Weekly Progressive Calendar for San Diego

Compiled By Doug Porter — San Diego Free Press

Congratulations, resistees! We have survived 1.4% of Donald Trump’s (only) four-year term. It’s more important than ever to remember we’re involved in a marathon, not a sprint.

The latest polling results are out as I write this, and they offer encouragement for those of us involved in this movement. Support for impeaching the president has risen from 40% to 46% in the past week. NBC’s Saturday Night Live comedy now has more credibility than the man in the oval office.

Congress-critters from around the country, even those in so-called safe districts are seeing angry voters whenever they appear in public. And when they won’t appear in public –we’re talking about you, Darrell Issa– congressional town halls sans congress-critters are being organized.

In the coming week pushback against cabinet confirmations will be winding down, administration scandals will be winding up, and –most importantly– attempts will be made to implement reactionary policy decisions.

Officials with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) are gearing up for a crackdown, thanks to an executive order the Marshall Project believes will deport 3 million people. Protests in Los Angeles and Phoenix indicate these roundups will be opposed at every turn.

The mainstream media is acknowledging that something is going on. When Politico does a profile on Indivisible, you know the movement has arrived.

That alignment of protesters galvanized by many different issues is a linchpin of Indivisible’s early success. The group doesn’t have a core policy mission: some chapters protest in defense of Obamacare; others embrace criminal justice reform or rally against Trump’s controversial travel ban.

Chapters don’t even have to call themselves Indivisible. Levin estimated that no more than 40 percent of the 6,200 local affiliates registered on the group’s website use the name.

Along with the acknowledgment of the resistance’s existence will come the inevitable pushback. Right now it’s limited to ‘concerned’ establishment (mostly Democratic) types pontificating on how they think things need to be done. Check their history on Google and if they’re part of what got us here, ignore them, please.

So what can you do? There’s plenty of local activism to support. Check out this week’s Progressive Calendar listings below. Following those listings are upcoming events of national importance.

 Get your event listed: I try to list the next 10 days or so of mostly non-commercial events I think our readers might find of interest. I source my material from social media listings and press releases.

Events on Facebook as ‘private’ or sold out are not listed. In cases where there are competing but similar events or campaigns of the progressive persuasion, I do my best to list everything.

Local and Regional Events

Emergency Townhall – Vista

Tuesday, February 21, 6pm
Jim Porter Recreation Center
1200 Vale Terrace Dr, Vista
For More Information

Congressmember Darrell Issa has been invited to join us for this important event and hasn’t yet responded.

Where in the world is Darrell Isaa?

El Cajon Planned Parenthood Clinic Defense

Saturday, February 11, 8am
Planned Parenthood El Cajon
1685 East Main Street, El Cajon
Organized by San Diego Reproductive Rights Defenders
For More Information

Anti-abortion protesters plan on protesting outside of Planned Parenthood Feb. 11 from 8 a.m. on. This is part of a national day of action to defund Planned Parenthood. We can’t let these bigots get away with harassing women, or worse, keeping them from accessing the vital services they need. If we don’t show them that we are the majority, they will only grow more emboldened.

THIS IS, MOST IMPORTANTLY, AN ALL-INCLUSIVE, INTERSECTIONAL DEFENSE! 

It’s up to us to show that Planned Parenthood has the support of hundreds, thousands, and millions of people in the US. Please prepare to spend the day peacefully and nonviolently making it clear that the people want Planned Parenthood, and that hate will not go unchecked.

We understand that PP has not endorsed this event and that they do not like counter-protests. (Ed. – Emphasis added) We are in solidarity with PP and we respect anyone’s decision to not attend. However, history teaches us that the only way to guarantee access is to confront the Antis. 

Defend Planned Parenthood March

Saturday, February 11, 10am
1060 S. Coast Hwy, Encinitas
For More Information

Now more than ever, Planned Parenthood needs our help. Join us on February 11th to show our community the importance of reproductive choice and health care access! We will convene in the parking lot of the aforementioned address and march north towards Moonlight Beach. Bring your friends, family, and of course your peaceful protest signs!

