How to Resist an Electoral Coup:  Lessons from Ukraine

The second film in the Long Arc of Justice Film Series, The Orange Chronicles will be screened on Tuesday, August 18, at 6:30 PM, at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship Building (3845 N. Swan Street in Silver City).  Admission is free; diverse opinions are welcome.

In 2004, as Americans were reelecting George W. Bush, the Ukrainian people refused to reelect Viktor Yanukovych, their Putin-backed prime minister.  Ukrainians were certain they had elected Viktor Yushchenko on November 21, but when the Central Election Commissioner declared otherwise, more than half a million citizens gathered in Kyiv’s Independence Square for 17 freezing days till Ukraine’s Supreme Court slated a repeat run-off election.  Yushchenko won that runoff 53% to 45%.  Damian Kolodiy‘s homemade video about that protest, The Orange Chronicles, has become a classic DIY documentary championing non-violent insistence on the truth.

The Immigration Working Group finds relevance between 2004 Ukraine & 2026 America, so we’ll not only be screening Kolodiy’s 55-minute film but studying it for an extra half hour, examining the strategies Ukrainian demonstrators used 22 years ago, considering the advantages of non-violent protest over its alternatives.

Opinionated Working-Group activists Jennifer Lamborn and Jim McIntosh will lead an efficient pre-, intra-, and post-film discussion of the film.  PLEASE JOIN US!

Some recent reporting from Austin Kocher on 7/28 documents that ICE has now booked over 600,000 people into detention since Trump took office. As of his writing 65,000 were currently incarcerated. He estimates that by the end of this administration 1.75 Million people will be detained.  Pay close attention to the concentration camps coming to your neighborhoods 

And finally…

HUGE THANKS for all the bicycles that were donated for Palomas. Mike Dunmire picked up over 4 Dozen! The Gila Community alone donated two truckloads. Kids and adults are learning to repair and maintain bikes, as you can see ☺️

We also collected a goodly stash of sewing machines and craft supplies for the Fiber Cooperative.

You are an amazing community!

Thank you for being a part of the resistance and, more importantly, the change we need to sustain our community and ourselves   ~Barbara