ICO Newsletter - 10/1/25
No Thrones. No Crowns. No Kings!
There have been many protests since January, 2025, but 10/18 NO KINGS will be the biggest yet. Please set aside this ONE DAY to stand up for our democracy!
Here’s how you can help make sure this national day of protest really has an impact.
1. Sign up to attend a rally in your neighborhood. You can find events on the map HERE – nokings.org. Zoom in and then click on the dot to register.
Central Ohio has events planned in: Bexley, Cambridge, Clintonville, Delaware, German Village, Grandview, Grove City, Hilliard, Lancaster, London, Marion, Mount Vernon, New Albany, Newark, Pickerington, Reynoldsburg, Springfield, Sunbury, Westerville and Zanesville.
2. Sign up for additional events earlier or later in the day!
Start times for events in Central Ohio are as follows: 10am (Lancaster and Reynoldsburg), 11am (Cambridge, Hilliard, New Albany and Sunbury), 11:30am (London), noon (Clintonville, Delaware, Marion, Newark, Pickerington and Zanesville), 1pm (Bexley, Mount Vernon, Springfield and Westerville), 1:15pm (Grandview), 1:30pm (German Village) and 2pm (Grove City) before the big event at the end of the day at 4pm at the Statehouse!
3. No matter what, plan to come to the 4pm rally at the Statehouse!
4. Amplify other events by driving by, circling the block, honking your horn, waving out the window, and giving everyone there a boost! Plot out your own route between events, or join one of our car caravans! (More info below.)
5. Text ten friends who are concerned about our democracy but who don’t usually come to protests. This is the event where EVERYONE should come out and take a stand.
6. Help us spread the word. We will soon have ¼ sheet flyers to hand out about the 10/18 No Kings protests, plus full-size flyers for posting in store windows etc. If you are ready to be part of the flyering army, reply to this email and we’ll get you set up!
NOTE: YOU CAN PROTEST WHILE SITTING IN YOUR CAR!
For those who aren’t able or prefer not to stand at protests, you can avoid the parking, walking and standing by protesting from the comfort of your car! You (and the friends you recruit) can boost spirits at any or all of these events by driving by, honking and waving. Then circle the block and repeat. Plot out your own route between events, or join one of our car caravans!
Join a NO KINGS Car Caravan on October 18!
Organizers with Indivisible Central Ohio are busy plotting out a couple of car caravan routes between protests on 10/18. Car caravans will have a couple of decorated cars (front and back), then as many additional cars in the middle as we can muster.
We’re looking for folks to join in for all or part of the day by driving in a caravan or taking part in another way. Sign up HERE.
Ways to participate include:
Driving your car in the caravan for a shift or two
Being a passenger in a car, waving, making noise
Optional extras: having temporary decorations on your car, wearing a costume, playing a trumpet, tying a string of tin cans to the back of your car, your idea here… etc!
Please join us! Sign up to say how you’d like to help HERE!
Columbus Safety Collective: Join us tonight, Weds, 10/1!
Join us tonight from 6-8pm at GRND: Ground x Grind, 1106-1108 E. Main St., Columbus, for a Signature Drive + Info Session hosted by OFUPAC x the Columbus Safety Collective Campaign (CSCC). They are organizing to create a non-police emergency response system that serves all Columbus residents — rooted in care, anti-racism, and true community safety.
This is your chance to:
Sign the petition
Learn about the campaign
Connect with neighbors
Get involved in building a safer Columbus
RALLIES & PROTESTS
Every week there are about a dozen rallies and protests all over central Ohio! You can follow what’s happening in the Events section of our website, indivisible central ohio.org. Also check mobilize.us/indivisiblecentralohio/ for all our Indivisible Central Ohio events.
New and Notable
Yesterday the Signs of Fascism had their first event: twenty sign holders, two drummers and a photographer joined the regular Worthington Rush Hour rally and spread out so drivers could fully take in the important message. Kudos to Karen Adams and Ann Isaacs who have spearheaded this project! See a short video
If you want to see the signs in action, here are some places where they are scheduled to appear:
10/2: Grandview Rush Hour Rally, West 5th Ave & Grandview Ave, 4:30-5:30pm
10/9: Westerville, State St just south of Uptown Westerville, 4:30-5:30pm
10/11: Clintonville Pop Up Protest, Corner N. Broadway & High, noon
10/11: Tesla Protest, Easton Tesla dealership, 4:30-5:30pm
You can sign up to join the sign-holding crew HERE. You’ll be contacted the next time we are looking for folks to participate in a Signs of Fascism event.