Divest for Standing Rock Sidewalk Parade

Saturday, February 11, 12:15pm
Bank of America
655 West Broadway, Downtown
For More Information

San Diego Water Protectors presents the Divest for Standing Rock Sidewalk Parade featuring live performances in support of Divestment for Standing Rock and clean water. Bring good vibes, love, and noise makers. All ages welcome!

Our mission is to inspire, educate, and encourage the world to divest from the big banks and their unethical financial investments (NDAP and other fossil fuel projects). Money Speaks and we DO have a voice especially with our dollar! Let’s encourage our brothers and sisters to shift their financial investments into banks that have the people’s best interest in mind (Credit Unions, Green Banks, etc)

What a better way to ignite the world in a time where arts are being cut from our current government in America and create a new paradigm, a paradigm where we can come together as a community and shine through collaboration and expression.

Postcard Making Picnic

Sunday, February 12, 1pm
Balboa Park (Pepper Grove Park)
For More Information

National’s effort begins with 10 actions in 100 days. First up… send a postcard to your representative. https://www.womensmarch.com/100?source=direct_link Let’s enjoy the afternoon making postcards, sharing stories, and finding ways to stand up together. Bring food or beverages to share! In addition to staying active, we hope this helps you make connections.

This is an informal gathering and limited. We’ll be on the grassy area (bring a picnic blanket) next to Pepper Grove Park at Balboa Park. It’s near a playgound so children can play while we share our cards and information. We can only provide a couple hundred postcards, please bring extras, stamps and a pen. We will help with finding your rep and addresses. We’ll also collect and mail them off for you!

Meet the Valve Turners

Monday, February 13, 6:30pm
San Diego First Church of the Brethren
3850 Westgate Pl
For More Information (RSVP)

Meet the 5 Valve Turners — who “pulled off the most expansive, coordinated takeover of fossil fuel infrastructure ever attempted in the U.S.” Hear their story and donate to support their legal defense fund.

October 11th 2016, 5 brave climate organizers turned emergency shut-off valves on the 5 pipelines that carry oil from the Canadian tar sands into the United States. It was an unprecedented act of nonviolent direct action that shut down 15% of US crude oil imports for nearly a day. To ensure that the pipelines would be safely shut down, a call was placed to each company fifteen minutes before valve turners entered the sites, giving them ample time to shut each pipeline down.

The five valve-turners say their actions are not only necessary, but morally and legally justified, to avoid the catastrophic harm caused to humanity by unprecedented climactic disruption.

Now, the “Valve Turners” face Felony charges with sentences of up to 95 years in prison. Hear Emily, Michael, Annette, Leonard, and Ken discuss why they felt morally compelled to take this action.

Donation collection, 100% goes to Valve Turners’ legal fund. Suggested donation $20. No one turned away for lack of funds. If you can’t be there, please donate online. Cosponsored by San Diego Greenpeace and the Peace Resource Center.

The Islam Effect: UCSD Islam Awareness Week 2017

February 13-17
UCSD
Hosted by: Muslim Student Association at UCSD
For More Information

UCSD MSA invites you to join us for a week of increasing understanding about Islam and building support towards the Muslim community during trying political times. Each day from 9am to 3pm on library walk we will have interactive activities and free Coffee and Donuts! Stop by!! 

Sometimes All You Need is Love

Tuesday, February 14, 6:30pm
Grassroots Oasis
3130 Moore Street
For More Information

For Valentines Day, take a break from the real world and give yourself and a special someone (or 2, or 3 …) some gentle time. Jeeni Criscenzo and friends will be performing poems that celebrate love in its many manifestations, including a new duet with Jeeni & Juan recounting their great train adventure (Doin it on the Train!).

In the true spirit of love, we will be serving up a light vegan dinner and yummy Valentine dessert — no creatures harmed in the making. It’s OK if you don’t bring someone to share this wonderful evening – there will be many like-minded people to enjoy it with.

Suggested donation: $10 for one, $15 for two. Profits donated to Amikas, which advocates for homeless women and children and for safe, truly affordable housing. (www.Amikas.org) Be sure to get your tickets soon so we know how much food to prepare! Wine, beer and soft drinks with a Donation basket.

