
Join us in our NEW Grafton office location for our monthly general meeting. Speakers and elected officials update us on the latest local, state, and national elections. All are welcome to attend. Bring a friend!
Thursday, June 19
Waukesha Dems Monthly Meeting, 7:00 - 8:30pm
200 Richard St, Waukesha
Join us for our June Monthly Meeting! More details to follow.
Friday, June 20
Drag Show & Game Night Fundraiser, 6:00pm
Waukesha Elks Lodge #400, 2301 Springdale Rd, Waukesha
Celebrate Pride Month with the Waukesha Dems! We will have bingo, games, photo ops, and raffle prizes you won't want to miss out on! All the funds raised will go to support or 2025 plans to fight back on the Trump 2.0 agenda, and build for 2026 where we will win locally in April and keep Wisconsin blue in November. There will be no cash prizes. Games are for fun not gambling. Buy your tickets!
Saturday, June 21
Brookfield Farmers Market, Shifts from 7:30 - 12:00pm
Brookfield & Elm Grove Area
We are looking for volunteers to help us staff our table at the Brookfield Farmers Market each month. (Next month's date for the Farmers Market is July 19.) Before you signup, be sure you're familiar with using the Reach App! If you haven't used Reach before and would like to signup for one of our trainings, please email [email protected]. Sign up for a shift.
Coffee and Conversation w/ BEAD, 9:00 - 10am CDT
Fairview Park, Brookfield
Join the BEAD - Brookfield Elm Grove Area Democrats - team for our next Coffee and Conversation! This month will feature Kathryn Randall and our very own Charlie Gaebler from the League of Women Voters Reproductive Rights Committee to tell us about the newly formed Repro Warriors campaign. Long term goal of the campaign is to codify Reproductive Rights in the Wisconsin Constitution. The LWV is partnering with Feminist Art Activists, using art to engage a younger age demographic. Kathryn and Charlie will review the Wisconsin amendment process and their current strategy.
Data Centers, Your Rising Energy Bill & Declining Health, 10:00am - 12:00pm
LWV Milwaukee County at Summit Place, Room 2135
6737 W Washington St #2218, West Allis
Microsoft’s proposed and now “paused” Mount Pleasant Data Center would use at least as much energy as 300,000 Wisconsin homes. This program is free and open to the public -- bring your friends!
- Overview of Data Centers & options for meeting their energy “demands”: Dave Petering, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, UW-Milwaukee
- Protecting small users from assuming the cost for Data Centers’ energy “demands”: Tom Content, Executive Director, Citizens Utility Board
- The disproportionate impact on health and energy affordability for low-income families: Antonio Butts, Executive Dir. Walnut Way
- Future Health Impacts of reliance on Greenhouse gases for energy: Healthy Climate Wisconsin representative
Milwaukee ICE Verifier Training Series, 1:00 - 3:00pm CDT
733 W Historic Mitchell St, Milwaukee
Become a community defense network verifier! Verifiers are people who respond to ICE alerts by quickly traveling to the reported locations to confirm or deny ICE activity. Trainings are held at the Voces Milwaukee office (733 W Mitchell St) every first and third Saturday of the month from 1-3pm. Please sign up.
*The role requires reliable transportation and some daytime flexibility.
Serve a Meal at the Ozaukee Food Alliance, TBD
Details to come
Please join us to prepare and serve a meal at the Ozaukee Food Alliance on Saturday, June 21. Email us at [email protected] if you’re interested and we will share the details with you.
Sunday, June 22
WI Helps Wisconsin Volunteer Fair, 4:00 - 5:30pm
Doctors Park,1870 E Fox Ln, Fox Point
Grassroots North Shore Promotes Wisconsin Safety Net at our Volunteer Fair. Our featured speaker is Robert Craig. Dr. Kraig is the Executive Director of Citizen Action of WI, which promotes activism and accountability in the areas of Health Care, Climate Action, Health Justice, and Energy Burden. We will be joined by the following organizations: Wisconsin Conservation Voters, League of Women Voters of Milwaukee County, Voces de la Frontera, WAVE, and We Got This. Please sign up.
