It’s only been six months since Election Day and less than three months have passed since Trump was inaugurated. I mean, it feels like it’s already been an eternity, but the guy just passed the 100-day mark last week. It’s been a pretty exhausting time, but the fight against Trump (and our truly diseased political system) doesn’t look like it’ll be dying down any time soon. That said, let’s take a look at what the resistance has to offer this week:
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MONDAY (today)
Pledge of Liberation Demonstration at Congressman Dan Donovan’s Office
7308 13th Ave., Dyker Heights
12pm – 3pm
This protest, held six months after election day, is a way of reminding our elected officials they’re beholden to their constituents. Congressman Dan Donovan represents Brooklyn in the House and refused to prosecute the NYPD officer who killed Eric Garner. If you can’t make it to Monday’s protest, organizers are asking you deliver a letter – and if Donovan isn’t your representative, you should find out who is and do the same.
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Brooklyn Anti-Gentrification Network (BAN) General Meeting
Solidarity Center NYC
147 W. 24th St., Manhattan
7pm – 9pm
FREE
There are few details available about the Brooklyn Anti-Gentrification Network’s next meeting, but old members and anyone who’s interested in fighting gentrification in the borough are encouraged to attend.
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North Brooklyn Progressive Democrats Meeting
Mayday Space
176 St. Nicholas Ave., Bushwick
7pm – 9pm
FREE
The North Brooklyn Progressive Democrats are conducting endorsements for City Council and Brooklyn District Attorney candidates at their May meeting. They’ll also be discussing judicial candidates, working groups, and choosing a new logo.
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Fight Training: Women, Trans, Non-Binary & Gender Noncomforming
The Base
1302 Myrtle Ave., Bushwick
7pm – 10pm
FREE
You can’t punch Nazis if you don’t know how to defend yourself. This self-defense class meets every other Monday and is tailored for attendees during each session. Instructors will be covering stretching, conditioning, technique, and theory with a focus on creating an inclusive space for people of all genders. They’ll have equipment on hand, but participants are encouraged to bring gloves, mitts, hand wraps, jump ropes, and any other equipment they think could be useful. Remember to wear clothing you feel comfortable sweating and stretching in!
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It’s Time To Organize: Stand Up Brooklyn Town Hall
St. Francis College, Genovesi Center (4th Floor)
180 Remsen Street, Brooklyn Heights
7pm – 10pm
FREE
Panelists at this town hall include Representatives Yvette Clarke, Nyida Velazquez, and Hakeem Jeffries. They haven’t published many details about what the discussion will be about, but given their past anti-Trump statements, it probably has at least a little to do with the president and his policies.
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TUESDAY
Displaced: Conversation on Climate, Refugee Crisis & Immigration
Patagonia
72 Greene St., Manhattan
6:30pm – 9pm
$10 suggested donation
Climate change is a global issue, but the people who are most affected by it also happen to live in countries that often lack the resources to combat it (and that barely contributed to it in the first place). As climate change’s effects become more intense, more people will be displaced. The Sane Energy Project is collecting donations for the Karam Foundation, which develops education programs for Syrian refugee youth, distributes aid to Syrian families, and funds sustainable development programs “by Syrians for Syrians.” The event includes an immersive theater experience, as well as presentations by scientists, artists, activists, and immigration organizers.
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Third Wave Fund’s 20th Anniversary Celebration
BRIC Arts Media
647 Fulton St., Fort Greene
7pm – 9pm
Tickets start at $100
The Third Wave Fund is celebrating their 20th anniversary with a fundraiser. A ticket gets you cocktails, small plates, and musical performances by the Lesbian and Gay Big Apple Corps and tubafresh. The group is also honoring Charlene Carruthers and the Black Youth Project 100, Paulina Helm-Hernandez and Southerners on New Ground, and Nancy Meyer and Hildy Karp. Tickets aren’t cheap, but they benefit a good cause.