Proposition 215 Party

Wednesday, February 15, 2:15-9pm
Benefit for San Diego Americans for Safe Access
seedleSs
2229 Bacon St, OB
For More Information

Food, raffle, live music

Community Call

Wednesday, February 15, 5:30/6:30pm
Alliance San Diego
For More Information

Time: Spanish 5:30 p.m. / English 6:30 p.m. RSVP now to reserve your space on the call

Now, more than ever, we need to stand up for the society we want to create. We must be the change we want to see. Join us for our weekly calls to Ignite Change. Find out what decision-makers are doing, how it will affect you, and learn what you can do to advance your community.

San Diego: Don’t Just Learn About Zapata, Be Like Zapata!

Wednesday, February 15, 6pm
Unión del Barrio
Chicano Park
For More Information

With a new president in office, now more than ever there is a necessity to build People Power and a Political Party amongst all sectors of our community. With the recent victory of Ethnic Studies in the SDUSD, we understand the value and necessity of having an education that is not poison for our jovenes in which they are taught to hate themselves, their communities and to admire the oppressor. Although Ethnic Studies is a victory, we understand that building our own institutions, our own curriculum, telling our own stories and preserving the history of struggle while actively working to build future organizers is the only way we will achieve liberation. Escuelita Aztlan is amongst these independent schools that are actively working to build people power amongst youth across San Diego. Join us for a Dialogue on what Escuelita is and how we can move away from the oppressive institutions that continue to limit and dictate what our youth should learn.

General Strike

Friday, February 17, All Day
Everywhere
For More Information

This event is a SAN DIEGO edition in solidarity with events across the United States. Please also click attending to the national parent event, so that we have a rough total count: https://www.facebook.com/events/1756631744665376/

“Where Do We Go From Here?”:
Community Forum on Policing and Racial Profiling

Friday, February 17, 6pm
Sherman Heights Community Center
2258 Island Avenue
Gerrlyn Gacao, 619-398-4490, ggacao@aclusandiego.org

This past November, after years of community advocacy, the Public Safety & Livable Neighborhoods Committee received an independent report analyzing demographics on police traffic stops. San Diegans then learned what many of us already knew to be true: the San Diego Police Department treats drivers differently based on race and ethnicity. The report data revealed disturbing disparities between policing of White drivers and drivers of color – particularly Black and Latino drivers, who were found to be stopped, searched and questioned more frequently.

On Monday, February 27, the full City Council meets to received SDPD’s plan for addressing the biased policing documented in this report. Racial profiling is unjust, unjustified, and undermines community trust. Come join us at this important City Council meeting to hear how SDPD will address disparities in traffic stops, searches and field interviews; and to learn how SDPD will implement The Racial and Identity Profiling Act of 2015 (AB 953), the new state law intended to reduce discriminatory police practices.

March in Solidarity with Immigrants, San Diego/
Immigrants Make America Great San Diego

Saturday, February 18, 11am
County Building
1600 Pacific Highway
Solidarity Info
America Great Info

There were originally two events scheduled for February 18 (more are occurring nationally). Each had over a thousand RSVPs on Facebook. Wisely, they have now merged.

The organizers of the ‘Solidarity’ event still intend to march to the Federal Building at some point after noon.

I have included a snip below from each of their Facebook pages. There will likely be further revisions to the programs, so be sure to check the links.

From Solidarity: We are calling on all people to unite and march in support of Immigrants and Refugees.

We are demanding that the republican San Diego Mayor Faulconer declares San Diego a Sanctuary City. While SD has the busiest border crossing in the world, Mayor Faulconer has taken no action to protect immigrants against Trump’s policies.

From America Great: Please join us at Waterfront Park in San Diego. We will be standing in solidarity at the same date as our brothers and sisters in Los Angeles and hopefully in many other places across our beautiful nation!

The time is NOW. We will stand with those who are afraid and those who have been marginalized by Trump’s executive orders.Immigration shapes how the world views America.

