ICO Newsletter - 4/2/25

Written By Indivisible OH12

EVERYBODY OUT! 

On Saturday, April 5th, we're taking to the streets to fight back against the Trump/Musk chainsaw attack on our democracy with a clear message: Hands off! 
 

This is the big one we’ve been waiting for! 


Donald Trump and Elon Musk think this country belongs to them. They're taking everything they can get their hands on—our health care, our data, our jobs, our services—and daring the world to stop them. This is a crisis, and the time to act is now.

This mass mobilization day is our message to the world that we do not consent to the destruction of our government and our economy for the benefit of Trump and his billionaire allies. Alongside Americans across the country, we are marching, rallying, and protesting to demand a stop the chaos and to build an opposition movement against the looting of our country. We are fighting back!

Find a rally near you below or check the map – more events are being added daily.
 

  • Columbus, 12-2pm, Ohio Statehouse

  • Delaware, 12-1pm. Address after registration

  • Grove City, 4-5pm, 4035 Broadway, Grove City

  • London, 12:30-2pm, Address after registration

  • Mansfield, 10am-12pm, 29 Park Ave E, Mansfield

  • Marion, 12-2pm, Marion City Hall, 233 W Center St

  • Marysville, 11am-1pm, Union County Courthouse, 215 W 5th St, Marysville

  • Mount Vernon, 1-2pm, Public Square 

  • Newark, 1:30-2:30pm, Address after registration

  • Springfield, 12-2pm, Springfield City Hall, 76 E High S 

  • Westerville, 12-1:30pm, 21 S State St, Westerville

 
And of course, 


A few things to remember:

Invite your non-activist friends. We need everyone out and protesting. Who are your friends who love this country, hate Trump, but don’t know what to do? Do them a favor – invite them to join you! It’s OK to show up without having registered. 

Carpool or take the bus. Parking will be tight downtown. We highly recommend carpooling or public transport. 

Help out as a marshal. We are looking for crowd marshals to help make sure everything runs smoothly on Saturday. Your job will be to help ensure the safety and order of the event by monitoring crowds, directing traffic, identifying potential issues, and assisting attendees. Sign up HERE, and thank you! 

This is all about non-violence. What’s happening is angering and upsetting, but it’s important we don’t give anyone any excuses for cracking down against these kinds of events. Remember to ignore any attempts to provoke, de-escalate any conflicts, and choose a message that will appeal to as many Americans as possible. 

Smaller rallies will be easier to navigate. If a big crowd is not for you, or if you are concerned about standing too long or having to walk too far, consider attending one of the smaller events. 

Register so we can stay in touch, especially about the weather! 


Learn more about the HandsOff! rallies here. 

See the national coalition partners here. 

Tips to Stay Safe at a Protest

  • Buddy Up: Bring a friend or plan to meet up with someone. (Some people are coordinating where to meet up in the Indivisible Central Ohio closed Facebook group.)

  • Bring What You’ll Need: Water, snacks, a collapsible chair if you can’t stand for long periods of time. (This will probably not work in Columbus, but at other, smaller events)

  • Protect Your Data: Turn your phone to Airplane mode, use an RFID safe phone case, and disable biometric phone entry (face or finger print ID).

  • Dress for the Weather!

  • Know your Rights: Here’s a guide (and another) – probably more info than you need! 

  • If You See Something, Say Something: If you see a person acting suspicious, or a car lingering too long nearby, alert a marshal and the protesters with you. It’s important to stay vigilant!

Again, if you register, we can stay in touch with any important updates. 

This week’s RALLIES & PROTESTS
Find info about these protests & more in the Events section of our website, indivisiblecentralohio.org.

Wednesday, 4/2/2025: Wednesday’s at Bernie’s, 12:30pm, Bricker Federal Building, 200 N. High Street. All hell is breaking loose in the country and our members of Congress are missing - Especially Bernie Moreno! More info and register HERE. 

Saturday, 4/5/2025: Tesla Protest! 4:30-5:30, Easton Tesla Dealership. Join the weekly Tesla Takedown protest! We were 1,000 strong last weekend and mentioned on Rachel Maddow – AGAIN! Please make sure to ignore any counterprotesters and annoying drivers. Any fighting or fuss just looks bad on us and literally gives Elon fodder to attack us.  

Tuesday, 4/8/2025: Congressman Mike Carey Office Visit, 2-4pm, 140 E Town Street. Ohio Congressional District 15: Let’s meet with our US Congressman, Mike Carey, so that he can have a real conversation with his constituents. We will go to his office at 140 E Town St, and ask for a meeting with Carey or his staff. Bring your talking points, and we can present our concerns. More info and register HERE. 

Tuesday, 4/8/2025: Support Veterans Rush Hour Rally, 4:30-5:30 at the Chalmers P. Wylie Ambulatory Care Center, 420 N James Rd, Columbus. 

Help Spread the Word with HIGHWAY SIGNS! 
Every week we have a new highway sign project. Bookmark this Sign Up Genius and join the team! (We have the signs. You bring the manpower.) We are also looking for more team leaders to help recruit additional sign holders and organize events. A sign-making party is scheduled for 4/03. 

Still buzzing from our town hall…
If you didn’t make it to our 3/22 town hall, don’t worry, we’ve got you covered! Here’s:

  • A press release that summarizes the event;

  • A 7-minute video of highlights, plus another video with clips of interviews with attendees;

  • Two live streams of the event, on YouTube and on Facebook;

  • A photo album with a million amazing photos! (Special thanks to all the photographers, videographers and streaming experts who pitched in.)


Linktree & Follow up

  • Indivisible Central Ohio now has a Linktree! It’s one handy link that has a list of all the other links you need. Check it out HERE. 

