May 17 2025 Meeting

Hello!

Thank you to everyone who attended Saturday’s organizational meeting.  We used a different location this month, but will be back at the Franklin Avenue Library for next month’s meeting on June 7 at 2:00 pm..

It was a fantastic meeting full of valuable information as we move forward.

  • We heard from ACLU speaker Becca Eastwood, who provided essential information around knowing our rights when protesting. 
  • Ashley shared ways to stay safe during protests if there is violence or unrest.
  • We discussed 3 action steps that we can all take today to fight back against the current, harmful administration.
  • Talked about our upcoming meetings.

Know Your Rights – ACLU presentation

As a reminder, the information provided below is not legal advice and is general information only. For specific situations and questions, you should consult an attorney.

Please refer to the attached presentation for information on what was shared. Becca provided important information on what types of free speech are protected, four things you need to know when organizing or attending a protest, suggestions to stay safe and smart if taking pictures or recording during a protest, and what can happen when police are present at protests and an order is given to disperse or you are detained. 

Additional information on safety at protests – Action Iowa Indivisible

Please note that this information was put together by Action Iowa Indivisible with sources cited in the attached document and WAS NOT provided by the ACLU.

As a reminder – law enforcement is present at protests/rallies to perform their job. They are not always our allies. Remember to be respectful but cautious with your interactions. The best thing you can do is to appropriately prepare for potential violence and learn how to aid others. Please refer to the attached PowerPoint for specific information.

Our three actions to focus on

  1. Zach Nunn is our largest target in 2026 for flipping a seat from a Trump supporting Republican to literally anyone else. With that in mind we have had a number of people who have already announced their run for this seat. Early support and donations are some of the best ways to help. 

Our first ask is that you go and research the people who have announced. Figure out who will be most able and willing to support the world you want to see and get involved with their campaign in whichever ways you are able. It can be as small as a facebook post about your support or as big as volunteering directly for the campaign, but early involvement is key to success.

So far, we have had two people announce their run for this seat – Sarah Trone Garriott and Jennifer Konfrst.

  1. We understand that money is tight. This economy is not doing anyone any favors unless you are already a billionaire. But I know you have seen that NPR and PBS were in an executive order a couple weeks ago, where Trump has decided to cut federal funding for these independent news organizations. These will have substantial consequences for our local stations. So our ask is that you look into donating, if you have the ability, to IowaPBS and Iowa Public Radio.

If you can not afford to donate, which is completely understandable, we would ask that you share a story online and with friends about how these organizations have shaped your life. I don’t know many millennials who didn’t get part of their childhood education straight from PBS. I don’t know many parents who haven’t sat their kid down to enjoy some Daniel Tiger as it reminds us of our many years with Mr. Rogers. I also know many of you pre cable who turned on PBS on a Saturday afternoon to watch a woodworking show or crafting show. I also am very aware of how many of us are craving that independent news source and seek out IPR to know what’s going on in this world without the media spin. These stories matter and will help to sway the public into remembering how important these services are. It’s only with a massive upwelling of support that these institutions will continue to exist. 

  1. Our final ask is probably the easiest and the most time consuming. Today we heard a lot about protests. We’ve learned about what our rights are as we fight against fascism, and we’ve learned a little bit about how to fight that fight safely. 

We’re going to ask each of you to: 

  1. Brush up on your first aid knowledge. This will be beneficial not only for protests but just everyday life. The name of the game is community and this will help you be a better helper. 
  2. I ask that you take the time to make your protest friendly friends aware of the things you have learned here. Pass this knowledge on so that others can also be safer at protests. We’re in this for the long haul and with Trump leaning more and more into his dictator vibes everyday, it’s only going to be more vital that we look out for each other. See the attachment Safety During Protest.

Indivisible Iowa will be offering the same training you received here on May 28th at 7PM on Zoom. We will send out that link in our email following this meeting.

As a reminder, our next meeting is on Wednesday, May 28 at 6:00 pm at the Merle Hay Mall food court. You can register for the meeting here. Our positive action for the month is to gather donations for the Young Women’s Resource Center in Des Moines. Please visit their website for more information, and consider bringing an item to donate (such as hygiene products). 

We’ll also be back at the Franklin Avenue Library on June 7th.

We look forward to seeing you again soon!