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Rise and Resist General Meeting
Church of the Village
201 W. 13th St., Manhattan
7pm – 10pm
FREE
Rise and Resist organizes protests and direct actions throughout the city, and their next meeting is this Tuesday at the United Methodist Church. They send out an agenda ahead of time via email, and you can sign up for their newsletter here. People of all skills and interests are encouraged to attend!
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WEDNESDAY
Petitioning: Stop Trump’s Anti-Environmental Agenda
Union Square
4pm – 6pm
Food & Water Watch is gathering signatures urging Chuck Schumer to fight Trump’s climate change-denying (or worse, intensifying) agenda. Trump plans on cutting 31 percent of the Environmental Protection Agency’s budget, laying off 20 percent of its workers, and eliminating key programs. If you can make it on Wednesday, email Greta Zarro to let the group know you’re coming: gzarro@fwwatch.org
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Trump and the NY City and State Budget with Scott Stringer and Robert Carroll
John Jay High School
237 7th Ave., Park Slope
6:30pm
FREE
Comptroller Scott Stringer and Assemblyman Robert Carroll are hosting a town hall where they’ll discuss Trump’s federal budget plans and the impact budget cuts could have on New Yorkers. If you’re able to make it, RSVP by calling (718) 788 -7221 or by emailing campanellid@nyassembly.gov.
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Arts & Community Development Panel
Flux Factory
39-31 29 St., Long Island City
7pm – 9pm
FREE
Arts and community development can contribute to gentrification, but galleries and other arts spaces can also be incubators for organizing and activist movements. This panel will explore art’s relationship with gentrification, and panelists include Mei Lum, Rosemary Reyes, Catherine Greene, and Patrick Dougher.
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Rezone or Leave Alone? The Pros, Cons and Complexities of de Blasio’s Push for Density
Impact Hub NYC
394 Broadway, Manhattan
7pm – 9pm
FREE
City Limits is hosting a discussion on growth and development in New York City featuring Hunter College professor and author of Zoned Out! Tom Angotti and Moses Gates, of the Regional Planning Association and the Association for Housing and Neighborhood Development. They’ll be discussing development, growth, gentrification, and more.
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THURSDAY
Impact Hour: Communication that Counts
Brooklyn Art Library
28 Frost St., Williamsburg
12pm – 1pm
FREE
Impact Hour is hosting a session on effective communication in the age of fake news and “alternative facts.” Speakers include artist James Hannaham; Amy Braunschweiger, senior web communications manager at Human Rights Watch; and Todd Gitlin, professor and chair of Columbia’s School of Journalism’s Ph.D program.
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SURJ NYC May Base Building Meeting
Project Reach, 4th Floor
39 Eldridge St., Manhattan
6:30pm – 8:30pm
FREE
Showing Up for Racial Justice is hosting their latest monthly meeting for their Base Building working group. They’ll be discussing education and community outreach events and having a training session for members.
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Let America Be America Again
Housing Works Bookstore Cafe
126 Crosby St., Manhattan
7pm – 8:30pm
FREE
Public Books and Housing Works are hosting readings by Moustafa Bayoumi, Alexandra Kleeman, Roy Scranton, Salamishah Tillet, Tony Tulathimutte, and Emily Witt. The authors will be reading passages by their favorite authors that help them envision a better America. After the readings, there will be drinks and a postcard writing session where you can write to your representatives.
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Resist: Understanding the Movement for Trans Lives
UnionDocs
322 Union Ave., Williamsburg
7:30pm – 10pm
$10
The latest edition of BK@24FPS’s Resist Film Series focuses on the trans movement from the early ’90s to now. Screenings include Salt Mines, a film about a trans sex worker running for office in Brazil, and TransVisible, a film about Latina activist Bamby Salcedo. There will also be a short Q&A with the filmmakers and activists from New York City’s Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender Community Center. Center activist Natalia Guerrero will facilitate a workshop.
