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Some No Kings Next Steps

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Some No Kings Next Steps: There was a No Kings Next Steps video conference last night [Oct. 21]. Here are some things that they talked about:

  1. A) Budget battle/government shut-down: Call senators and tell them to hold the line on asking the GOP to negotiate on healthcare. Or text “shut-down” to 30403 and they will text back what to do.
  2. B) Take control of the narrativeand share your posts on your social media of your stories of how the actions of Trump Administration are affecting/hurting you, criticism of organizations that preemptively capitulate to the Trump Administration, and to showcase stories or resistance (“social proof”).

The next meeting of the Greater New Haven Indivisible group is on Saturday, Nov. 15 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Stetson Library (2nd floor) at 197 Dixwell in New Haven.

For more info: greaternewhavenindivisible@gmail.com.

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News from Greater New Haven Indivisible

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Thanks! to everyone who attended the No Kings New Haven event this past Saturday. Across the US, it was the largest peaceful protest in American history – and it was amazing to see so many people on the New Haven Green having a good time while fighting for democracy and progressive values and against autocracy! Way to go, everyone!!

Photo: Chris Volpe for the New Haven Independent

There are Indivisible groups across the US, CT, and in the area. You can check the National Indivisible website where groups are (https://groups.indivisible.org/). Every local Indivisible group decides their own actions in order to work towards change, fight back against rising authoritarianism, and prove—action by action—that courage is contagious.

People Have the Power!

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Janis Underwood, Greater Westville Indivisible

In the middle of September, a small group of neighbors were talking about the October 18 nationwide call to action put out by the national Indivisible organization. We noticed New Haven did not have a No Kings Rally in the works. We decided New Haven was not about to be left out of standing up to the authoritarian overreach of this current administration.

Over the next few weeks we mobilized an army of volunteers who came to help in droves and brought expertise, enthusiasm and themselves. We were determined to showcase unity and an action for a peaceful, action-oriented protest that resulted in the New Haven No Kings rally.

Photo: Chris Randall

Over 20 community groups came to share their organizations’ mobilization efforts with sign-up opportunities and information. Much to our joy, several thousand people came to march together with their signs, songs, slogans, puppets, umbrellas and HUGE spirit. The wonderfully diverse community of New Haven made this happen!

Did we know what we were doing? Not exactly, but we had a goal in mind and found people who shared their expertise and talents to help make it happen. Did we make mistakes…certainly. Would we do it again? After a little R & R … maybe!

People never realize their power until they exercise it. You Can Too!!!

Contact Nan to get involved. Her email is greaterwestvilleindivisible@gmail.com.

ICE Raids Dixwell Avenue Car Wash

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ICE and Homeland Security Have Kidnapped Immigrants in the Greater New Haven Area

In the past month, employees at a car wash in Hamden have been taken by ICE, and a man on the New Haven Green was grabbed by Homeland Security. Below are excerpts from articles about these cases

 

by Mona Mahadevan and Thomas Breen Oct. 15, 2025, New Haven Independent

Hamden’s mayor, town council president, and two dozen immigrant rights activists and fellow politicians gathered on Dixwell Avenue Wednesday afternoon [Oct. 15] to denounce an ICE raid that took place at a nearby car wash Wednesday morning.

Still looking for answers as to what exactly happened, the elected officials said that federal agents seized a total of eight people.

An eyewitness to the raid, meanwhile, said she saw at least 10 agents show up — some wearing masks and tactical gear — and described a man being slammed to the ground and a woman being hauled away into an unmarked van.

Hamden Mayor Lauren Garrett said at Wednesday’s press conference at the Keefe Community Center that the raid happened at the Optimo Car Wash, located at 1126 Dixwell Ave., at approximately 10:20 a.m.

She said that, as part of this raid, federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detained a mother and father while their kids were in school.

“The acts from the administration and ICE are deplorable, they are disgusting, they are not what we represent in Hamden,” Garrett said. “People are living in fear because of an inhumane presidency.”

[See entire article at bit.ly/4qxO2hG]

Feds Seize Immigrant On Green; Girlfriend Shaken

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Laura Glesby, Oct. 21, 2025, New Haven Independent

A Fair Haven woman watched from a distance on the New Haven Green as a group of federal immigration agents arrested her boyfriend of 10 years on Tuesday.

She was too afraid to come closer, as she too is undocumented.

She watched late Tuesday morning as three agents surrounded her boyfriend on the southeast corner of the New Haven Green, across the street from CVS. They handcuffed him and took him inside an unmarked black van, where a fourth agent waited with the door open.

One of the agents wore a jacket identifying him as “Police HSI,” short for Homeland Security Investigations. Another covered the bottom half of his face with a black mask.

The woman, who spoke with the Independent on Tuesday afternoon, had reported an incident of domestic violence from her boyfriend to the police over a year ago.

He was charged at the time with breach of peace in the second degree, assault in the third degree, and interfering with an emergency call. She said that he completed a domestic violence rehabilitation program.