General Meeting of Women Occupy San Diego

Sunday, February 19, 1pm
Art Academy of San Diego
3784 30th St (North Park)
For More Information

Women Occupy San Diego is hosting a general meeting. If you are an active member or just interested come by to hear about our work and discuss future work and actions.

Civil Rights Teach-In: Recognizing Intersectionality

Monday, February 20, 4:30pm
Jacobs Center for Neighborhood Innovation
404 Euclid Ave
For More Information

FREE Teach-In Part II: All are welcome!

This special event series was born organically when a small group of RISE Fellows got together to think and dream about what would be needed of us, and FOR us, in the year ahead in order to be prepared for the changes potentially coming to our city and our nation. 

Help crowdsource a full page Union-Tribune ad to invite Issa to this meeting: https://www.youcaring.com/inviteIssa

The event will be to learn and speak out against the reckless plan to repeal healthcare coverage and protections with no serious replacement.

Will you or someone you love lose your healthcare? How will the plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act affect your current healthcare coverage? How will seniors, small businesspeople, and people with pre-existing conditions be affected?

What can you do to STOP the plan to take away healthcare from millions of Americans?

Event Partners: Courageous Resistance Encinitas, Indivisible North San Diego County, Indivisible Ocean Hills, Indivisible San Diego North District 49, Our Revolution North County San Diego, Preserve Progress, Together We Will North San Diego County, The Wagon Circle, Service Employees International Union California (SEIU CA), Service Employees International Union 221 (SEIU 221), United Domestic Workers of America (UDW), Organizing for Action (OFA), American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), San Diego Organizing Project (SDOP), Planned Parenthood Action Fund of the Pacific Southwest, San Diego Labor Council (SDLC), San Diegans for Health Care Coverage/CCHI, Health Access.

Climate Change Rally

Tuesday, February 21, 6pm
Edward J Schwartz Federal Building
880 Front Street (Downtown)
For More Information

San Diegans who believe Climate Change is not a hoax will gather Tuesday, February 21st at 6 p.m. at the Federal Building. We will call upon the President, House and Senate to implement a National World War II-scale Mobilization to transition the U.S. from fossil fuels to renewable energy.

The theme of the rally will be “Climate Change is not a Hoax and Make Your Voice Heard.” The San Diego Climate Mobilization Coalition is part of the Climate Mobilization http://www.theclimatemobilization.org/, a nationwide climate advocacy and environmental action organization based in New York City.

Speakers include: 

Wesley Clark, Jr., Dakota Access Pipeline Activist and organizer of U.S. military veterans to support the water protectors of Standing Rock, South Dakota.
Diane Takvorian, Executive Director, Environmental Health Coalition
Ruben Arizmendi, Chairman, San Diego Sierra Club
Cody Petterson, Vice President, Impact Assessment

How to Join Your Community Planning Group

Tuesday, February 21, 6pm
Thomas Jefferson School of Law
1100 Island Ave
For More Information (RSVP)

Join Circulate San Diego and our partners for a panel and discussion on how residents of the City of San Diego can serve on their local community planning groups.

Community planning groups are an important mechanism for determining how San Diego will grow and develop. Circulate San Diego is encouraging a diverse group of committed San Diegans to participate in the City’s community planning groups.

Please make sure you RSVP. We have a LOT of interest, and we may have to cut off attendance to avoid overflowing the room.

National and Ongoing Events

The Ides of Trump – Send the President a Postcard (March 15)

On March 15th, each of us will mail Donald Trump a postcard that publicly expresses our opposition to him. And we, in vast numbers, from all corners of the world, will overwhelm the man with his unpopularity and failure. We will show the media and the politicians what standing with him — and against us — means. And most importantly, we will bury the White House post office in pink slips, all informing Donnie that he’s fired.

Each of us — every protester from every march, each congress calling citizen, every boycotter, volunteer, donor, and petition signer — if each of us writes even a single postcard and we put them all in the mail on the same day, March 15th, well: you do the math.

