CNY Solidarity & Indvisible Onondaga County
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“What was the point of No Kings 3?” The Friday, April 3 edition of WCNY’s “Ivory Tower” asked that question, and the panel seemed to echo the opinions of others who don’t seem to get the point. You can watch it here, starting at the 10 minute mark. This prompted CNY Solidarity Coalition member Judy Jerome to write the following: ——— “Dear Ivory Tower panelists, I just listened to your presentation of April 3, and I am amazed that your panelists seemed to have so little understanding of the No Kings movement. I am one of the several organizers of all of our local No Kings events along with the Hands Off event of a year ago and a program celebrating John Lewis down in Clinton Square last summer. First, to bring the Democrats into this conversation is a non-starter. No Kings is a grass roots movement of national collaborating organizations like Indivisible, 5051, MoveOn, labor unions and civil rights organizations. Locally, No Kings is sponsored by the CNY Solidarity Coalition and Indivisible Onondaga County. We invite all political parties to cooperate with us if their goals and values are congruent with ours. That may be the Democratic Party and it may be other political parties as well. Secondly, the term No Kings is essentially an affirmation of democracy. All our messages, including the fact that our country has a deep history of racism since its founding, springs from our message that our democracy and its democratic processes are threatened by an autocratic federal administration. It is about opposing unchecked power and anti-democratic conduct, not claiming the U.S. is a monarchy in a formal sense. The fact that you mentioned the phrase ‘white supremacy’ a few times seemed to me to be a rhetorical red herring. Thirdly, you mentioned our long history of social protest. This is true. It is also about exercising our First Amendment rights. And you really need to know that our number one dictate for any of our events is that they are peaceful and non-violent. We do not engage with counter protestors. Full stop. Our public protest is performative in the literal democratic sense: it performs with visibility, in solidarity, and with non-violent dissent. In an age of creeping normalization, being seen matters. You mentioned several times that you felt that No Kings lacked focus in “getting the message out there.” What I write above is our focus. That frames No Kings as a constitutional, civic response to creeping autocracy.It is interesting to further note that we are essentially protesting the extreme overreach of the Trump Administration and that three of your four panelists gave Trump an F in their final gradebook assessment. I am a big fan of Ivory Tower and watch it every week on the PBS app. And I do appreciate you and the show and what your analyses and conversations add to our local political discourse. Thank you very much.”
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Our Next Meeting is this Sunday, April 12, 3:00 – 5:00 pm All Saints Parish Center, 1342 Lancaster Ave, Syracuse The first hour will be a presentation by Syracuse Peace Council:
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We will also review our updated bylaws at this meeting. The second hour will be devoted to committee work. RSVP Here
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CNY Solidarity & IOC Upcoming Meeting Schedule: May 3 | June 7
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More about Club America At our March 1st meeting, we presented a panel discussion about Turning Point USA’s efforts to establish “Club America” chapters in high schools across the country, including Central New York. Some schools in our area already have established clubs. If you weren’t able to attend that meeting, the video is here. We’re working on developing materials that concerned parents and community members can use to speak to school boards and administrators about Club America. Over 70 people have already signed up, and we’d like you to join them. If you’re interested, and you haven’t already signed up, you can do so here. If you HAVE signed up, thank you again, and we’ll be in touch very soon.
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No rollbacks or watering down of our Climate Law!
Climate Law showdown in New York state: call on the legislature to stand up and fight for us! Alliance for a Green Economy and the Renewable Heat Now campaign share how you can Take Action. Please pass these requests through your networks, too.
These are difficult times: the Iran war is driving up the cost of living, clean energy is under attack by the federal government, and now Governor Hochul has chosen this moment to double down on fossil fuels attempting to gut our climate law as part of her budget negotiation strategy. New York must not water down our Climate Law and the climate policies that deliver lower bills, cleaner air, and a safer future for New Yorkers. Trying to weaken NY’s Climate Law in the budget is a bad move, and here are three ways to help fight back. 1. Send a personalized email your legislators urging them to defend the climate law & support energy affordability in the budget! With the rising cost of living, we must scale up programs and enact policies that immediately reduce energy costs, greenhouse gas emissions, and air pollution. 2. Send a letter to the Public Service Commission urging them to uphold our climate law! As Governor Hochul is trying to weaken the Climate Law in the legislature via the budget, she’s also pursuing another rollback through her influence on the Public Service Commission, New York’s utility regulator. A group backed by fossil fuel interests has asked them for a hearing to weaken the Climate Law. Urge them to deny the petition! 3. Use this tool to call your Assemblymember and urge them to stand up for our climate law! Our legislators can stop this effort to weaken the climate law by voicing their opposition to any and all attempts to change the climate law in the budget negotiations. But they need to speak up! 4. Join the NY Solar ASAP Act Call Relay on April 7th & 8th. AGREE is promoting a Call Relay to flood Albany’s phones all day on Tuesday, April 7th (Assembly leadership) and Wednesday, April 8th (the Governor’s office). The goal is simple: when those phones ring nonstop from constituents across the state, legislators know this is a priority. Sign up for a specific time slot, make your calls using the provided script, then text the next person to keep the chain going. Five minutes of your time could make a world of difference in tipping the scales on this.