Protest leaders who want to borrow the signs for an event, feel free to reply to this email.
Weekly rallies
Wednesdays downtown: Wednesday Husted and Moreno Protest, 12-1pm, 200 N High St, Columbus. Senators Bernie Moreno and John Husted are supporting the fascist takeover of our democracy. Let's hold them accountable to the people and taxpayers of Ohio. Their offices are both at 200 N High St, with lots of public visibility! Register HERE.
Thursdays in Grandview: Rush Hour Rally, 4:30-6pm, alternating sites, Grandview Heights. Join us in standing up for our future and protesting the Trump administration’s reckless economic policies that put profit over people.
Every other week at Grandview Avenue & U.S. RT 33, next 10/9. Sign up HERE.
Every other week at Grandview Avenue & West 5th, next 10/2. Sign up HERE.
Thursdays in Sunbury: Good Trouble Thursdays, 5-6pm, on the square, Old Sunbury Courthouse, 51 East Cherry St., Sunbury. Look for the dinosaur! Sign up HERE.
Saturdays in Hilliard: Hilliard Pop-Up Protest, 9:30-10:30am, Cross Creek Park
3311 Hilliard Rome Rd, Hilliard, OH. Bring signs and join us!
Saturdays in Clintonville: Weekly Pop-Up Protest, noon to 1PM, North High Street & East North Broadway Street, Columbus.Join us to protest the destruction and degradation of the Trump administration. Register HERE.
Saturdays in Delaware: Protest in Delaware, noon to 1 PM, corner of Sandusky and Williams, Delaware. Let’s protest together and let folks know that we are tired of all the shenanigans.
Saturdays at Easton: Fight Oligarchy- Rally Outside Easton Tesla, 4:30-5:30 PM, Easton Tesla Dealership. Join the weekly Tesla Takedown protest! Even driving by and giving us a supportive honk is appreciated! Register HERE.
Tuesdays, Support Veterans Rush Hour Rally, 4:30-5:30pm, Chalmers P. Wylie Ambulatory Care Center, 420 N James Rd, Columbus. Join us to
to protest the cuts to the VA and support veterans! Register HERE.
Tuesdays in Worthington: Rush Hour Rally, 4:30-5:30pm, intersection of Route 161 and High St., Worthington. Join us to deliver our message of resistance to commuters. Organized by the Worthington Area Democratic Club and Westerville Progressive Alliance. Signup & parking info HERE.
First and Third Thursdays: Say Something, Rally the Community, 4:30-5:30pm, 349 E Livingston Ave, Columbus. Join no matter what your motivation. The October 2 theme is healthcare costs. Register HERE.
Join the Overpass Army!
More and more highway sign protests are popping up all over Ohio. You too can join the anti-Trump fun! We are at 3 locations weekly, every Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Details, directions and sign up are HERE. We have the signs and flags. You bring the manpower!
This week’s Actions!
1. Urge City Council to keep private equity from buying up Columbus homes
Last week, Jordan McLaughlin gave a fascinating presentation to ICO members about private equity and the housing crisis in Columbus that shows how the purchase of property by private equity in our community is driving up prices and making home ownership unattainable for many in our community. Jordan has written an ordinance that he would like the City Council to consider. Call Shannon Hardin at 614-645-6354 and urge him to introduce the ordinance!
Sample script:
Hello, my name is [Your Name], and I’m a resident of Columbus. I’m calling to ask Council President Hardin to support Evict Private Equity Columbus and to introduce an ordinance limiting the number of single-family homes that private equity and corporations can own in our city. Private equity doesn’t care about our community. They only care about profit. We need to protect Columbus families and ensure fair, local homeownership opportunities.
2. Sign up for a shift to mobilize California voters
With just six weeks left until California voters decide whether to redraw the state’s congressional maps ahead of next year’s midterms, there’s a limited amount of time left to help turn out voters and make sure the ballot measure passes.You can help to turn out California voters by making calls. With multiple shifts a day, 6 days a week, there’s ample opportunity for you to make a difference. Sign up for just one shift, or multiple shifts HERE (with Swing Left) or HERE (with Gavin Newsome’s Election Rigging Response Act). A quick training is provided with both.
