This week’s to-dos include actions to prep for No Kings Day, push Dems to
stand strong, force an Epstein Files vote, and more. But first, Ezra addresses
last week’s horrifying attack and political violence in America.

Indivisibles,

If your goal is to reduce the power of those who cheer political violence,
how do you strategically respond to acts of political violence? This is
unfortunately a real-life strategic question we’ve been wrestling with all
year. So I have some thoughts, and Indivisible has some actions.

Political violence hurts democracy. Period. Minutes after the news broke
that Charlie Kirk had been shot, we had a group leader call with a few
hundred Indivisible leaders across the country. On that call and [ [link removed] ]in a
statement, we condemned this horrifying attack, expressed our deepest
condolences to Kirk’s wife and two young children, and reasserted our
commitment to peaceful, people-powered organizing.

This is more or less what we did after Minnesota House Speaker Melissa
Hortman and her husband were assassinated in June; and after the
firebombing of Governor Shapiro's residence in April; and after the
shooting of Trump in July of last year; and after the attempted murder of
Nancy Pelosi’s husband in 2022; and after the bloody insurrection at the
Capitol in 2021; and after the kidnapping plot against Governor Whitmer in
2020.

This is not an academic thing for us. Like [ [link removed] ]judges and other public
figures, Indivisible broadly, and Leah and myself specifically, have been
threatened by right-wingers all year. And we’ve heard similar stories from
Indivisible leaders around the country.

So at Indivisible we’re very clear: political violence is a cancer on
democracy. It doesn’t matter if you disagree politically -- and we
strongly disagreed with Charlie Kirk on basically everything. But we’re
clear that political violence in any form is an attack on the basic
conditions that allow everyone to organize and voice their views.

There’s a clear line: Do you condemn all political violence, no matter the
perpetrator or the target? In the Indivisible movement, we are people who
will condemn, with our whole hearts, such violence no matter the target or
the perpetrator. We know the path forward is nonviolent, peaceful
organizing.

Moments like this call for moral and strategic clarity across the
political spectrum. And one of the challenges in organizing for democracy
in the current moment is that the president of the United States is not
interested in reducing right-wing political violence. That’s not an
editorial statement by me -- that’s a verifiable fact.

Trump shrugs at right-wing political violence. We know what Trump thinks
about right-wing political violence because he tells us with his words and
actions.

He [ [link removed] ]jokes about the brutal assault of Paul Pelosi, or says that
expressing concern for the murdered Minnesota politician would be a
“[ [link removed] ]waste of time.” Asked about right-wing political violence on Fox News,
of all places, Trump said “[ [link removed] ]I couldn’t care less” before concluding with
an attack on Democrats, trans kids, and immigrants.

So what do we do about it? Shrugging at political violence is dangerous
for democracy, but issuing statements and moving on is insufficient. In
the face of this violence -- and the right-wing escalation -- we need to
be intentional, principled, and courageous. We also need to understand the
strategies for how large-scale, broad-based, peaceful, people-powered
organizing best operates in this environment.

That organizing must be informed by best practices around how to identify,
defuse, and prevent the spread of political violence. Indivisible is
offering a training on that this Sunday, September 21, at 8pm ET / 5pm PT
-- [ [link removed] ]you can register here. And if you want to do the reading ahead of
time, you can [ [link removed] ]find the 123-page curriculum [ [link removed] ]here!

Training is important, but the point of training is action. That training
needs to inform large-scale acts of opposition to violence-backed
authoritarianism, so we need your help to make No Kings on October 18 the
biggest peaceful protest of the year. [ [link removed] ]Please spread the word, register
your local protest as soon as you can, and start RSVPing for the local
events to help build momentum.

I know the threats are real and the opposition is shameless and
unrepentant. The way we triumph is by demonstrating courage with our
actions. By standing up in defense of democracy and in opposition to
violence, we spread the courage for more to do so.

We get out of this together -- each of us doing our part. That’s how we
win. And we will win.

In solidarity,
Ezra Levin
Co-Executive Director, Indivisible

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Your weekly to-dos

 1. [ [link removed] ]Sign up for the No Kings mass kickoff call on September 18 at 8pm
ET / 5pm PT. Jump online with Indivisible, our partners, and thousands
of activists across the country to discuss the vision, urgency, and
strategy behind the national day of action on October 18.
 2. [ [link removed] ]Have a Dem senator? Call to demand that they FIGHT HARD against
handing Donald Trump a blank check. With a huge government funding
deadline looming, we’re reminding our Democratic senators that we
expect them to hold their ground -- not roll over like last time. More
on the funding fight below!
 3. [ [link removed] ]Have a GOP representative? Email them to help force a vote on the
Epstein Files. We only need one more House Republican to sign a
discharge petition that would force a congressional vote on releasing
the Epstein Files. If your representative is a Republican, write them
about ending the cover-up now.
 4. [ [link removed] ]Volunteer for a virtual phonebank to help Dems win big in Virginia
this fall. We’re helping VA Democrats flip the governor’s mansion,
hold the legislature, and win other races up and down the ballot by
making 1,000,000 calls to VA voters! Read on for more info on our
Virginia strategy.
 5. [ [link removed] ]Join a powerful conversation about how teachers defend truth,
combat disinformation, and protect democracy. On September 30,
American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten will lead a
discussion on her book, Why Fascists Fear Teachers, and highlight the
importance of standing with teachers today.
 6. [ [link removed] ]Sign up for “What’s the Plan?” on Thursday as Leah and Ezra answer
your questions. Every Thursday at 3pm ET, our co-founders go live to
break down our key initiatives and answer your questions directly! Be
part of our interactive chat about what’s next in our fight for
democracy.

