Let’s get a few things straight: #resistance should obviously mean more than Tweeting “hey, stop that” at the president, but it doesn’t exclusively mean attending every single rally and march outside Trump Tower, either. This week, we’ve compiled plenty of ways for you to get involved in grassroots activism at the most vital level, from letter writing to fighting against climate change. Local organizing may not be sexy, but someone’s got to do it (and that someone is you!).
MONDAY (TODAY)
Not My President’s Day Rally
Trump Hotel International
1 Central Park West, Manhattan
12 p.m. – 4 p.m.
This one’s pretty self-explanatory: meet outside Trump Hotel International (a nice change of pace from Trump Tower!) to protest our president and his policies. There will be speakers and performers, but the event organizers are warning in advance that it may be difficult to hear them due to the size of the crowd. Organizers are asking that you leave large backpacks at home and refrain from bringing signs that are held up by sticks or poles.
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Letters From A Barstool
The City Reliquary
370 Metropolitan Avenue, Williamsburg
5 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Free
Celebrate President’s Day by drinking beer and writing your representatives. The City Reliquary will provide postcards, postage and pens, as well as politicians’ names and addresses and a list of specific, current issues you can reference in your letters to your reps. Beer will be provided by the Brooklyn Brewery and available by suggested donation.
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Bad and Nasty’s Not My President’s Day
Brooklyn Winery
213 North 8th Street, Williamsburg
6:30 p.m. doors, 7:30 p.m. performance
Free
Catch a free performance of ‘Anna Asli Suriyah,’ (I Come from Syria), a one-woman play by Sarah Badiyah Sakaan at the Brooklyn Winery. The performance will be followed by a brief discussion with representatives from Amnesty International, the Network of Arab American Professionals, and the Arab American Association of New York. Although the event is free, attendees are encouraged to donate to all of the above organizations. For reservations, contact info@polybeandseats.org
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NYC Chapter – Million Hoodies Interest Meeting
Mayday Space
176 St. Nicholas Ave., Bushwick
8 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Million Hoodies is a black and brown organization focused on racial justice and confronting anti-black racism. People between the ages of 18 and 35 are encouraged to attend an introductory meeting this Monday at Mayday Space. Agenda TBA.
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TUESDAY
ResistTrumpTuesdays: Save Our Healthcare Plan, Dan!
Congressman Dan Donovan’s Brooklyn Office
7308 13th Avenue, Dyker Heights
10 a.m. – 2 p.m.
Republican congressman Dan Donovan wants to repeal the Affordable Care Act without any replacement. On Tuesday morning, organizations including Fight Back Bay Ridge, Staten Island Women Who March, and Staten Island 4 Change are rallying outside his office to tell him to protect Americans’ healthcare.
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Bystander Intervention Training
184 Eldridge Street, Manhattan
6 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Join APA Voice for a de-escalation training workshop led by Amnesty International field director Kalaya’an Mendoza. There will also be time for participants to ask questions and voice their concerns, situational awareness training, and a know your rights workshop. The event is free, and you can RSVP here. For more information, you can contact Fiona Zhao at fiona.zhao@minwkon.org or at 718-460-5600 ext. 302.
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Newtown Creek LTCP Public Meeting – Data & Analysis
Newtown Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant
327 Greenpoint Avenue, Greenpoint
6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
In November, the Department of Environmental Protection set out to determine how to prevent rain water and sewage (also known as “combined sewer overflows”) from continuing to enter the Newtown Creek Watershed. On Tuesday, members of the community are meeting with the DEP to focus on the data analysis conducted for this plan and the water quality goals of the Clean Water Act. (While we still have clean water, that is).
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Take Action Tuesdays at Tip Top
Tip Top Bar & Grill, Bed-Stuy
432 Franklin Ave., Bed Stuy
6 p.m. – 12 a.m.
$2 suggested donation
Since Trump’s inauguration, a group of dedicated postcard-writers have mailed hundreds postcards, written over a drink or two, to our representatives. They have themed postcards, $5 beer-and-shot specials, and writing prompts for cards you can send anyone you think needs to listen–from Chuck Schumer to NASA. The event is free, but it’s recommended that you donate $2 for stamps and other supplies.
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NAG’s Environmental Happy Hour
Muchmore’s
2 Havemeyer Street, Williamsburg
6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
NAG (Neighbors Allied for Good Growth)’s bimonthly environmental happy hour is happening this Tuesday at Muchmore’s, featuring presentations by multiple experts. Topics include restoration projects, the Department of Transportation’s initiatives, and the plastic bag tax. Happy hour starts at 6:30, but the presentations don’t begin until 7–and each talk is short, so you have time to grab a few drinks throughout the course of the night.
