Our focus this week is on the likelihood that the Trump MAGA regime will soon be sending National Guard troops from Texas or another red state to Chicago, and what we can and must do in response. We'll start with some lightly edited messaging courtesy of ASO Communications because how we talk about it is really important. And we should all be talking about it to our family and friends. We need to grow the number of people who are activated and expand the tent of the movement. (To see all of the messaging guidance go to: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1bGWn9QbHzeKsTTTUZqY_k972_mXUhmXGO6p16EWlXXw/edit?tab=t.0)

The MAGA regime is once again stoking violence against our families and our communities, in order to advance their agenda of abductions and intimidation, violating our freedoms and our right to equality under the law. 

Americans across races, backgrounds, and parties value our freedoms. But this MAGA regime of the bullies for the billionaires is occupying our communities, forcing the military and law enforcement on our families, and turning our government into a weapon against its own people so they can seize more power. Families are joining together to free America, demanding our leaders stop this assault on our freedoms, our families, and our futures.

Marc Elias's recent post on Democracy Docket provides some invaluable insights. Think about it this way - the use of troops from another part of the country to put down a center of resistance (blue cities) is a classic and quite advanced authoritarian move. Putin sent troops from the Urals and Siberia into Chechnya, China sent Han Chinese to attack the Uyghurs. Why? Because troops drawn from the same area are going to be far less reliable if/when they are given illegal orders to target civilians who are also their neighbors. 

Elias notes, “Let me be clear: that is not law enforcement. It is aimed at provoking a response and a counter-response. It is calculated to trigger a cascading series of events that could turn violent and provide an excuse for Trump to escalate even further. … Trump isn’t actually worried about fighting crime or enforcing immigration. He’s testing deeper waters, seeing how far he can get with this direct assault on state sovereignty and democracy itself…. This is not just about Chicago … It is part of a broader authoritarian project aimed squarely at 2026. Trump said it himself: he will violate the Constitution to ban vote-by-mail, impose a national voter ID law and take control of ballot counting. If this works, he can send troops into every swing state to 'secure' the polls in 2026."

“Our country now faces its ultimate test: can American democracy withstand the authoritarian playbook that has crushed opposition movements around the globe? The risk is not abstract. It is here, it is in Chicago, it is now."

Fortunately, Governors Newsom and Pritzker, and Mayors Bass and Johnson are standing strong, and will continue to assert state sovereignty and use the legal system to block Trump. Just yesterday a federal judge ruled that the deployment of thousands of troops to Southern California clearly violated the law. But Trump will appeal and may not wait for a more favorable decision (were it to come) to do the same in Chicago. 

Citizens have a crucial role to play. It requires vigilance, organizing and above all, voting. This really is an existential fight for our democracy.

SO ... Get ready to stand in solidarity with Chicago, to make it clear that civil society WILL NOT STAND FOR THIS. But to do it peacefully! PLEASE ATTEND IF YOU CAN!

Why — send a message to MAGA: Stay out of our Midwest cities and off our streets!  We stand with Chicago in solidarity.

We hope to have signs available, but supplies may be limited. If you'd like to make your own, here are some ideas. You can also print 8 1/2 x 11 signs from the file. https://drive.google.com/file/d/1x2oBZROjcZVq7P2HcLdcODEKws7HZDuh/view?ts=68b89470

Here is a link to the flyer about the event. Feel free to share!  https://drive.google.com/file/d/13BCwpH4nKPZlpOdDt1SGP6ron-3U2Lgg/view?usp=drivesdk

THERE IS URGENCY TO THE PUSH-BACK. We can't allow the authoritarian breakthroughs to become normalized and embedded in the culture. We can't let our kids think that this is just the way it is, because they will not remember anything else. 

Any time - Join Indivisible's Signs of Solidarity Campaign

Signs of Solidarity is a national campaign encouraging businesses, construction sites and restaurants to post signs declaring that ICE is not welcome on the premises, and is prohibited from entering spaces designated as private or employees only. Indivisible has developed a terrific toolkit that provides a guide that explains what to do and why, and pdfs of the signs to print to ask businesses to post . You can sign up for Signs of Solidarity Canvassing at: https://act.indivisible.org/signup/signs-solidarity-canvassing/ or just do it on your own, or with a friend.

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Sunday, September 7

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