Tag Archives: resisttrump

Rally Saturday to fight for rights of Seattle transgender students

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Every week, it seems, brings a new target as the Trump administration seemingly picks its way down the list of some of the biggest progressive gains and efforts of the past decade. Wednesday brought the latest affront as news spread of a new White House memo rolling back Obama administration protections for transgender students. In Seattle, of course, people are already fighting back.

“I can’t believe they’re going after the kids,” the Gender Justice League’s Danni Askini told CHS Wednesday afternoon.

The White House letter issued Wednesday tells officials at the nation’s public schools to disregard the previous administration’s directives that established that prohibiting transgender students “from using facilities that align with their gender identity” violated federal anti-discrimination laws. Continue reading →

Womxn’s March actions continue with Tuesday night Capitol Hill ‘Huddle’

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Participants at Action One writing postcards to Congress at the Wildrose (Image: CHS)

Participants at Action One writing postcards to Congress at the Wildrose (Image: CHS)

The energy from inauguration weekend marches in cities across the country is being sustained by a series of “10 actions in 100 days.” Last week, CHS stopped by a couple Capitol Hill bars and cafes as people gathered to write postcards to Congress and raise money for the ACLU. This week, the energy continues with a “huddle” on Capitol Hill.

The second action of the Womxn’s March is Huddle.

It’s a facilitated planning/brainstorming meeting with people in your community to discuss what we can do together, to make a difference.

There is a local Huddle happening this week with room for 200 members of the community.

Where: Fred Wildlife Refuge
When: Tuesday, Feb 7th, 6PM (Activities will begin at 6:30)
Cost: Free

Organizers say a few of the postcard-writing venues on Hill rallied together with about 300 people attending in an event that raised $500 for the ACLU and “sent over 500 postcards to Senators and Representatives.”

In Seattle, organizers have chosen to refer to their cause as the “Womxn’s March” in a spelling they say is meant “to promote intersectionality in our movement” and “takes into account the impact of discrimination based not only on gender but also race, sexual orientation, gender identity, nationality, faith, class, disability, and other backgrounds.”

You can learn more about Tuesday’s event at Boylston Ave E’s Fred Wildlife Refuge here.

Sawant’s push to divest from Wells Fargo a fight for the environment — and against Trump

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Sawant at a Seattle Central rally on Inauguration Day

Sawant at a Seattle Central rally on Inauguration Day

Monday — if the snow doesn’t postpone the session — the Seattle City Council will vote on an ordinance to divest from Wells Fargo because of its financial backing of the controversial Dakota Access Pipeline.

“The goal obviously is to not only put a stop to the Dakota Access Pipeline but to use that victory to build further momentum against climate change,” District 3 representative Kshama Sawant told CHS.

UPDATE: Final vote moved to Tuesday.

Last week, the Affordable Housing, Neighborhoods, and Finance Committee unanimously voted to send the ordinance to the full council for consideration, but not without some “quibbling” from a few members, Sawant said. Continue reading →

Views from Capitol Hill on Trump’s blocked Muslim ban

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Friday from a Seattle courtroom, hope spread that  President Donald Trump’s executive orders might add up to little more than longer, more threatening tweets. Federal Judge James Robart’s ruling in State of Washington vs. Donald J. Trump, et al has put a major kink in the president’s attempt to bar citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries from entering the United States.

At age six, Boris Krichevsky fled the former Soviet Union with his parents, younger sister and his uncle’s family. They came to America in 1991 as refugees. Today, Capitol Hill resident Krichevsky is an educator and a Ph.D. student at the University of Washington.

Wassef Haroun, who was born in Syria and raised in Lebanon, moved to the U.S. for school. He met his wife, Racha, whose father is Syrian and mother is Iranian, while they were both college students in Houston, Texas. Together they moved around a lot — Seattle, Paris, Dubai, and back to Seattle. They opened Mamnoon restaurant on Capitol Hill’s Melrose Ave.

“We are afforded lots of great opportunities by being here that we simply could not be afforded at home,” Haroun told CHS.

With the battle over Trump’s blocked immigration ban — and the appeal filed Saturday — as background, both men talked with CHS about their views molded by both their backgrounds coming to the U.S. and the work they are currently doing. Continue reading →

The plan for the Womxn’s March on Seattle and Capitol Hill Inauguration Week protests, rallies, and parties

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The Womxn’s March on Seattle will travel from the Central District’s Judkins Park to the Seattle Center on Saturday, January 21st to protest the inauguration of Donald Trump, organizers have announced. It will be part of a week of demonstrations and protests large and small, and “actions” meaningful and just for fun.

While the start and end points hadn’t been announced, Seattle’s big weekend march has been in the works for weeks and thousands have said they plan to attend in solidarity with large marches planned in Washington D.C. and in cities across the country. In Seattle, organizers say the “Womxn’s” spelling is meant “to promote intersectionality in our movement” and “takes into account the impact of discrimination based not only on gender but also race, sexual orientation, gender identity, nationality, faith, class, disability, and other backgrounds.”

http://www.capitolhillseattle.com/event/womxns-march-on-seattle/?instance_id=7435755

The Saturday march is being planned as a silent protest. “Marchers will rely on large numbers and powerful signage to speak more loudly than any individuals ever could,” organizers say.

Seattle women, womxn, and those who love them have been preparing with sign making and pussyhat knitting.

UPDATE 1/18/17: The city has posted route details for the week’s marches. Here are the details for Saturday:

Rally at Judkins Park followed by a march to Seattle Center beginning at 11am. From 20th Ave S and S Weller St, the route heads north on 20th Ave S, west on S Jackson St, north on 4th Ave, west on Denny Way, and north on 2nd Ave N into Seattle Center.

About 30,000 people are expected to attend, according to officials.

CHS also found many at work preparing this past weekend at a town hall organized by District 3 representative Kshama Sawant as she raises support for the planned Socialist Alternative-backed protest starting at Westlake Friday night. “We don’t have a moment to waste in getting organized against Trump’s racist, misogynistic, anti-immigrant, anti-muslim, anti-lgbtq rhetoric, proposals, and cabinet members,” Sawant’s rallying cry reads. Continue reading →