It’s a deadline for Democracy: We’re running out of time for Congress and the President to take the action we need on climate change this year (2021). President Biden’s Build Back better act is stalled in the Senate, and the legislative log jam is preventing action on a host of important priorities – voting rights, women’s rights, immigration reform, and more.
Congress is back in session next week, and we’ve seen before that the best way to get them to take action is to disrupt the day-to-day business. We did it this summer with our #NoClimateNoDeal Rallies that kicked Congress into action and compelled the US House of Representatives to finally do their jobs and vote on some bills.
With time running out, we’re supporting Shut Down DC and other local partners who are going to take bold direct action to demand that Congress and President Biden finally deliver on the the programs they promised us. We’re taking to the streets to shut down the back-room meetings and political theater that have failed to deliver the progress that our communities need.
More info and options below, but since most of us have been most-active on climate justice issues – I encourage you to skip right to the front of the line and sign up to join the Climate Justice and Racial justice affinity group. You can get plugged in by attending the training this weekend Dec 3-5, or just join the briefing call the night before (Monday, Dec 6).
Either option will give you the lay of the land, and a chance to ask questions and sign up for a role or job that suits your skills – we need everything from folks who will risk arrest, to folks who will just retweet. If you need more info, read on below for all the details and other links to other affinity groups and plans.
The day will start early – most groups are meeting at 7am to deploy street blockades surrounding the Capitol, each lifting up a policy or program that President Biden that matters to our community that our elected officials have failed to deliver on. Each one of the blockades is meeting up in a different part of Capitol Hill so sign up now to join a blockade group!
- SPACES in Action is leading a blockade demanding investment in healthcare, childcare, and the care economy. They’ll have big games and a brass band!
- FIRM and CASA Action are leading a blockade demanding immigration justice and citizenship! They have eleven massive “Green Cards” that they’ll be using to hold space – one for each million for the eleven million of our neighbors who are undocumented.
- Arm in Arm and CCAN are holding together a blockade calling for racial justice and climate justice, holding space and committing acts of disruptive humanitarianism. <– This is the one we recommend for 198 methods supporters.
- Extinction Rebellion DC is holding down a blockade demanding climate justice. We don’t know what they’ve got planned, but based on their most recent street blockades we’re pretty sure it’s going to be exciting.
- Code Pink is holding down a blockade calling on elected leaders to divest from the war economy and invest in our communities.
- Advocates for voting rights and statehood for DC will be holding down an intersection with a dance party headlined by a GoGo band on a 26’ flatbed truck!
You can learn more about the whole plan and all the blockades at https://www.shutdowndc.org/deadline-for-democracy
Everyone is welcome, and welcome to join any blockade or affinity group you feel called toward. But each group has a slightly different plan, so it’s important you sign up in advance, and especially if you’re going to a blockade other than the Arm in Arm one we suggest, you should head down to the training this weekend (Dec 4-5).