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URGENT: New York Must Reject Qualified Immunity and Pass S176/A1402 Governor Kathy Hochul has put forth proposals in Section M of her budget and Program Bill #20 that would, for the first time in the state’s history, enshrine qualified immunity into New York State law. Qualified immunity is a judge-made rule that protects public officials, including law enforcement officers, from being sued, even when they violate people’s rights. Enshrining qualified immunity into law would move our state backward — shielding misconduct and denying justice to those whose constitutional rights have been violated. Call (332) 244-3311 and urge Governor Hochul, Senate Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins, and Assembly Speaker Heastie to amend any proposal that codifies qualified immunity and to pass S176/A1402 this session.
More Information Here
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Tell Congress: Vote NO on additional funding for Trump’s war on Iran! The Pentagon is preparing to request that Congress approve a supplemental funding package of at least $50 billion (we’re even hearing possibly over $100 billion!) to help finance Trump’s illegal, unpopular war on Iran. This comes after Pentagon officials told senators last week that only the first six days of the war cost $11.3 billion. To date, it is estimated that the U.S. has already spent nearly $15 billion on this war.
Worryingly, Democrats who have said they oppose this war are now open to voting Yes on supplemental funding. The reasoning sounds sensible to some people: We’re already in it, so we have to make sure the troops are funded, and we can use the money as leverage to force Trump to spell out his goals. Neither Chuck Schumer nor Hakeem Jeffries — the top Democrats in the Senate and House — has clearly promised to vote No.
Please take a moment now to send a message to your Members of Congress urging them to vote NO on any supplemental funding for Trump’s war on Iran!
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Economic Power – Continue boycotting Target Where we choose to spend our money and time is one of our greatest collective strengths. Every purchase we make, and every time we just show up to help, we demonstrate our values and progressive ideals for human rights, labor rights, social justice, and environmental protection.
A major teachers’ union is calling for its members to skip Target when buying back-to-school supplies, the latest twist in a series of boycotts that have targeted the big-box retailer as its turnaround shows signs of life. The AFT, or American Federation of Teachers, passed a resolution Thursday that calls on its 1.8 million members and others to shop at local stores and not at Target, saying the company did not respond adequately to the surge of federal immigration enforcement in the retailer’s hometown of Minneapolis this winter.
Read more here
Click here to research other companies or brands
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Neighborhood Defense Trainings Tuesday, April 7, 5:30 – 7 pm Recurring Zoom event The New York Immigration Coalition will be offering bi-weekly Neighborhood Defense Trainings. This training will prepare volunteers on their rights and risks, how to support with family preparedness, community canvassing, conducting ICE watches, and on the ground support. Registration is required.
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Building Power by Flexing Power: May Day 2026 Thursday, April 09, 07:00 PM – 08:00 PM Virtual event Join our national call on April 9th at 7pm ET to hear the latest from the May Day Strong network: including our demands for May 1, the cities that have committed to No Work No School No Shopping, and how we are building the power needed to stop the billionaire agenda and build a future for our families. We’ll break down what’s happening May 1st, why it matters, and how you can join us. Register here
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Weekly Pop-Up Protest Join our Pop-Up Street Protest on Fri. April 4th 5:00 pm at the intersection of Genesee St. & Oswego St, Baldwinsville. Sign Up Here
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STREET HEAT2026 Spring, Summer, And Fall Schedule
Year round: Every Friday afternoon. 4 to 4:45 pm justice for Palestine; no more U.S. funding Israeli genocide; U.S.: stop terrorizing families in Gaza; and so on.
West sidewalk of the intersection of Erie Blvd. East Genesee St, Dewitt (across from the Fire Dept.)
Beginning first Saturday in April: 4/4/26
Every Saturday 9 to 9:45 am with a variety of issues : anti-militarism, racism, Palestine genocide, Anti-nuke, climate disaster, etc.
Across from the main entrance to the Syracuse regional market, 2100 park st.
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Watch past meetings about Micron, Good Jobs Town Hall, Rallies and more on our YouTube Channel.
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Donate to the CNY Solidarity Coalition
CNY Solidarity Coalition contributes regularly to local progressive organizations: Syracuse Peace Council, National Action Network, & Urban Jobs Coalition. We also make occasional donations as needed to other local groups. We depend on your donations for this. Please note donations are not tax deductible.
Donate Online Here
Mail donations to:
CNY Solidarity Coalition
P.O. Box 6137, Teall Post Office, 226 Teall Ave., Syracuse NY 13217
Sign up for one of Our Committees
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Coordinating Committee
CNY Solidarity Coalition
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