3. Oppose SB 103 Which Allows Alternative Rate Plans for Certain Natural Gas Companies.
What does it do? This bill would allow for alternative rate plans for natural gas companies to serve large load customers and to make changes to the process of valuing natural gas company property.
What’s new: SB 103 receives a fourth proponent/opponent/interested party hearing in the Senate Public Utilities Committee on Weds., Oct. 1, 9 a.m., Finance Hearing Room.
Contact these members of the Senate Public Utilities Committee:
Shane Wilkin, chair - 614-466-8156; wilkin@ohiosenate.gov
Bill Reineke, vice-chair - 614-466-8049; reineke@ohiosenate.gov
William DeMora, ranking member - 614-466-4583; demora@ohiosenate.gov
Sample call script:
Hello. My name is ___________________ and I live at ___________________. I am calling to ask you to OPPOSE Senate Bill 103. Energy Bills keep rising and consumers are finding it harder and harder to afford their bills. Passing SB 103 will only make the problem worse. This bill:
changes the way that rates are set by using speculative, possibly inflated, cost projections to establish new, higher rates;
makes the formula more complex, which makes it harder for public interest groups to participate effectively;
reduces the PUCO’s oversight by giving gas companies automatic approvals and exemptions; and
shifts infrastructure cost burdens from large load customers to residential customers.
makes the settlement process more difficult for interested parties.
Please vote NO on SB 103 and protect your constituents’ shrinking wallets from gas company profiteering. Thanks for your consideration.
4. Protect Federal Research Funding
In his 2026 budget proposal, the President proposed funding cuts to most federal research programs, amounting to a 22% decrease from Fiscal Year 2025. These proposed cuts would be catastrophic to scientific and medical research. Help the American Associate of University Professors at Ohio State protect academic research funding by sending a letter to your representatives now. Modify and send this letter.
Postcard and letter deadlines coming up soon
If you have postcards checked out from the porch at 437 Piedmont Rd, please make sure to get them back by the upcoming deadlines! Meanwhile, we still have:
Cards for local candidate John Gatiss, running for Westerville City Council. These can also be checked out and returned from 151 Central Ave in Westerville.
Million Postcard Project cards: Each month you write three cards – one to each Senator and Representative. Let them know what YOU care about and hope they are working for in Washington DC. Mail your cards on the first of each month.
Cards for local candidate Maria Ramirez, running for Worthington City Council will be on the porch later this week.
Donate
Drastic and retroactive funding cuts have forced the Kaleidoscope Youth Center (KYC) to close their housing program that serves and supports LGBTQIA+ youth (more here). Indivisible Central Ohio is stepping in and stepping up to raise funds to help support the affected young people as KYC’s housing program winds down. This is an emergency situation! We have already raised one quarter of our goal of $1,000. Your contribution at any level is much appreciated. Donate HERE.
TONIGHT!
Support St. Stephen’s 71-year history of providing food to more than 3,200 Central Ohio families through its Christmas Cares, Unions Share program. You can help to make it possible by joining the Drive in Fundraiserli, Wednesday, October 1, 5-7pm at 3050 S. High St (South Drive-In). A movie, “The Goonies” will follow at dusk. Raffles, concession food & drinks will be available. Canned food donations will also be collected. Suggested donation is $50 per carload (pay what you can option, too). Get your tickets HERE.
Volunteer
YWCA Columbus is dedicated to eliminating racism, empowering women, and promoting peace, justice, freedom, and dignity for all. Volunteers provide essential support to families by providing meals to residents 365 days a year. We rely 100% on the community to provide dinner for our families each evening. Volunteer HERE to serve, host, or sponsor a meal. Other volunteer opportunities are available HERE.
Upcoming Events (Calendar view)
Wednesday, 10/1/2025: Ohio: A Place for Every Student, Toolkit Release, 7-8pm, virtual. With pending legislation in the Ohio Statehouse looking to rip DEI from K-12, it is important to be informed. Join the Honesty for Ohio Education Coalition as we launch a toolkit designed to equip Ohioans with the tools and resources they need to advocate for ALL students by defending Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in our K-12 schools. Register HERE.
