Tax day is looming on the horizon, and I mean, it kind of sucks to have to send your money to a government that will spend a lot of it on bombing people and on Paul Ryan’s health insurance, but keep in mind that your tax dollars also provide plenty of necessary social services for people around the country (and around the world! That’s great!).
That said, some people–i.e., the president of these United States–has a history of um, maybe not paying taxes? Or of definitely hiding something, which is why he never released his taxes, and maybe what he’s hiding is worse than the fact that he doesn’t even pay taxes. Anyway, get your taxes filed ASAP, come out to these local activist events, and on Saturday, top it all off with the Tax March.
MONDAY (today)
Greening the Revolution: Screening-Potluck with Silvia Federici
Mayday Space
176 St. Nicholas Ave., Bushwick
6:30pm – 9:30pm
FREE
Mayday Space’s collaborative kitchen is kicking off a new monthly screening series, featuring films about food, agriculture, pesticides, health, hunger, land, and capitalism. This week, they’re screening Katie Curran’s Greening the Revolution.
________
North Brooklyn Progressive Democrats General Meeting
Spritzenhaus33
33 Nassau Ave., Greenpoint
8pm – 10pm
FREE
Now that the North Brooklyn Progressive Democrats have picked their executive committee, this month’s meeting is dedicated to planning out the remainder of 2017. They’ll be running the meeting as an “interactive workshop,” where attendees will break into working groups.
________
TUESDAY
Interfaith Seder for Solidarity with Families Facing Deportation
26 Federal Plaza, Manhattan
8:15am – 11am
RSVP (FREE)
This interfaith gathering allows people of all faiths (or no faith) to stand in solidarity with people who are facing the threat of detention and immigration. The event is being sponsored by a number of advocacy and religious organizations, including Brooklyn Defender Services, the Legal Aid Society, Judson Memorial Church, American Friends Service Committee, and more.
________
How (and Why) to Not Pay Your Federal Taxes
Pete’s Candy Store
709 Lorimer St., Williamsburg
7pm – 9pm
FREE
When I was a kid, I was like, “mom, why do you pay taxes so we can bomb people on other continents?” and my mom was like, “because we live in a society and that’s just kind of how it works.” But what if that didn’t have to be how it worked? Come learn a thing or two about withholding money from the government (and more!) at this discussion, led by Andrew Newman, an associate professor of English and history at Stony Brook University, who’s one of the people leading the fight against paying federal taxes.
________
WEDNESDAY
Lunch at Cuomo’s – Rally for Reproductive Rights
Governor Cuomo’s Manhattan Office
663 Third Ave., Manhattan
12pm – 1pm
A group of dedicated activists are rallying every Wednesday in favor of reproductive rights until the State Senate votes on the Reproductive Health Act. Since the attempted “replacements” for the Affordable Care Act completely neglect reproductive health, and Trump and Pence have doubled down on making access to abortion and reproductive health services a “state’s rights issue,” this legislation is incredibly important for New Yorkers.
________
NYABJ April General Body Meeting
WNYC Radio
160 Varick St., Manhattan
6pm – 8pm
FREE
The New York Association of Black Journalists is having their general meeting for the month, plus an always-timely panel discussion on journalism ethics in the age of Trump. You’ll be able to learn about upcoming events, meet other journalists, and learn from their guest speakers at this event, plus there will be refreshments.
________
Paid Protest
Starr Bar
214 Starr St., Bushwick
8pm – 10pm
FREE
I mean, you probably can’t really get paid to protest, but you can pay for the Democratic Socialists of America’s NYC Climate Justice Working Group to raise some much-needed funds, all by attending a comedy show. The lineup includes Jaboukie Young White, Lorelei Ramirez, Jake Flores, Jordan Jensen, and Joe Pera, all proceeds go directly to making the world a better place, and there’s no cover (just be sure to donate what you can!).
________
A Fundraiser for the Center for Anti-Violence Education
The Cobra Club
6 Wyckoff Ave., Bushwick
8:30pm – 10:30pm
$15 – $25
Live music, drag, and burlesque performances are all part of this show, with all proceeds benefitting the Center for Anti-Violence Education. Performers include Carissa Matsushima, Essence Revealed, Lee VaLone, MiscAllaneous DomTop, SHEMAR, Velvet Kensington, and WHIMSY PIMSY, and the show starts at 9pm sharp! A VIP ticker guarantees you a seat by the stage.
________
THURSDAY
#JewishResistance: Seder in the Streets
City Hall, Manhattan
4:30pm – 8pm
FREE
This picnic seder is a way of showing solidarity with immigrants, Muslims, and everyone else who is being targeted by the Trump administration and demanding that the mayor make NYC a real sanctuary city by ending predatory broken windows policing. The organizers, Jews for Economic & Racial Justice, will provide the food, just bring yourself, some blankets or folding chairs, and grape juice to share. At 4:15pm, the opening program begins at the City Hall steps, followed by a brief march and a 5:30pm seder at Foley Square.
________
Town Hall with Representatives Carolyn Maloney and Nydia Velazquez
P.S. 20 Anna Silver School
166 Essex Street, Manhattan
6:30pm – 8pm
FREE
Representatives Maloney and Velasquez are hosting a joint town hall to discuss the latest federal policies that affect New York City. They’ll be discussing affordable housing, immigration, the Affordable Care Act, and Trump’s budget proposal. Panel speakers include James Parrot, the former Chief Economist of the Fiscal Policy Institute; Marc Jahr, Co-Chair of the New York Housing Conference Board of Directors; Ruthie Epstein, Senior Policy Advisor, New York Civil Liberties Union; and Danielle Holahan, Deputy Director at NY State of Health.