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Dissent Winter Launch: The Future of Work
61 Local
61 Bergen Street, Cobble Hill
6:30 p.m. – 12 a.m.
Dissent Magazine is hosting a discussion on the future of work, followed by a karaoke afterparty. Panelists include Atossa Araxia Abrahamian, Kate Aronoff, and J.C. Pan, and the conversation will focus on which workers have power and why, whose work is valued, and the changing parameters of the working class. At 10 p.m., they’ll head to Camp Bar for work-themed karaoke–don’t worry, they’ve already made a playlist.
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How To Fight Now – ADAMA film screening
Wythe Hotel Cinema
80 Wythe Avenue, Williamsburg
7:30 p.m. – 10 p.m.
$20 suggested donation
How To Fight Now is a monthly documentary film and fundraiser series held at the Wythe Hotel’s screening room. This month, they’re showing ADAMA, a film about a teenage Muslim girl who was is forced to deal with racial profiling and the threat of deportation. All proceeds from the screening benefit MPower Change, a grassroots organization that organizes Muslim communities throughout the country.
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WEDNESDAY
Citizens’ Climate Lobby – Brooklyn Meeting
SISTERS
900 Fulton Street, Fort Greene
6:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
The Brooklyn chapter of the Citizens’ Climate Lobby is hosting their second meeting this Wednesday. The agenda isn’t published, but they’ll be planning how to push sensible climate policy at the local level.
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Action Working Group
39 Eldridge Street, 4th Floor, Manhattan
6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
The Action Working Group is having their monthly meeting this Wednesday, where they’ll discuss current and future initiatives regarding police accountability, de-carceration, direct action, and community defense. You can contact organizers Ciara (ciaradclements@gmail.com) or Annie (anniesegrest@gmail.com) with any questions before the meeting.
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Socialist Feminist Working Group – First Meeting
YWCA Brooklyn
30 3rd Avenue, Boerum Hill
6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
The NYC DSA’s Socialist Feminist Working Group is having their first meeting this Wednesday, where they’ll discuss upcoming events, including the Women’s Strike on March 8. Free childcare will be provided for the duration of the meeting–anyone who needs childcare should contact Erin at erinneff86@gmail.com ahead of time. After the meeting, everyone will be heading to the Hollow Nickle for to get to know each other.
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Community Town Hall on Donald Trump’s First 30 Days in Office
Union Temple of Brooklyn
17 Eastern Parkway, Ste 1, Prospect Heights
6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Reflect on President Trump’s first month in office with this town hall hosted by Congresswoman Yvette Clark. Policy experts will be available to discuss immigration, healthcare, and climate change policy. Refreshments will be available, and attendees should RSVP by calling 718-287-0741 Ext. 208
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Resisting the Trump Agenda – Teach-In and Workshop
61 Local
61 Bergen Street, Cobble Hill
7:30 p.m. – 10:30 p.m.
This teach-in, led by Brooklyn College faculty, will focus on the following topics: reproductive healthcare and justice, feminist and queer activism, climate change and the environment, education, and criminal justice and police reform.
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An ACLU Benefit with Sam Cohen, Scully, Dark Tea
Union Pool
484 Union Avenue, Williamsburg
$12 – $14
8 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.
Singer-songwriter Sam Cohen, four-piece punk band Scully, and Dark Tea are lending their talents to this benefit show hosted by A Song A Day, with all proceeds benefitting the ACLU. Tickets are going for $12 online (or $14 at the door), so get them while you still can.
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Pairs N Pears #6
Tarot Society Gallery & Reading Room
4 Charles Place, Bushwick
8:30 p.m. – 11 p.m.
$5 suggested donation
This monthly variety show features pairs of artists, each from a different discipline. This month features a pair of comedians, poets, and burlesque performers, (and a pair of hosts) with all proceeds from the show benefitting a pair of advocacy organizations. This month’s show benefits CAIR-New York and the Trans Assistance Project. Both cash and digital donations are accepted at the door, and pears are also welcome.
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THURSDAY
Put Your Money Where Your Mouth Is: ACLU Fundraiser
The Well
272 Meserole Street, Bushwick
4 p.m. – 11 p.m.
Drink cheap beer and listen to live music to support the ACLU. Old Blue Last (the Vice beer) donated a keg of their beer, which will be sold for just $2 a pop – but there’s just one keg, so arrive early if you can. There will also be a $1 buy-in for an hourly raffle of four-packs from local breweries, with the proceeds also benefiting the ACLU.