No alternative fact or Russian translation will explain away our record-breaking, officially-verifiable, warehouse-filling flood of fury. Hank Aaron currently holds the record for fan mail, having received 900,000 pieces in a year. We’re setting a new record: over a million pieces in a day, with not a single nice thing to say.

So sharpen your wit, unsheathe your writing implements, and see if your sincerest ill-wishes can pierce Donald’s famously thin skin. Prepare for March 15th, 2017, a day hereafter to be known as #TheIdesOfTrump

Write one postcard. Write a dozen! Take a picture and post it on social media tagged with #TheIdesOfTrump ! Spread the word! Everyone on Earth should let Donnie know how he’s doing. They can’t build a wall high enough to stop the mail.

Then, on March 15th, mail your messages to:

President (for now) Donald J. Trump
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

It might just be enough to make him crack.

Tax March (April 15)

Via the Guardian:

Since Donald Trump refused to release his tax returns during the campaign, thousands are marching on Tax Day to protest “the absolute unfairness of a man who is a billionaire president who might be not paying taxes while working folks are paying their fair share”, said Gwen Snyder, a community organizer and national organizer of Tax March.

At least 30 Tax Marches have been planned in solidarity around the country with several hundred thousand people expected. The Los Angeles event page shows 66,000 people who have expressed interest or attending. The New York march event page has nearly 40,000 interested or attending, and 37,000 people have said they are interested in the DC march, with over 7,000 clicking “attend”.

March For Science (April 22)

The March for Science is a celebration of our passion for science and a call to support and safeguard the scientific community. Recent policy changes have caused heightened worry among scientists, and the incredible and immediate outpouring of support has made clear that these concerns are also shared by hundreds of thousands of people around the world. The politicization of science, which has given policymakers permission to reject overwhelming evidence, is a critical and urgent matter. It is time for people who support scientific research and evidence-based policies to take a public stand and be counted. On April 22, 2017 hundreds of thousands of people will walk out of their lab coats and into the streets of Washington.
San Diego March for Science facebook page!

National People’s Climate March (April 29)

The Sierra Club and other environmental organizations have announced demonstrations in Washington DC and other cities for April 29, the 99th day of the Trump administration. Sign up for updates here.

Immigrants March (May 6, Washington DC)

From the Guardian:

“I started organizing for the march the day that Trump … signed the executive order on the construction of the wall on the Mexican border,” said Erick Sanchez, whose father is Iranian and great-grandparents are Mexican. That was also the day a draft of Trump’s travel ban was leaked to the press.

The Immigrants March Facebook event page already has 163,000 people interested and 25,000 attending.

National Pride March (June 11)

Drawing inspiration from the Women’s March on Washington, a gay activist in New York City has announced plans for the National Pride March, a “mass” LGBT protest at the nation’s capital. Join the march’s facebook page here.

Other Things You Can Do

Sign Up For SwingLeft: Control of the House in 2018 will be decided by a handful of Swing Districts, places where the last election was decided by a thin margin. Find your closest Swing District and join its team to learn about actionable opportunities to support progressives—and defeat Republicans—in that district, no matter where you live. Check out SwingLeft here.

Sign Up for Indivisible. Over 35 groups locally, 6000+ nationally. All the cool kids are doing it. (Really!)

Sign Up for The Town Hall Project An unfunded, crowdsourced, Facebook-based project that researches “every district and state for public events with Members of Congress,” and makes the info available via a Google spreadsheet in the hope that people will engage their representatives face to face.

Sign Up for #ResistTrumpTuesdays A joint project of The Working Families Party, MoveOn, and People’s Action. Its goal is to turn large numbers of activists out every Tuesday to fight back against a different element of Trump’s agenda. Go here to find a local action .

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Doug Porter is a longtime journalist and publisher of San Diego Free Press, formerly OB Rag. This listing was placed with special permission.

More from Doug aboutDoug: I read the Daily Fishwrap(s) so you don’t have to… Catch “the Starting Line” Monday thru Friday right here at San Diego Free Press (dot) org. Send your hate mail and ideas to DougPorter@SanDiegoFreePress.Org     Check us out on Facebook and Twitter.