  • And here’s a link to the handout we shared at the town hall

  • Last but not least, here’s our new “Join us” interest form where you can tell us your skills and interests and get more connected and involved with our team. 

  • Don’t forget to mention the Town Hall when you call Husted, Moreno, Carey & Beatty! Ask why they weren’t there! 

New Campaign: New Clipboards! 

Last weekend, the Columbus Safety Collective launched their campaign to put an issue on the ballot in the city of Columbus to establish a nonpolice emergency response system that serves all Columbus residents. Their mission is to foster an anti-racist, health-centered approach to public safety and to promote accountability and justice in our city – and Indivisible Central Ohio is onboard!

In person circulation trainings are being held twice a week from now until April 26, as follows:

  • Thursdays, 6pm – 7pm

  • Saturdays, 10:30am – 12pm 

Location:
Old First Presbyterian Church, 1101 Bryden Rd, Columbus, OH 43205

RSVP for a training HERE. 

Take Action this Week: Oppose these Bills at the Ohio Statehouse

SB 34 – Oppose the Enact the Historical Educational Displays Act
SB 34 would require every public classroom in Ohio to display at least one text from a list of nine documents, including the Ten Commandments.

What’s New: This bill is moving fast. SB 34 received a fourth hearing on 4/1/25.

What To Do: Contact these members of the Senate Education Committee:


Sample Script
My name is ______ and I’m calling from [full address if leaving a message]. I want [elected official's name] to know I oppose SB 34. This bill would allow school districts to display the Ten Commandments inside public schools, which violates the First Amendment concept of church and state separation. Similar laws in other states have been struck down as unconstitutional. If the Ten Commandments are posted, then we should also be prepared to post similar guiding moral documents from other religions, such as Muslim, Hindu, Buddhist, and others. Please do not allow this bill to move forward. Thanks for your consideration.

Want to Know More? Republican proposes unconstitutional mandate and Quotes from the first hearing on the ten commandments in Ohio public schools
 


SB 127 – OPPOSE Closure Requirements for Poor-Performing Public Schools

What’s New: This bill is moving fast, and received a third hearing on 4/1/25.

What To Do: Contact these members of the Senate Education Committee:


Sample Script:
Hello. My name is _________ and I’m calling from [full address if leaving a message]. I’m calling to urge [elected official] to oppose SB 127, which would require certain schools to close if they don’t meet state-imposed standards. This bill is a direct attack on parents’ rights, local control, and workers’ rights. It would remove local control from elected school board members and parents, and it would take away parents’ rights to choose their child’s school. It would also expand the criteria for labeling schools as “underperforming,” and would force districts to take drastic actions such as closing schools, replacing staff, or transferring control to private operators. In most cases, closing local schools is bad for communities, and in all cases, parents and students should be heavily involved in the decision-making process. Please say NO to SB 127. Thanks for your consideration.

Want To Know More? From Honesty for Ohio Education

Ideas and Inspirations for You

Upcoming Events (Calendar view) 

Wednesday, 4/2/2025: Communicating across the political divide, 6-7:30pm, via Zoom. Communicating across the political divide is more important, yet more difficult, than ever. This training will teach you how to engage most effectively with your Red neighbors, family, co-workers and friends. The training will be conducted by Lee Evans, a seasoned facilitator and trainer with over 30 years of experience designing and leading workshops. She is enthusiastic about helping bridge political divides and currently is working with Braver Angels Central Ohio, an organization dedicated to forging the political communication gap. Lee knows how to turn tough topics into interactive, thought-provoking experiences that leave participants with practical tools which they can immediately use. Register HERE. 

Wednesday, 4/2/2025: Voter Registration Training with Indivisible Central Ohio, 7-8pm via Zoom. Learn the ins and outs of registering voters in Ohio, including recent changes to the law. Register HERE. 

Tuesday, 4/8/2025: Clintonville Area Progressives Columbus School Board Candidate Forum, 7pm at the First UU Church, 93 W Weisheimer, Columbus. “For our April 8th meeting, we are welcoming 2025 candidates for Columbus School Board---with a different location than usual. We're going to be meeting at the First Unitarian Universalist Church. Candidates will talk about their priorities, and will be on hand to take your questions. Event starts at 7pm, doors OPEN at 6:30pm.”

Thursday, 4/10/2025: Columbus City School Board Forum, 5:30-8pm, Clair United Methodist Church - 293 E. Barthman Rd, 43207. LWV Metro Columbus, Columbus Education Justice Coalition and Pint Size Protesters are hosting a forum with CCS School Board candidates! We will have an informal meet & greet session with snacks from 5:30pm-6:00pm. The forum will start at 6:00pm and we anticipate it lasting approx. 2 hours. The forum portion of the event will be livestreamed and also recorded. The livestream will be available directly from the Clair UMC channels.

Friday, 4/11/2025: Waving Towards Freedom! 4:30-6:30, corner of Milton and West North Broadway. Details in the flier above. 

Friday, 4/11/25, 6-10 PM: Abortion Forward will be at The Good Market, 424 W. Town St., to talk to the community about the importance of reproductive rights advocacy, and distributing free goodies and safer sex supplies. Volunteer info here. 

Wednesday, 4/16/2025: Gathering for Good, 4:30-7:30, Mozart’s, 4784 N High St, Columbus. You are invited to an evening of connection, stories and fundraising for CRIS. There will be light refreshments and a cash bar. No ticket or RSVP is required, but feel free to RSVP to the Facebook event where we will continue to post additional info. 


Mia for the OHCentral Team

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Find us at our website indivisiblecentralohio.org. Follow us here and on our public and closed Facebook pages to stay current with all our activities. Add our Indivisible Central Ohio Google Calendar so you can follow all our events. You can also follow us on Threads, Instagram, Bluesky, and YouTube. 

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ICO Newsletter - 3/26/25