________
Women’s Town Hall: Speak Up, Speak Out Against Violence
YWCA Brooklyn
30 3rd. Ave., Boerum Hill
6:30pm – 8:30pm
The National Organization for Women is hosting a series of town halls regarding violence against women across New York State. You can sign up to speak here, listen to women talk about how they’ve been affected by violence, and make a plan to take action at this week’s event.
________
Book Launch: SHOT: 101 Survivors of Gun Violence
POWERHOUSE @ the Archway
28 Adams Street, DUMBO
7pm – 9pm
FREE (RSVP)
Photographer Kathy Shorr will discuss her latest book, SHOT: 101 Survivors of Gun Violence in America, with Lyle Rexer, as well as the increasing ubiquity of gun violence in the US and the stories of people who were shot and survived the experience. Given that we have a president who was endorsed by the NRA, this is a pretty timely read.
________
What to do about the IDC?
Union Temple of Brooklyn
17 Eastern Parkway, Ste. 1, Prospect Heights
7pm
FREE
The Lambda Independent Democrats of Brooklyn are having their monthly meeting this Thursday, which will focus on the IDC, a group of “Democratic” senators who caucus with the Republicans. Panel speakers include Donna Lieberman, Executive Director of the New York Civil Liberties Union.
________
Screening of The End of Poverty
Judson Memorial Church (Assembly Hall)
239 Thompson St., Manhattan
7pm – 10pm
FREE
Catch this free screening of The End of Poverty, a documentary about capitalism and its effects on people around the globe that seeks to answer one question: Is poverty an unfortunate side effect of capitalism’s greatness (and more importantly, can capitalism end poverty?), or is inequality an inherent part of how it functions? The film, unsurprisingly, makes a stronger case for the latter. Refreshments will be served!
________
Art as Resistance! Artists & Organizers Respond
Starr Bar
214 Starr St., Bushwick
7pm – 10pm
FREE
This discussion seeks to answer (or at least contribute to the discussion around) two questions: what is the relationship between art and activism? How can artists contribute to the immigrants’ rights movement? Speakers include Maria de Los Angeles, Ruby Chacón, and Dolly Martinez, and and activists from Make the Road New York, a local immigration organization.
________
Know Your Media – pop-up benefit
Industry City Distillery
33 35th St., 6A
7pm – 11pm
sliding scale donation
Performance, art, music, and interactive installations will all be present at this benefit, with all proceeds going to the Center for Media Justice, Interference Archive, Electronic Frontier Foundation, WITNESS and the Guardian Project. There will also be an “identity blocker selfie booth” and surveillance corner, sets by DJ Scribe, and food by Insatiable Vegan. Come out and support new media, archiving, and journalists’ rights!
________
#Resist: Learning from the DREAMers
Union Docs
322 Union Avenue, Williamsburg
7:30pm
$10
Screenings at this immigrant rights-focused event include Dreams Awake, a short film about one immigrant worker who discovered his political and artistic voice in the US, and excerpts from Immigration Battle, a feature about the political realities surrounding the immigration debate. Filmmakers Michael Camerini, Shari Robertson, Kevin Gordon, and Representatives from Make the Road NYC will discuss the films after the screening.
________
FRIDAY
Begin Again
Mount Pisgah Baptist Church
212 Tompkins Ave., Bed-Stuy
9am – 3pm
FREE
This event, hosted by the Brooklyn DA’s Office, gives you a chance to clear outstanding warrants for low-level summonses easily, often without having to pay. Expect long lines (unless you pre-register online), and be sure to check the FAQ to see a list of qualifying offenses (think public consumption of alcohol, littering, being in a park after hours, peeing on the street….).
________
The Revolution Is Feminist: Women’s Leadership in Today’s Latin American Revolution
Silver Center of Arts & Science Hemmerdinger Hall
100 Washington Sq. East, Manhattan
5pm – 7pm
FREE
This panel discussion, which will be held in Spanish with several simultaneous interpreters, focuses on ending femicide and achieving gender equality in Latin America. Speakers include feminist organizer and former Peruvian presidential candidate Veronika Mendoza, anthropologist and professor Pamela Calla, and editor Claudia Salazar Jimenez.
________
Not My President-A Monthly Show of Resistance
Legion Bar
790 Metropolitan Avenue, Williamsburg
10pm
donations
Come dance for a good cause at this monthly benefit. This month’s show includes performances by Jessi Olsen, RoseAnn Fino, DJ Crayola, and Lost Kingdoms. Half the door proceeds will be donated to the ACLU, and organizers will also be selling merch that goes straight to the group.
________
SATURDAY
Tax March – NYC
Bryant Park
1pm – 4pm
Rachel Maddow got a copy of the President’s taxes from 2005, and that was pretty cool, but how much has he been paying recently? I mean, he clearly doesn’t want you to know, since he never bothered releasing his returns while on the campaign trail. On tax day, come out and demand that he releases his tax returns at this march. Because if you have to pay taxes, so should the president.
________
Post-Tax March, Pre-Science March Benefit
Cafe Sawdust
93 2nd Ave #1, Manhattan
4pm – 1am
FREE
Grab a drink at Cafe Sawdust after the tax march, plus get a silkscreen of whatever you want for just $5, with all proceeds going directly to a fund to send a woman of color/STEM student to the Science March in Washington, DC. There will also be live music, an auction, and plenty of merch for sale.