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Plant-Based Riot! A Vegan Comedy Show for Reproductive Health
Tender Trap
66 Greenpoint Ave., Greenpoint
8pm – 10pm
$5
Comedians Anya Volz and Sam Rose are hosting several comedians who happen to be vegans (but won’t exclusively be making jokes about veganism) for this comedy show benefitting Planned Parenthood. The lineup includes Myq Kaplan, Julia Claire, Mike Abrusci, Diego Lopez, and Jess Lane. The show is $5, and there’s a raffle you can enter for an additional $5.
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FRIDAY
NYC 4 CEDAW Day of Action
Brooklyn Bridge Park
12pm – 1pm
FREE
The NYC for CEDAW (Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women) is walking from Brooklyn Bridge Park to City Hall to urge local officials to evolve the Commission on Gender Equity, which would fund programming that benefits women across the city.
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Paid Protest 2: A Bigger DSA Comedy Fundraiser
Starr Bar
214 Starr St., Bushwick
7pm – 9pm
FREE
This free standup show benefits the Democratic Socialists of America’s Housing Committee and helps fund their fight against the proposed development at the Bedford-Union Armory. The lineup includes Mary Houlihan, Daniel Simonsen, Raghav Mehta, and Josh Gondelman. The show is free, but donations are suggested and appreciated!
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SATURDAY
DeFund DAPL NYC Divestment Day
Union Square
10am – 2pm
Seattle and San Francisco recently divested billions of dollars’ worth of transactions from banks that funded the Dakota Access Pipeline, and this protest is urging New York’s leaders to do the same. You can also divest your own money from the bank by switching your account to a credit union or bank that isn’t supporting the DAPL, transferring your funds there (except for the bare minimum, i.e., a penny) and telling your bank why you’re divesting.
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Children’s March NYC
Cadman Plaza
11 am – 2pm
Kids don’t get to vote, but they also have to deal with the world for longer than we do. And let’s be real, kids are absorbing the political climate and trying to understand it as best they can. This march is specifically designed for children and families as a way of encouraging kids to speak out about the issues they care about.
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March for Truth and Transparency
Cadman Plaza
11am – 2pm
Next Generation Now (aka the Children’s March) and students are organizing this march for transparency. Students (and everyone else) are encouraged to attend this march demanding transparency and truth from our leaders and elected officials.
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11th NYC Anarchist Book Fair
Judson Memorial Church
55 Washington Square S., Manhattan
11am – 7pm
This book fair includes a full day of panels and discussions, including conversations on nonviolence, squatting, jail and court support, and more. There are 25 total events, and child care will be provided throughout the day.
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How to Talk to Trump Supporters
Brooklyn Public Library
9424 4th Ave., Bay Ridge
12pm – 2pm
Biologist Elizabeth Kriesten will explain why people dismiss facts and evidence at this event, plus she’ll give you a few tips on reaching across party lines to engage in discussion with people you, um, might not agree with. Her presentation includes techniques for de-escalating emotional tension, respectfully acknowledging beliefs you disagree with, and establishing trust and dialogue.
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Jams for Clams: A Warehouse Party to Benefit Planned Parenthood
Hot Wood Arts
481 Van Brunt St., 9B, 2nd Floor, Red Hook
5:30pm – 11pm
$25 – $100
All proceeds from this party benefit Planned Parenthood, and you get 2 drinks with an advance ticket purchase. There will be performances by 79.5 and Saylavees; DJ sets by Edan, Mick Collins, Bob Bert, and Jo Murray; a video installation by Maximus Clarke; performance art by Imnotlost; an affordable print show; raffles; and more.
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Demistifying Government
Freddy’s Bar and Backroom
627 5th Ave., Park Slope
3pm – 6pm
FREE
Government is a complicated, messy thing, partially because people who don’t understand their government can’t do much to change it. This event seeks to get to the bottom of how things got this way, what we can do to change it, and most importantly, how the government functions in the first place, this time with a focus on courts and the judicial system. There will be presentations by comedians, lawyers, and more, and a conversation led by comedian and lawyer Seena Jon.