Friday, June 27
LWV League Café, 10:00am - 12:00pm
Milwaukee Public Library East Branch Community Room
2320 N Cramer St, Milwaukee
League Cafe meets monthly and welcomes League members old and new, as well as community members. In a small group setting, we get to know each other better, share knowledge and have interesting conversations. In rotating months, we meet as a general discussion group, and in opposite months, convene as a book club to discuss noteworthy books on racial equity, immigration and/or voting.
Saturday, June 28
Fair Maps Coalition Community Hearing, 10:00 - 12:00pm
Whitefish Bay Public Library, 5420 N Marlborough Dr, Whitefish Bay
Wisconsin has fair legislative maps—for now. But without a statute or constitutional amendment in place, fair maps could disappear after the next census, which is just five years away! Members of the Coalition and the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin (including GRNS co-chair Cheryl Maranto and past co-chair Debbie Patel) have been reviewing best practices from around the country, and considering the initial step forward: a legislative fix. It’s time to get public input. FMC is holding public hearings around the state, including one at the Whitefish Bay Public Library Program Room: 10-noon Saturday, June 28. We hope to see you there. Registration required.
Sunday, June 29
Climate Action: North Shore Meet & Greet, 2:00 - 3:30pm
645 W Bender Rd, Glendale
Are you concerned about climate change but feel overwhelmed or powerless to effect change? Connect with like-minded neighbors to brainstorm ways we can work together on the local level to create the healthy climate and environment we want for current and future generations. This event will provide an opportunity to connect informally and learn about local efforts underway from the recently formed Climate Action Group of the League of Women Voters. See you there! Light refreshments will be provided.
Friend & Fundraiser Garden Party for Comité Sin Fronteras (Committee Without Borders), 3:00 - 5:00pm
9130 N Spruce Road, River Hills
If you are troubled by the Trump administration’s treatment of immigrants and want to make things better, please attend Brittany Vulich and Debbie Patel’s Garden Party Friend & Fundraiser for Comité Sin Fronteras. Enjoy a shaded garden, Latinx street fare, and each other’s company. Hear testimonials from those working tirelessly to help immigrants in distress. Learn about people who do everything our government expected of them, yet today are denied not just a path to citizenship, but due process and common decency.
Our financial goal is to raise $5,000 at this event, which Debbie will match. All funds will be used to support immigrants in the greater Milwaukee area, and will go where the need is greatest. Please sign up.
Save the Date
Friday, July 11
League of Progressive Seniors Forum, 9:30am
Knickerbocker Hotel
LPS is scheduled to hold a forum on Friday July 11 with Ralph Martire from the Center for Tax and Budget Accountability in Chicago. He will discuss the proposed tax bill, its many provisions, and their effects. The group is part of a national network of progressive economic policy think tanks. See its website.
Saturday, July 12
Sierra Club: Fish for the Future, 10:00am - 3:00pm
Urban Ecology Center - Washington Park, 1859 N 40th St, Milwaukee
Thanks to the creativity and dedication of people from across the country, we’re about to break the record for the largest display of origami fish — each one a symbol of our shared commitment to protect the Great Lakes and shut down Line 5. With every fish, we’re sending a clear message: clean water matters more than corporate pipelines.
Now it’s time to bring it all together. On July 12 we’ll attempt to break the world record for the largest display of origami fish — and you’ll want to see it with your own eyes. Imagine a display of over 18,000 paper fish, each one telling a story, carrying a pledge, and making it impossible for decision-makers to ignore the call: Shut Down Line 5.
This isn’t just an art installation. It’s a movement. It’s a splash of resistance. And it’s a celebration of the people who believe in a future where our water is safe, clean, and protected. More details coming soon. RSVP.
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