P.S. We now have over 1,000 nonviolent No Kings protests planned on
October 18, with hundreds more expected soon. Ensuring all those events
and organizers have the training, support, and resources they'll need is a
massive undertaking; only grassroots support makes it possible. [ [link removed] ]If
you're able, chip in today to make the No Kings protests on October 18
massive and historic.

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Make sure Dems fight like hell

We’re only fifteen days away from the federal government funding deadline,
with a costly shutdown on the line. Republicans need to earn Democratic
votes with a bipartisan funding plan that preserves our healthcare and
vital services, but some MAGA lawmakers still seem deadset on handing
Donald Trump a blank check.

We’ve been calling on Democratic leaders -- particularly Chuck Schumer --
to unify the caucus and stake out a strong position. Last week, they took
a huge step in the right direction!

Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries are now saying they’ll reject any funding deal
that continues GOP healthcare cuts. That’s a welcome move -- but it’s
equally important that Democrats hold the line, reject any deals that hand
Trump a blank check, and demand meaningful constraints on Trump’s
weaponization of taxpayer dollars!

[ [link removed] ]Please call your Democratic senator today. Ask them to make sure
Schumer will FIGHT LIKE HELL and REJECT any deal that’d give Trump a blank
check.

[ [link removed] ]Call Senate Dems >>

If you don’t have a Democratic senator, you can still help win this fight;
[ [link removed] ]tell your Republican senator(s) not to cause a Trump shutdown!

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Plug into local No Kings protests

Since we rolled out the No Kings map in last week’s newsletter, hundreds
of new events have been added in all fifty states -- with hundreds more
still expected this week!

[ [link removed] ]Map of the United States covered in dozens of blue dots, each representing a
local No Kings Day event on October 18 -- Click to browse events in your area

[ [link removed] ]Check the map >>

We need you with us to make October 18 the biggest day of protest yet
against Trump’s authoritarian regime. Check the map often, share nearby
events with your network, and [ [link removed] ]consider hosting your own No Kings event
if you see a gap on the map!

[ [link removed] ]Click here to see the No Kings protests happening on October 18! Then,
share this link with your friends, neighbors, families, and allies to join
us.

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IndivisiWIN of the week

[24]Photo: A sign that says WE STAND WITH IMMIGRANT FAMILIES, with a No Kings
logo above the text, in the window of a bookstore in Oakland, CA

In Oakland, CA -- one of many blue cities targeted in Trump’s escalating
ICE raids -- local Indivisibles are organizing to slow down ICE and show
love to their immigrant neighbors. In one day last week, Indivisible East
Bay canvassed 45 small businesses and convinced 31 stores to put up Signs
of Solidarity posters!

Each sign is a visible reminder that the Oakland community stands with
immigrant families and rejects Trump’s authoritarian attacks. To learn
more and canvass businesses in your community, [ [link removed] ]join the Signs of
Solidarity campaign here.

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All eyes on Virginia

We're six weeks away from one of the most consequential elections of 2025,
with all eyes on Virginia. Control of the governor’s mansion, Attorney
General’s office, and House of Delegates is up for grabs, along with a
slew of other statewide and local offices.

Virginia’s election will be the biggest test of our ability to
out-organize MAGA at the ballot box since Trump retook office -- and its
consequences will be felt far beyond Virginia.

Our groups and volunteers are our greatest source of power in elections,
and even if you don’t live in Virginia, we’re ready to provide you with
tools and resources you can use to help win this election. From now to
Election Day, there are so many ways you can plug into this work,
regardless of where you live, including:

* [ [link removed] ]Virtual phonebanks with the goal of making 1,000,000 calls to
voters with support from volunteers from across the country
* [ [link removed] ]Neighbor2Neighbor, our groundbreaking voter contact tool that lets
Virginia locals get out the vote in their neighborhoods, on their own
time
* [ [link removed] ]Traditional canvasses for anyone in or willing to get to Virginia!
We’ll help connect you with partner organizations to boost our
doorknocking efforts and help us reach 100,000 voters.

Democratic trifectas are vital xxxxxxs against Trump’s MAGA agenda, and
with your help, we can secure a new one in Trump’s backyard. [ [link removed] ]Click
here to visit our Virginia Election Hub and see how you can help defeat
MAGA at the ballot box this fall.

[ [link removed] ]Help win Virginia >>

Paid for by Indivisible Action. Authorized by the Democratic Party of Virginia.

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