Following his successful completion of the program, he appeared in court on Tuesday morning for a dismissal of the case.

Norma Rodriguez-Reyes contributed reporting and interpretation. Paul Bass contributed reporting.

[See entire article at bit.ly/4oCWQkz]

Estimates from DataHaven Show SNAP Cuts Threaten Food Security and Local Economies Across Connecticut

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by DataHaven

Today [Oct. 20, 2025], DataHaven released a new report titled “Food Assistance and Local Economies at Risk: Projected Federal SNAP Cuts by Connecticut Town and District,” analyzing the projected losses of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits tied to recent federal policy changes.

The report (ctdatahaven.org/snapcuts) includes links to interactive data visualizations and maps, showing the number of families projected to lose benefits as well as the total amount of benefits lost each month for each Connecticut town and state legislative district.

These projected losses stem from federal legislation (the “One Big Beautiful Bill Act”), which introduces work requirements, administrative hurdles, and additional cost burden for states. Under the new law, even as Connecticut pays more to sustain its SNAP program, many residents are likely to see essential nutritional benefits diminish or disappear entirely.

“Feeding hungry people should not be a political problem. Food is the most basic building block for a healthy, thriving community. When we cut SNAP, we’re not just cutting benefits — we’re cutting stability, long-term health, and opportunity. Food is medicine. Food is educational success. Food is jobs. Every dollar invested in SNAP pays dividends in healthcare, education, and economic resilience,” said Meg Hadley Zimmerman, Program Manager at End Hunger CT!, about the new report.

“These cuts to SNAP benefits are coming at a time when rates of food insecurity in Connecticut have reached historic highs, putting even more pressure on families and local main streets alike. This new report is important because it provides town- and district-level estimates that can help legislators and advocates understand the on-the-ground impacts of recent legislation,” said Mark Abraham, Executive Director at DataHaven. “In addition to putting food on the table and ensuring that all children have the nutrition they need to succeed, SNAP benefits keep dollars flowing through neighborhood businesses and help support local jobs. These data make it clear how cutbacks in SNAP as a result of work requirements and other federal policy changes are going to have a significant impact on communities across the entire state.”

A media advisory is also available on our website. Visit ctdatahaven.org for this and other reports.

News from the Downtown Evening Soup Kitchen (DESK)

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Thanksgiving has always been a cornerstone program at DESK. Although it’s just one day out of the year, Thanksgiving offers an important symbol for those we serve, reminding them that they are part of a warm and caring community.

Help us bring warmth and compassion to those who are most in need this Thanksgiving!

There are plenty of ways to get involved this year. Here is how YOU can help make this Thanksgiving special for those most in need in your community:

  1. Host a Thanksgiving Food Drive
    Email donate@deskct.orgor call 475-238-8778 to learn about our current donation needs and to get a customized flyer to help spread the word. These items will be distributed at our Thanksgiving Pantry on the day before the holiday, feeding over 250 households.
  2. Donate
    Love to help, but don’t have the time?
    Donate now at deskct.org/tfaand we’ll do the shopping.
  3. Become a Thanksgiving-for-All Sponsor
    Your sponsorshipwill help ensure that over 1,000 individuals won’t go hungry this holiday. Visit deskct.org.
  4. Volunteer
    Sign up forvolunteer shiftsfor Thanksgiving-related events in the days leading up to the holiday, including Thanksgiving Day. Each opportunity will be filled on a first-come, first-served basis and will fill up fast!

If you have any questions about this year’s Thanksgiving-for-All program, don’t hesitate to contact volunteer@deskct.org or 475-238-8778.

People’s World Amistad Awards, Saturday, Dec. 13

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by People’s World Amistad Awards Committee

This year’s People’s World Amistad Awards Working Class Unity! To Defend Our Rights and Fight for Our Future will be held Saturday, Dec. 13 at 4 p.m. at the First and Summerfield Church – home to Unite Here – 425 College St., New Haven. The keepsake greeting book will be printed and will be in an electronic edition.

We invite your attendance and participation in the greeting book to honor the awardees and the occasion. The ad deadline is Nov. 20. For greeting book and ticket information, please call 203-624-8664.

People’s World is honored to present the Amistad Award to four wonderful allies and working-class champions:

Tabitha Sookdeo, director of Connecticut Students for a Dream

Wayne McCarthy, president of International Association of Machinists Local 700

Norma Martinez-HoSang and Constanza Segovia of Connecticut for All Director and Director of Organizing.

More about the awardees will be in the December issue of the Progressive Action Roundtable newsletter.

Courage Award to Go to Imprisoned, Tortured Palestinian Doctor

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by LouAnn Villani, Middle East Crisis Committee 

The Middle East Crisis Committee (MECC) will give its 2025 Courage Award to Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya of Gaza, Palestine. Dr. Safiya was the Director of the Kamal Adwan Hospital in north Gaza, Palestine when he was arrested on Dec. 27, 2024 by Israeli troops. He has been in their custody ever since. Israeli authorities claim he’s being held under “suspicion of terrorism.” He has not been charged in court with any crime but is held under a cruel legal-like measure the Israelis call “Administrative Detention.”