Thursday, 10/2/2025: Thursday Action Group, 12-1:30pm, via Zoom. Please join us as ICO member Susan Alice Miller updates us on the latest LifeWise Academy developments. Before Thursday, take three minutes to view this video about LifeWise. Join the Zoom call HERE.
Thursday, 10/2/2025: Taking Back our Power in 2025 w/ Stacey Abrams, 7-8pm via Zoom. Join Red, Wine & Blue to hear from Stacey Abrams about where we are as a country, what’s at stake for all of us, and how we can fight back. We’ll learn from one of the most respected organizers in the country why local organizing matters, how we build real power, and the steps we must take to protect our future. Register HERE.
Tuesday, 10/7/2025: Democracy Protection Initiative Discussion, 6-830pm, Grandview Heights Public Library Meeting Room, 1685 W 1st Ave, Columbus. Join Grandview Ignite to learn about and discuss Ohio's gerrymandering, Article V - Constitutional Convention, Rank Choice Voting and HJR 54 (An amendment to the US Constitution providing that the rights protected and extended by the Constitution are the rights of natural persons only). Each presentation will be followed with a 10-minute Q & A session. Register HERE.
Wednesday, 10/8/2025: Fair Districts October Volunteer Huddle, 6pm, via Zoom. Join Fair Districts coalition leaders for an update on all things redistricting in Ohio as well as across the US. Register HERE.
Wednesday, 10/8/2025: Candidate forum, 6:30-8pm, 1101 N 4th St, Columbus. Hear Columbus City Council Candidates Tiara Ross and Jesse Vogel discuss their views on the future of Columbus' 7th District. Moderated by Amy Juravich of WOSU's All Sides. Seats are first come first served. Register HERE.
Sunday, 10/12/2025: Rise Up and Sing Together, 7-8:30pm, location available on registration. Join us to harness the power of singing together to build community. We invite you and anyone passionate about freedom, justice, and community to join members of Indivisible Central Ohio in song. Register HERE.
Friday, 10/17/2025: Bill Cohen’s annual “Spirit of the ‘60’s Coffeehouse,” 7:30pm, King Avenue Methodist Church, 299 W. King at Neil in Columbus 43201. Bill Cohen and friends will lead a candlelit, musical, year-by-year journey through the era, with live and familiar 1960’s folksongs, “news reports” of sixties happenings, displays of anti-war buttons and posters, and far-out sixties fashions. Plus, Bill will also challenge the audience with sixties trivia questions. Proceeds from the suggested $15 donations (at the door) will go to the Mid-Ohio Food Collective. Free parking is also available in the lots just South and West of the church.
Mondays, 10/20/2025 and 10/27/2025: End Gun Violence Community Walk, 6pm, Northern Lights Shopping Center, 3569 Cleveland Ave, Columbus. Join local Moms Demand Action members to galvanize the residents to help stop gun violence and share the resources that organizations have to help the community. Register for each date individually.
Tuesday, 10/21/2025: Testifying Tuesdays!, 6-8pm, La Matraca Mexican Grill & Cantina, 5000 Gender Rd, Canal Winchester. Join the Southeast Progressives of Franklin County for a social/political dinner, where we write to legislators or voters, or plot and plan more events, about issues we care about! Register HERE.
Wednesday, 10/22/2025: Indivisible Central Ohio In Person Member Meeting, 6:30-8pm, 1st Unitarian Universalist Church, 93 W Weisheimer Rd, Columbus. Join other members of Indivisible Central Ohio to discuss current actions and activities and hear from you about your ideas for new actions! Register HERE. This will be the final in person meeting of 2025!
Tuesday, 10/28/2025: ICO Social Hour, 6-8pm, Nocterra Audubon, 516 Maier Pl, Columbus. Come hang out with Indivisible friends and fellow activists. Look out for the folks in Indivisible tshirts!
Wednesday, 10/29/2025: Knowledge is Power: Poverty in Ohio, 6:30-8pm, Zaftig Brewing, 909 W 5th Ave, Columbus, OH. Join progressive learners working to discuss POVERTY IN AMERICA. Links to materials to be discussed provided on sign up, but it is not critical to complete before joining. Register HERE.
Mia & Linda for the Indivisible Central Ohio Team
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