Olmsted DFLers and friends,

Here is your ‘Activism Roundup’ for the week of July 14th - July 20th, which will direct you towards upcoming ways to get involved in actions organized by local DFL volunteers and by other organizations that share our commitment to a strong democracy and to ensuring the safety and well-being of everyone in our communities. Thanks for bearing with us as we took a few weeks off from pushing out the Roundup. We are back in the saddle and ready to ride!

This week the focus is on the nationwide call to action / mass mobilization on Thursday, July 17th. Good Trouble Lives On is set to honor the life and legacy of the late John Lewis, a civil rights champion and tireless advocate for social justice. We are asking people all over the country to come together and learn ways to get into good trouble for the benefit of their communities and country. See GoodTroubleLivesOnMN.com for more information as well as the events taking place on Thursday listed below.

See something we missed? Please email us at olmsted2024dfl@gmail.com so that we can update the Roundup with your event!

Coming up this week (July 14th - July 20th):

Letter Writing and Issues Training Workshop

Time: 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM Tuesday July 15th

Location: DFL Offices, 1500 1st Ave NE, Suite A, Rochester

Sponsor: The DFLs of Olmsted County

Details: Join the Olmsted DFLs for our letter-writing and issues-training workshops. The purpose of these workshops is to familiarize participants with current topics affecting the local community as well as the most effective ways to respond. These are informal, drop-in events and will take about 15-30 min of your time. Come by the office anytime between 4:00 pm and 6:00 pm on Tuesdays to take part in the workshop and leave empowered to support the causes that matter most to you!

If you know which topics you wish to write about ahead of time, please drop us an email so we can be best prepared to help you (rochester.dfl.outreach@gmail.com).

Sign-up/questions: https://www.mobilize.us/dfl/event/782389/ | Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/share/1FWmWUgREE/

Rally for Democracy

Time: 5:00 PM - 6:00 PM, Wednesday, July 16th

Location: Chatfield City Park, 315 Main St (at the stoplight, *Note if coming from the North, Hwy52 detours at 1-90)

Sponsor: Fillmore County DFL

Details: Join us for a Rural Rally for Democracy and show your support for DFL values! This is a great opportunity to come together with fellow community members and show our community that we believe in democracy. Bring your energy, your signs, and your friends as we show up against the radical Republican agenda!

Event will be held rain or shine.

Please bring a non-perishable donation for the Chatfield Food Bank.

Sign up/Questions:  Mobilize link: https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/793753/ | Facebook event link: https://www.facebook.com/share/1JRoNXTZmv/

One Million Rising: Strategic Non-Cooperation to Fight Authoritarianism

Time: 7:00 PM - 8:30 PM, Wednesday, July 16th

Location: Virtual (Zoom)

Sponsor: No Kings! Coalition

Details: Across the country, authoritarian forces are getting bolder and more dangerous. Trump and his allies are not hiding their agenda: mass deportations, rollbacks of civil rights, weaponized courts, and full-scale attacks on our democracy. We don’t have to wait until it’s too late. We can stop this. But it’ll take all of us—not just on single days of mass action, but through sustained organizing in our communities.

That’s why this summer, we’re launching One Million Rising—a national effort to train one million people in the strategic logic and practice of non-cooperation, as well as the basics of community organizing and campaign design. This is how we build people power that can’t be ignored. You’re invited to join us—and lead.

Let’s build a force bigger than fear and louder than hate. Let’s get ready. Let’s get organized. Let’s stop Trump.

Sign up/Questions:  Mobilize link: https://www.mobilize.us/nokings/event/803953/

Good Trouble Lives On!

Time: 4:30-7:00 PM Thursday, July 17th

Location: Soldiers Memorial Field Track, Soldiers Field Dr SW, Rocheste

Sponsors: MN50501-Rochester | COPAL | NAACP-Rochester branch

Details: Gather in community and commit to some Good Trouble with MN50501-Rochester, COPAL, and the Rochester branch of the NAACP on Thursday, July 17. Meet at the Solidiers Field Track circle at any time between 4:30 and 5:30 PM to engage in a ‘Reflection and Action’ Open House. Along with many additional community organizations, we will empower you with ways you can get involved and create Good Trouble to lift up your community. See our Good Trouble Toolkit for a sneak preview.

