The Audacity Newsletter #8: Why (and How) You Should Join a Protest Now
The Audacity: Creative Action Together | AudacityCAT.com | Newsletter #8 | 3-20-25
"Why Protest?"
You have probably heard this question, possibly from a friend, possibly from a voice inside yourself. What good does protest do? And why encourage use of the arts in protest as The Audacity does?
There are many good answers. Here are two of them, by video and then by text:
Reason for Arts Activism #1: First, the arts are all about telling compelling stories -- through song, visual art, theater, and other means -- that demand attention and connect with the human soul. That's so important in winning people over, which we must if we are going to defend democracy.
Reason for Arts Activism #2: Second, by planning and engaging in works of art together, we will weave a web of community connecting people who know each other, who know how to work together, and who trust one another. We're forming a safety net of trust to help us defend against and survive the unfolding authoritarian disaster. It's going to get hard; community makes it easier.
We all, and this means you, must do what we can, while we still can, to protect those we can, and to prepare for what's coming. This newsletter shares lots of ways for you to get active at the local level. History needs you! Make room on your calendar for the following individual and collective actions:
ACTION #1. TURN OUT for Mass Meetings of The Audacity on Saturdays at 10 AM on March 29, May 3 and June 7. On each of these days, we will hold mass meetings to welcome new members, connect folks to existing working groups, and mobilize for public action. Meet at 345 Broadway (we are renting out the Universalist Church) in Rockland at 10 AM. Park across the street. From 10-11:30 AM we will organize in the sanctuary space, and at Noon we'll turn out in massive numbers to Rockland's Chapman Park (corner of Park & Main next to the Walgreens).
ACTION #2: FILL CHAPMAN PARK EVERY SATURDAY AT NOON. Line the streets with signs of resistance, encouraging your friends and neighbors. Meet at the monument for group singing. Grab a free button. Learn about other opportunities to get involved locally and contribute to the movement.
ACTION #3: RECORD YOUR TESTIMONY THIS SATURDAY ON A MAINE LEGISLATURE BILL TO CRIMINALIZE ABORTION IN THE STATE. The bill, HP 635, has been introduced by Republicans in the Maine State Legislature, and they're holding a hearing on the bill in the Maine State House in Augusta on Friday, March 28: see https://legislature.maine.gov/billtracker/#Paper/HP635?legislature=132 for information. All Mainers have the right to submit testimony for that bill, and submitted testimony becomes part of the public record.
We're setting up a video station in Rockland's Chapman Park from Noon to 1 PM this Saturday, March 22 at which you can record your testimony on the bill. We'll ask for your name, town, phone number and email address and ask you to share a brief video message for the Maine State Legislature on your thoughts about the criminalization of abortion in Maine. We'll transcribe your remarks and bring them to the hearing to distribute to legislators and to be added to the public record.
ACTION #4: ASK A FRIEND TO SIGN THE PETITION FOR A CONGRESSIONAL TOWN HALL IN KNOX COUNTY. This one's easy. We're up to 826 public signatures from folks in Maine on our petition calling for a public listening town hall in Knox County with our members of Congress. These are 826 people who've put their name and their town on the record in support of a town hall. Our threshold for action is 1000 signatures -- just 174 more! Once we get to 1000 voices of support, we'll present the list of signatures to the congressional representatives who work for us -- Rep. Chellie Pingree, Senator Angus King, and Senator Susan Collins. A thousand people from our small, rural towns is a lot of people, and we're going to make an offer that's hard to refuse: we will host them for a town hall at any time of day, night, or the wee small hours of the morning (yes, even 3 AM) during the two whole weeks that our members of Congress will be at home in the state, from April 13 - April 26.
Help us get there! Ask a local friend to sign the petition and share this link with them: https://audacityspace.org/petition-for-an-open-public-town-hall-in-knox-county-maine-with-our-congressional-representatives/ . If we each ask just one friend, we can get over the top in just a few hours. Let's get it done!
ACTION #5: ORGANIZE SOME STREET THEATER. The Theater Working Group of The Audacity is meeting at 1:15 PM on Saturday March 22 (right after we're done singing in Chapman Park) at the Universalist Church of Rockland at 345 Broadway. This group has already mounted a die-in and visually-stunning testimony before the Rockland City Council on the dangers of cooperating with federal ICE -- both of which have received media coverage. Help plan the next theatrical event -- all kinds of ideas and skills are needed.
ACTION #6: JOIN A PARTY TO MAKE A POSTER, A BANNER, A BUTTON, A SCARF -- VISUAL ARTISTS, MAKE A MESSAGE! On Sunday, March 23 at Noon, the Visual Arts working group is holding a workshop at the Hope Library -- 441 Camden Road. We’ll work on posters, banners, buttons, scarves, and whatever else we come up with. Bring supplies if you can; we will have some there, including a sewing machine, scarves, and a banner. Bring your own original ideas as well! This is a very social, regularly occurring event. Craft a message and make a new friend!
ACTION #7: REHEARSE PROTEST MUSIC WITH AN ACTIVIST BRASS BAND: Joe Niemczura of Belfast is the fellow who has been providing trumpet music for recent mobilizations at the Maine State House in Augusta, and on Sunday, March 23 at Noon brass players will meet at the Mid Coast Music Academy -- 821 Commercial St, Rockport, ME 04856 -- for a rehearsal to get ready participate in a brass band playing social movement music at the upcoming April 5 "Hands Off!" statewide demonstration at the Maine State House. If you're a brass instrument player, and if you can play a tune passably (not perfectly) by ear, please come! Wear all black for promotional photos that will be taken, and please bring a chair, a light jacket and a hat.. As we practice for the big April 5 demonstration in Augusta, we will also be recruiting a core group of brass players to play motivational music at our ongoing Saturday demonstrations and whenever else we're called to the streets.
ACTION #8: JOIN A WORKING GROUP. The Audacity works on the principle that within our very broad boundaries (we're a nonviolent group organizing creative action in opposition to dictatorship, bigotry, and corruption), we'll organize any action if enough people come together to volunteer their time to make it happen. To do that, join a working group! To find a list of our active working groups and sign up to support that group as an active member, visit https://form.jotform.com/250383876082160 and submit your information. A working group "wrangler" will get in touch with you soon!