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Rooftop Phonebank Against Trump
The W Loft
240 Kent Avenue, Williamsburg
5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Take advantage of (climate change-induced, yet still) nice weather by phone banking on a Williamsburg rooftop with a great view of the skyline. The Democratic Coalition Against Trump will be meeting on Thursday evening to get out the vote for Delaware Democrat Stephanie Hansen. The seat Hansen is running for is currently too close to call, and was decided by less than 300 votes last time around, so GOTV.
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Poetic Justice: Speaking Their Names
Brooklyn Museum, Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Auditorium
200 Eastern Parkway, Prospect Heights
6:30 p.m. – 9 p.m.
$20
The National Coalition of 100 Black Women’s local chapter is honoring Maya Angelou’s legacy with an evening of spoken word performances. This year’s event honors the women and men who have suffered injustices including police brutality and domestic violence. Performers include Toni Blackman, Sheikia Norris “Purple Haze,” Christine “Phya Startah” Gilliam, Barbara Bethea, and Robyn Baxter “IBePoet.” Valerie Bell, the mother of NYPD shooting victim Sean Bell, will also be in attendance.
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Organizing 101
Arts On Site
12 St. Marks Place, 3F, Manhattan
7 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Ben Yee, the State Committeeman for the State Assembly’s 66th district, is hosting a meeting on Thursday to discuss the basics of community organizing and political campaigns, as well as the failures and limitations of the Democratic Party’s current model and ways progressives can improve.
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Resist! Book Club Presents: Freedom is a Constant Struggle
Unnameable Books
600 Vanderbilt Avenue, Prospect Heights
7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Every month, the Resist! Book Club meets to discuss books of various genres that focus on resistance, intersectionality, and both historical and contemporary activism. At their second monthly meeting, held this Thursday, they’ll be talking about Angela Davis’s Freedom is a Constant Struggle, using the text to frame a discussion on human liberation movements.
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DSA Brooklyn Branch Meeting
St. Francis De Sales School for the Deaf
260 Eastern Parkway, Crown Heights
7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Join the DSA’s rapidly-growing Brooklyn Branch for their monthly general meeting. Free childcare will be provided for the duration of the meeting–anyone who needs childcare should contact Erin at erinneff86@gmail.com ahead of time. If you have any questions before the meeting, you can contact dan.dimaggio@gmail.com
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Freedom ISN’T FREE: Fund Black Futures!
Verso Books
20 Jay Street, Suite 1010, DUMBO
7 p.m. – 9 p.m.
suggested $25 – $100 sliding scale entry fee
SURJ NYC is hosting a fundraising mixer benefiting the Black Youth Project 100 NYC. No one will be turned away for lack of funds, but attendees are encouraged to donate at least $25 in exchange for a night of drinking, dancing, and supporting local black-led organizing.
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FRIDAY
Marked Urgent: An Exhibition in Defense of Free Press
Ground Floor Gallery
343 5th Street, Park Slope
6 p.m. – 9 p.m
As a challenge to our Dear Leader’s attempts to limit the free press, this exhibition showcases works on paper that have traditionally been used for correspondence and communication (think letterhead, envelopes, sticky notes…). Each work is priced at $75, and $25 from each sale will benefit the Committee to Protect Journalists, a nonprofit organization that promotes worldwide press freedom.
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Direct Action Party
Verso Books
20 Jay Street, Suite 1010, DUMBO
7 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Celebrate the launch of L.A. Kauffman’s history of American radicalism since the ’60s at Verso Books on Friday with a discussion of the American left’s trajectory over the last 40 years. Kauffman and others will discuss how groups like ACT UP, Occupy Wall Street, and Black Lives Matter have used direct action to bring about change, and how their practices mirror activists from past decades. A wine reception and music will follow the discussion.
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SATURDAY
Hack the Ban
2 MetroTech Center, 8th Floor, Downtown Brooklyn
9 a.m. – 7 p.m.
Free
This free hackathon seeks to unite creatives from multiple disciplines (including technology, design, and journalism), as well as organizations working on immigration policy and with vulnerable communities. Their goal is to create concrete solutions that can be immediately used to resist the Muslim ban and similar actions, and to foster a technical support community for the assistance. If you have any questions or want to collaborate, contact hello@hacktheban.org
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Open Organizing Meeting for Abortion Rights
Verso Books
20 Jay Street, Suite 1010, DUMBO
12 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Now is the time to figure out the next concrete action after week’s counter-protest in support of Planned Parenthood and reproductive rights. This follow-up organizing meeting will focus on current attacks to reproductive freedom and concrete plans for moving forward. Anyone, including those who did not attend last week’s rally, is welcome to attend.
