House Speaker Mike Johnson has labeled the 2,500-plus Indivisible national No Kings Day rallies, planned in every state for next Saturday, as protests by violent “antifa” who “hate America.”
Nonsense. Just Google Indivisibles’ nonviolence pledge: our organization was literally founded on commitment to nonviolence.
Probably most of you reading this letter have driven past one of our local protests at George Washington Park, or outside Walmart or Safeway, or at Morton City Hall. You may not like what we say, but you certainly have not seen us commit violence. In fact, some of you have kindly suggested that we be escorted back to our nursing homes.
Speaker Johnson knows that Indivisible’s demonstrations have been nonviolent, of course. But he’d rather have you focus on us: otherwise, you might be asking him why he won’t swear in the newly elected Democratic representative from Arizona, who has promised to provide the 218th vote necessary to force Congress to vote on releasing the Epstein files.
When Joe Biden was president, many Republicans disagreed with his policies. They exercised their right to free speech to express their disagreements.
So are we. We all share that right to free speech — provided it’s not accompanied by violence and threats. That right is plainly stated in our Constitution. Peaceful protest is as American as apple pie.
We will be out in large numbers next Saturday, celebrating our rights and dancing to pro-democracy songs. We’ll be calling for an end to separation of families and demonization of immigrants. We’ll raise our voices against sending our military into American cities when no need exists and mayors say troops only create problems.
We’ll call for affordable healthcare and housing for everyone.
We’ll demand an end to lies from elected officials. And we’ll demand that they stop pretending that our peaceful exercise of our rights is somehow illegal.
We’d be glad for you to join us.
We don’t hate America. We just don’t want America to be hateful.
Susanne Weil
Safety and deescalation lead
Rural Lewis County Indivisible