Dr. Abu Safiya was head of the pediatric department in Kamal Adwan Hospital before becoming its director. While not exclusively a pediatric hospital, Kamal Adwan Hospital was particularly known for its specialized pediatric services, including a critical Neonatal and Pediatric Intensive Care Unit. Like all Gaza medical facilities, Kamal Adwan performed incredible work despite severe shortage of essential supplies. And like all Gazans, he and his staff were being intentionally starved, often arrested, even as its building endured sieges and bombardment. In December 2024 the hospital was closed at gunpoint.

He has been seen by a lawyer very infrequently. In February, his attorney said Dr. Abu Safiya had suffered torture, including beatings with batons and electric shock sticks. In July his attorney reported that Dr. Abu Safiya had lost nearly 90 pounds while in Israeli custody.

Dr. Abu Safiya stands for all Palestinian doctors and healthcare workers who have done outstanding humanitarian work amid indescribable conditions and constant slander that they are terrorists.

We hope to have a ceremony in late November to honor Dr. Abu Safiya in absentia. MECC’s Courage Award was initiated in 2023. It was bestowed that year to Alaa Abd El-Fattah, an imprisoned activist in Egypt who has very recently been released. In 2024 the award was given to Palestinian journalists and media workers as a whole. Visit TheStruggleVideo.org for future developments.

A Petition in Response to a Movie about Nukes

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by Stanley Heller, Promoting Enduring Peace

It may seem like a simple ask, a call to have the president take part in a nuclear war drill. Actually, it could have enormous consequences. On Oct. 24, Netflix streamed the movie A House of Dynamite. At one point the fictional president says, “I had one briefing when I was sworn in…one.” In an interview, a technical advisor for the film said that no president since Ronald Reagan has taken part in the national security drills involving nuclear war. Annie Jacobsen makes the same point in her 2024 book Nuclear War: A Scenario. She quotes President Reagan’s memoirs, “Six minutes to decide how to respond to a blip on a radar scope and decide whether to release Armageddon! How could anyone apply reason at a time like that?”

So, after talking with folks from Back from the Brink, our organization came up with a petition, “Urge President Trump experience a nuclear war drill to see the folly of nuclear weapons.”  You can see it on Change.org. Here’s a quick link: tinyurl.com/nuclear-drill.

It may seem futile to try to educate Donald Trump about anything given his politics and his persona but the 1980s have an interesting lesson for us.  Ronald Reagan came in with far-right views and made all kinds of aggressive threats. He faced pushback from the Nuclear Freeze movement and the million-person anti-nuke rally in NYC in 1982. Two movies were produced in the ’80s: WarGames and The Day After, both with stark messages about the results of nuclear war. Reagan saw both movies and they strongly affected him. Within a few years he negotiated with Gorbachev and came up with a treaty that sharply reduced the number of nuclear weapons.

The petition background lists a number of interim measures that could make the world safer, like taking weapons off hair-trigger, abandon “launch on warning,” pledging no first use. Please sign the petition and spread it around.

Americans and the Holocaust: A Traveling Exhibition for Libraries

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by Meriden Public Library

Americans and the Holocaust is on display at the Meriden Public Library, along with a series of related special events, through Nov. 9, 2025.

The 1,100-square-foot exhibition examines various aspects of American society: the government, the military, refugee aid organizations, the media and the general public.

Drawing on a remarkable collection of primary sources from the 1930s and ’40s, the exhibition tells the stories of Americans who acted in response to Nazism, challenging the commonly held assumptions that Americans knew little and did nothing about the Nazi persecution and murder of Jews as the Holocaust unfolded. It provides a portrait of American society that shows how the Depression, isolationism, xenophobia, racism and antisemitism shaped responses to Nazism and the Holocaust. Info: 203-630-4730, www.meridenlibrary.org. Meriden Public Library at 105 Miller Street, Meriden.

Appeal for Help for Cristian Carias and Family

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Unidad Latina en Acción hopes to raise funds for Cristian Carias, who was detained by ICE in New Haven, on Sunday, Sept. 21.

He was detained on Dixwell Avenue in front of the Q house at 9 in the morning, after he was followed a few blocks from his house. ICE detained him by smashing his window and pulling him out of the vehicle. The link at the bottom is an article detailing the kidnapping.

He was here in the country for several years, and he was a leader in his church. These funds are to help his family obtain and pay a lawyer. They are also to assist the family as they lost the sole monetary provider for the household, and there are still two daughters who need care, not to mention rent and food.

All and any monetary assistance are greatly appreciated in these difficult times. Sharing this GoFundMe campaign is also greatly appreciated. Only the people can save the people!

To read the article in the Yale Daily News about Cristian, please go to bit.ly/4ojTd2Y.

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