*COPAL will be collecting non-perishable food donations at the open house to serve local communities in need. Bring whatever you can spare and drop it off at the COPAL table ahead of the rally.

At 5:30, join the ‘Good Trouble Lives On’ rally with powerful local speakers and a march, ending at 7:00 with the opportunity to enjoy food, music, and community at Thursdays Downtown. Let’s continue the momentum from the No Kings protest - show the Trump Administration that We the People are not backing down, and we stand united in solidarity and strength!!

Further details about this event are available on our website at https://goodtroublelivesonmn.com, and will also be emailed to mobilize registrants

Details from the National Organizers:

Good Trouble Lives On is a national day of nonviolent action to respond to the attacks posed on our civil and human rights by the Trump Administration and to remind them that, in America, the power lies with the people. On July 17, the anniversary of Congressman John Lewis’ passing, we’re taking action across the country to defend our democracy and carry forward his legacy of Good Trouble. From voter suppression bills like the SAVE Act to the criminalization of protest, to the terrorization of immigrants, the Trump Administration is launching a full-scale attack on our civil and human rights. But we know the truth: in America, the power lies with the people, and we’re rising to prove it.

This is more than a protest; it’s a moral reckoning. A continuation of the movement Lewis helped lead, and a new front in the struggle for freedom.

Sign-up/questions:  Event website: https://goodtroublelivesonmn.com | Mobilize link: https://www.mobilize.us/john-lewis-actions/event/810757/ Facebook event: https://www.facebook.com/events/613511201275524

Good Trouble Bridge Brigade

Time: 3:45 PM - 5:00 PM, Thursday, July 17th

Location: Century High School Pedestrian Bridge

Sponsor: Indivisible 507

Details: Join us! Bring your favorite sign to hold and let’s see how many honks for democracy we can get! United for Democracy! Wear blue or your Indivisible T-shirt!

Sign up/Questions:  FB event (private group): https://fb.me/e/5VoxTYyqg

Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM, Saturday, July 19th

Location: Dover-Eyota High School, 615 South Ave SE, Eyota

Sponsor: Olmsted 20/24 DFL

Details: 🎉 Eyota Days Parade 📍 Saturday, July 19 | Lineup from 9:45 to 10:45 AM (to the west and south of High School), Parade starts at 11:00 AM 📍 Line up at High School west parking lot

This is our moment to show the community who we are and what we stand for! March with us under the DFL banner with signs highlighting the values we fight for and the wins we’ve achieved together.

🪧 Bring your signs—or just bring your energy- we have plenty of signs to share. We will provide candy to hand out as well as candidate/elected official signs.

Questions and signup: https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/811714/

March with the DFL: Eyota Days Parade!

March with the DFL: Byron Good Neighbors Parade

Time: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM, Sunday, July 20th

Location: Byron Primary School, 820 7th St NE, Byron

Sponsor: Olmsted 20/24 DFL

Details: 🎉 Byron Good Neighbor Days Parade 📍 Sunday, July 20 | Lineup Starts at 12:30 PM, Parade starts at 2:00 PM 📍 Line up at Primary School parking lot, entering from the north entrance for drop off or Park in the Intermediate School Parking Lot

This is our moment to show the community who we are and what we stand for! March with us under the DFL banner with signs highlighting the values we fight for and the wins we’ve achieved together.

🪧 Bring your signs—or just bring your energy- we have plenty of signs to share. We will provide candy to hand out as well as candidate/elected official signs.

Questions and signup: https://www.mobilize.us/mobilize/event/811706/

Can you help staff the DFL booth at the Olmsted County Fair? Want to spread the excitement for our priorities and our excellent candidates? Hop over to the Signup Genius and let us know what shift you can take.

Please let us know if we are missing relevant local/national events so that we can include them. Reply to this email or email us at olmsted2024dfl@gmail.com. You can also follow and connect with us on social media, where we and other DFLers announce upcoming events:
DFL in Olmsted County Facebook (public)
DFL in Olmsted County Facebook (private group)
Olmsted 20/24 DFL Bluesky (public)
Olmsted 20/24 Instagram (public)

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There hasn't been a threat to our democracy and national welfare so significant in our lifetime. Please get involved somewhere, somehow, and encourage a friend to join you. If you don't have sweat equity to donate, financial support of the local DFL units and/or other volunteer organizations will be put to good use!