anti-thuggary actions Saturday

Hello CRAGgys,

The Copper Country is gathering in downtown Houghton for victims of ICE on Saturday at 1 pm, followed by a rally against imperialism in Venezuela at 2 pm at Veteran's Memorial Park.

Registering helps the organizers: https://mobilize.us/s/Xu2iGl

Please show support for local businesses during these downtown actions, spend a few bucks. We support the local community!

The year 2026 is off to a disheartening start. As fellow doom-scrollers know, the United States is looking increasingly like a mafia state. Assaults are occurring on many fronts. The line between military action abroad and law enforcement at home is being deliberately blurred. There is now scarcely an effort to conceal the main goal of government actions: enriching Trump's family and the sycophants in his orbit.

You have all seen the news, so I won't belabor the evidence:

• Murder of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis. The ninth person shot by ICE this year, followed by 2 additional shootings in Oregon.
• Kidnapping of the Venezuelan head of state, Nicolas Maduro, in a severe threat to the UN Charter.

The Nicolas Maduro arrest constitutes a stress test for the contemporary international legal order. Stripped of political narratives and criminal allegations, the episode turns on a narrow but fundamental question: may a state unilaterally project military force onto the territory of another sovereign state to seize a sitting head of government in the absence of collective authorization or an armed attack? Under the prevailing framework of public international law, the answer remains firmly negative. Edmarverson A. Santos, "Nicolas Maduro's arrest: legality under International Law", Diplomacy and Law, January 2026.

• Withdrawal of the United States from dozens of international treaties and agreements:
  • UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, the overarching climate treaty signed by every country in the world. The IPCC, which publishes comprehensive reports on the state of the climate, and IPBES, which does the same for biodiversity.
  •  International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), whose mission is to: "Influence, encourage and assist societies to conserve the integrity and diversity of nature and ensure that any use of natural resources is equitable and ecologically sustainable."
  • Numerous UN and other organizations dedicated to: Peace, population, water, energy, gender, violence against children, democracy, oceans, regional cooperation, mining, climate, research, and regional cooperation on piracy, terrorism, migration, and justice.

I won't ramble on. Instead, here's a poem by Amanda Gorman, published on social media, and in the Guardian.

When and Where to Speak UP

Check the calendar for details.

Here's the list view of Elected Official Meetings: https://calendar.online/electedofficialmeetings.

Some public body meets somewhere every single week; take 30 minutes to show up and express your opinion. (Sample statements.) And let me know if you go and what you learn.

Remember, this is a long process. Showing up multiple times builds trust and demonstrates to people with diverse viewpoints that you don't have horns.

January 13

• Houghton County Commission, 6 pm

January 14

• Houghton City Council, 6:30 pm

January 16

• Houghton Keweenaw Conservation District

Why and how to attend local meetings

Upcoming actions

January 10: Downtown Houghton, ICE Out for GOOD, 1 pm, gather on street corners.

January 10: Veteran's Park, Houghton, Hands off Venezuela Rally.

January 10, Marquette: Candlelight vigil for the disappeared and the unlawfully detained, starting at 7pm, in Marquette. Music, speakers and meditation. Candles will be supplied (or bring your own). Register at Mobilize.

Organizational Meetings

Details are on the CALENDAR. (Organizers: Please send updates when times, dates, locations change!) These groups are all very welcoming. Drop by a meeting to connect with friendly faces. Any level of engagement contributes to making our world better.

Houghton/Hancock

• Yoopers for Ukraine 🇺🇦 Rally at the bridge Wednesdays at 5 pm.
• Keweenaw Indivisible meets 2nd Tuesdays, 6-8 pm (work groups at 6, general membership at 7) at the KUUF. (Join KI).
• Houghton County Dems meet every 1st Wednesday, 7 pm at the Super 8.
• 4th Wednesdays AWAVE, 6 pm. Gathering at KUU Fellowship Houghton.
• 3rd Sundays, 7-8:45 pm, Keweenaw Against the Oligarchy Monthly Action Committee (KATO). Please register at the link to help with the headcount.

Baraga

• Baraga County Democrats, 3rd Tuesdays at 6 pm, L'Anse Township Hall

Marquette

• Every Tuesday evening at 7pm, Yoopers Unite, a gathering of local pro-democracy groups, at LoveMarq Church, 728 W. Kaye Ave, Marquette.
• Visibility Brigade Demonstrations take place regularly in Marquette and Ishpeming. Click here for information and to register through Mobilize.
• Saturday Morning Demonstrations at the Post Office in Marquette: Members of Citizens for Peace and Justice, Lake Superior Region Indivisible, Yoopers Unite, area community members, friends and neighbors gather for a peaceful demonstration at the Marquette Post Office every Saturday from 11:30 am - 12:30 pm.
• Subscribe for free to the Lake Superior Region Indivisible newsletter here. Contact LSRI at lsrindivisible@gmail.com

Michigan

• Statewide Indivisible Michigan (SWIM). This page lists various virtual events for statewide connections.

Leaving MAGA resource

• Leaving maga site by former MAGA folks that might help people speaking with friends and relatives.

Thanks for all your support and all your efforts to promote and expand freedom, justice and democracy!

Stay Well

Sarah

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