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Organizing 101
Arts On Site
12 St. Marks Place, 3F, Manhattan
1 p.m. – 2 p.m.
Ben Yee, the State Committeeman for the State Assembly’s 66th district, is hosting a meeting on Thursday to discuss the basics of community organizing and political campaigns, as well as the failures and limitations of the Democratic Party’s current model and ways progressives can improve.
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Cryptosquad CryptoParty: Help-Desk Edition
Bluestockings Bookstore, Café, & Activist Center
172 Allen Street, Manhattan
2 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Free
Among other things, the Trump administration is set out to destroy the last vestiges of net neutrality. If you want to learn how to protect yourself online, head to Bluestockings’ monthly CryptoParty for IT help, cyber-security advice, and to meet with others who are interested in tech.
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Fighting for the Climate in the Age of Trump
Verso Books
20 Jay Street, Suite 1010, DUMBO
5 p.m. – 7 p.m.
Join organizers and thinkers leading the fight against pipelines, climate change, and environmental racism to discuss the future of the climate movement under Trump. The four speakers–Kate Aronoff, Judith Leblanc, Patrick Robbins, and Anne Spice–are all expert organizers and will discuss how to organize against climate change under a government that is becoming increasingly anti-science, from massive protests at Standing Rock to national divestment campaigns.
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Galactic Gala
Lightbox – NY
841 Barretto Street, Bronx
7 p.m. – midnight
Tickets: $100
Jukebox the Ghost, Rubblebucket, and pronoun are playing at this space-themed Planned Parenthood benefit. In addition to live music, a ticket gets you all the beer and wine you can drink, a delicious meal, and access to a silent auction. Semi-formal attire with some galactic flair is suggested, and all proceeds go directly to Planned Parenthood. Keep in mind that the venue is 18+ and tickets won’t be sold at the door, so get them ASAP.
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Queer and Trans Dance Party Protest
Fifth Avenue between 55th and 56th Streets, Manhattan
7:30 p.m. – 11 p.m.
Free, but donations encouraged
Protests aren’t limited to marching and chanting. On Saturday night, head to Trump Tower to dance your rage out in front of White House North™. This is a safe space for all LGBT people, people of color, disabled people, and people of all faiths; it is also wheelchair accessible. The organizers have secured a permit and are asking for donations to help fund sound equipment and permit fees.
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Foreign Affairs Game Show
Vital Joint
109 Meserole Street, East Williamsburg
8:30 p.m. – 11:30 p.m.
Free, RSVP required
‘Foreign Affairs’ is a new game show about global culture that involves trivia, creative competitions and global interaction. This weekend, they’re having a preview of the show where you can watch contestants duke it out and show off their knowledge about the world. No, it’s not a protest — but isn’t educating yourself another form of resistance? Besides, it’ll be difficult to watch people talk about foreign affairs without remembering the president knows almost nothing about them. Fun!
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SUNDAY
Carnival of Jewish Resistance! Purim Family Build
East Midwood Jewish Center
1625 Ocean Avenue, Midwood
1 p.m. – 5 p.m.
Free
In preparation for the Purim Carnival on March 5th, children and families are invited to the Midwood Jewish Center to craft social justice-themed Purim props. Kids are invited to papier-mache, paint, craft, and practice running carnival games in anticipation of the celebration. There will also be lessons on sign-making and action planning. Childcare will be provided, but parents need to stay in contact with their kids throughout the day.
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Prison Letter Writing
Mayday Space
176 St Nicholas Avenue, Bushwick
4 p.m. – 10 p.m.
Come out and write letters to prisoners suffering retaliation from the largest prison strike in U.S. history. Postage and stationery will be provided, and people of all letter-writing experience levels are welcome to attend.
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Foreign Affairs Game Show (second showing)
Vital Joint
109 Meserole Street, East Williamsburg
6:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Free, RSVP required
‘Foreign Affairs’ is a new game show about global culture that involves trivia, creative competitions, and global interaction. This weekend, they’re having a preview of the show where you can watch contestants duke it out and show off their knowledge about the world. No, it’s not a protest–but isn’t educating yourself another form of resistance? Besides, it’ll be difficult to watch people talk about foreign affairs without remembering the president knows almost nothing about them. Fun!
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And finally, here is our beautiful communist son, educating his peers: