ORGANIZING NOTES
May 14, 2025
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Bernie Sanders: “Fight The Oligarchy” Tour Continues to Rally Thousands Across Battleground States
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Senator Bernie Sanders’ “Fighting Oligarchy” tour continues to galvanize progressive momentum across the nation. On May 1, Sanders headlined a spirited May Day rally in Philadelphia, drawing over 5,000 attendees under the banner “For the Workers, Not the Billionaires.” The event, organized by local labor groups, protested President Trump’s policies perceived as detrimental to working-class Americans.
Earlier, the tour made significant stops in Colorado, where Sanders and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez addressed massive, record-breaking crowds in Greeley and Denver. These rallies underscored the tour’s focus on opposing oligarchic influence and advocating for policies like universal healthcare and wealth taxation.
The tour’s momentum carried into Pennsylvania, with events in Harrisburg and Bethlehem attracting thousands more. Sanders’ message resonates strongly in districts narrowly won by Republicans, emphasizing grassroots mobilization against corporate dominance and authoritarianism.
As the tour progresses, it continues to amplify progressive voices and challenge the status quo, signaling a robust push for systemic change in American politics.
Watch a video of the tour stop in Bethlehem, Philadelphia here.
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Who Said Resistance Can’t Be Fun! Enjoy!
Thank You to Fred Wilkin of FCCPR
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Compassion and Empathy are the Heart of Community:
Solidarity with Immigrants
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Compassion and empathy are the heart of community. Trump and MAGA forces succeed when they break us into factions fighting each other for dignity and legitimacy. Facts are clear: immigrants in Massachusetts are 17-18% of the population, and they contribute as much as 21% of the state’s GDP. An even stronger argument is that by embracing our neighbors, we create a society where every human life is valued, every birth is celebrated, and every person in need is tended to.
Undocumented immigrants are in peril. Given ICE’s racism, even documented people of color are at risk of summary, extraordinary rendition, and deportation to a foreign country. Many of us are joining rapid response groups to resist ICE raids and provide support and housing to recently arrived undocumented people fleeing persecution and violence in their homelands.
In addition to performing these acts of generosity, we can also ask our state legislators to pass laws to protect our immigrant neighbors. Here are a suite of bills that will increase security for this vulnerable group. Please send a letter to your legislators requesting that they co-sponsor this legislation to enhance the safety of people who, despite the horrors they have fled, are contributing so much to our state. LETTER
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Protect Academic Freedom:
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Ask your Institution of Higher Learning to Establish or Join a Mutual Defense Compact That Aligns with National Efforts, Poolling Resources and Legal Expertise
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Project 2025, a policy blueprint created by the Heritage Foundation and over 100 allied groups, explicitly targets colleges and universities. It outlines plans to undermine civil rights enforcement, reduce public health and arts funding, limit scientific research, and eliminate support for marginalized students. The goal is clear: to control what people learn, who is allowed to belong, and who is permitted to speak.
Send a letter to your college, university, alma mater, in defense of academic integrity and institutional independence. Protecting Academic Freedom
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Donald Trump thinks his parade is going to be big and strong, but it’s going to pale in comparison to the expected one million strong Pride festivities in Boston! And since Trump and his administration are specifically targeting friends in the LGBTQ+ community we’re going to let them know that when they come for one, they get us all! If you attended Hands Off! please convince two of your friends and family to come out for No Kings Day! Remember it only takes 3.5% of the population engaging in nonviolent protest to topple authoritarian regimes – so who will you bring?
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Acres of Clams is a new, free film, documenting the New England-based Clamshell Alliance which inspired the national anti-nuclear movement in the 1970s. The Clamshell experience, which drew on the wisdom of generations of struggles, offers important insights into our current day organizing and resistance work. Continued…
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Saturday, June 21 10AM – 4PM
Clark University, Higgins University Center
950 Main Street, Worcester
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Extra! Extra! We’re Winning
on Mutliple Fronts
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From Chop Wood, Carry Water by Jessica Craven
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I’ve got another week’s worth of wins for you. It’s still grim out there, of course, but we’ve also notched a surprising number of victories. Every week, in fact, we’re seeing more determination, cohesion, and creativity from the opposition. A growing number of people, organizations, affinity groups, lawmakers, and even countries are joining forces and fighting back. And it’s working! Read on…
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Saguaro National Park Grows by Nearly 50 Acres in a Win for Conservation
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In a victory for public lands and environmental preservation, Saguaro National Park near Tucson, Arizona, has expanded by nearly 50 acres thanks to a recent land acquisition. The addition, located in the park’s Rincon Mountain District, was made possible by a collaboration between the National Park Service and The Conservation Fund, which purchased the land from a private owner and donated it to the park.
This expansion helps protect critical desert habitat and iconic saguaro cacti, while improving access for hikers and wildlife alike. Advocates note that the land adds ecological value and buffers the park from nearby development. The acquisition was funded in part by the Land and Water Conservation Fund, a key tool in preserving America’s natural spaces.
With climate change and urban sprawl threatening wildlands nationwide, this expansion marks a hopeful step forward in safeguarding treasured ecosystems for future generations.
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If you would like to work with ORMA Members on
- Climate Change
- Community-Based Alternative Emergency Response Teams
- Ranked-Choice Voting
- Housing For All
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ORMA depends on your support to continue Bernie’s Political Revolution to create a society, a politics, and an economy that works for everyone, not just billionaires, corporations and the political elite.
If you value Organizing Notes and its twice a month distribution schedule, please make a donation to ensure its continued existence.
Invest in Change Now!
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Please send requests for action items, articles or upcoming events
for the next Organizing Notes to
beccobrien.orma@gmail.com by Saturday, May 24th
We’d love to have you send us your favorite pictures of Bernie here in MA!
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Campaigns End, Movements Endure
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