❤️ Good News from the Resistance, May 11-17th, 2025
Rooted, rising, and refusing to yield.
Welcome to How to Resist, a blueprint for resistance based on nonviolence, mutual aid, and community building for ordinary people who want to save democracy.
Dear Resisters,
This marks the seventh edition of Good News from the Resistance, and what strikes me the most this week is how the resistance is not just growing; it’s evolving. It’s rippling across the country, threading through communities, institutions, and identities. It’s becoming something organic, something… living.
Like a mycelial network beneath the forest floor, it’s quietly connecting people and causes, nourishing solidarity, and surfacing across all areas of civil society— from street corners to Broadway stages, airport runways to courtroom benches.
Just three months ago, the New York Times was asking, “Resistance, Where Art Thou?” But what may have appeared to some as paralysis, I now see as the quiet germination of something new. This week’s stories are proof: disabled activists putting their bodies on the line to disrupt congressional hearings, artists canceling performances in protest, mothers rallying against ICE detentions, and retirees defending the social safety nets their generation helped build.
These events may be decentralized, but they’re not disconnected. They’re nodes in a growing matrix of resistance. Each action, no matter how local or small, is part of a larger, living system that is learning, adapting, and becoming.
M-.
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Twenty-six disability rights activists arrested during an act of civil disobedience on Capitol Hill
Twenty-six Medicaid and disability rights activists—some in wheelchairs—were arrested for interrupting the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Their message was clear: “Keep your greedy hands off our Medicaid!” Democratic committee members stood in solidarity, holding up signs bearing the faces of their constituents who depend on Medicaid for survival.1 2 3 4 5
Two people arrested at Illinois Representative Darin LaHood’s office
Demonstrators gathered outside of Darin LaHood’s office to protest cuts to Medicaid, which they argue would be devastating to their lives. “Someone came in this morning, got me, helped me get out of bed, and I came up here, and then tonight, I'll go back, and someone will come in and help me go to bed... they're paid for by Medicaid, and if that gets cut, then what do I do?” said Mike Ervin who uses a wheelchair and receives Medicaid-funded care from caregivers.6
Tony-nominated cast of Broadway musical Dead Outlaw cancels performance to protest the firing of Carla Hayden, Librarian of Congress
A statement from the cast reads, “Regretfully, the Broadway production of Dead Outlaw has decided to cancel Monday's planned appearance at the Library of Congress upon learning of the termination of Dr. Carla Hayden […] a fierce advocate for preserving America's cultural memory.”7
Twelve civil rights groups take turns protesting airline chartering deportation flights
Civil rights groups gathered for the second time at Tweed New Haven airport to protest Avelo Airlines’ decision to accept a contract from the Department of Homeland Security to charter deportation flights. “It’s a death of rights, it’s a death of human dignity and understanding […] My Goodness, these are our neighbors. Even if it’s not neighbors on our street, these are people that were here, were here and building life and trying to thrive,” said Hope Chavez, organizer, New Haven Immigrants Coalition.8 9
Global film and TV bodies unite against Trump's 100% tariff proposal
Over 100 film and TV bodies worldwide have united to sign an open letter urging governments to safeguard the systems that support independent film and audiovisual creation. The letter, which comes on the eve of the Cannes Film Festival, addresses concerns over the growing dominance of global entertainment conglomerates and the rise of AI in production, alongside Trump’s proposed tariffs.10
VCU grads walk out during Rep. Gov. Youngkin’s graduation speech
Graduating VCU students walk out during Republican Governor Youngkin’s graduation speech, holding signs reading “No graduation as usual” and “Unacceptable leadership.”11
‘Mothers rise up for peace’ protest ICE arrests and deportations on Mother’s Day
“Dozens of protesters spent time on Mother’s Day outside Portland’s Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility calling for an end to mass deportations as lawmakers continued to warn about potential due process violations.”12
Kennebunk protest continues for 14th week
For 14 weeks, more than 100 protestors have lined the streets of Kennebunk, Maine on Thursday afternoons, protesting the Trump administration and they don’t plan to stop anytime soon.13
Democrats have flipped the Omaha mayoral race
In a huge upset, John Ewing Jr. has beaten Jean Stothert, a 3-term Republican incumbent, making him the first Black mayor of Omaha and returning the mayoral seat to the Democrats for the first time in 12 years.14
Immigrants and advocates demand Mass. Governor do something about ICE raids
Immigrants and advocates gathered at the Massachusetts State House this week to demand that Governor Maura Healey intervene in ICE arrests. “Gov. Healey, what would you do if you left your children at school — and you were afraid that when you went to pick them up, you might not be able to see them? This is how we live” -Marina Maldonado, Massachusetts domestic worker [translated from Spanish]15
Anti-Trump group runs sarcastic National Parks billboards highlighting cuts
Progressive advocacy group, More Perfect Union, has put up more than 300 retro postcard-style billboards spotlighting how DOGE's budget cuts are hitting the National Park Service (NPS). A spokesperson says a second wave of ads is coming later this summer.16 17
Pedro Pascal speaks out against Trump
Chilean-American actor and star of "The Last of Us," Pedro Pascal, spoke out against Trump’s policies while being interviewed in Cannes, "I'm an immigrant. My parents are refugees from Chile. We fled a dictatorship, and I was privileged enough to grow up in the US after asylum in Denmark... I stand by those protections."18
Bruce Springsteen speaks out against Trump administration during concert in the UK
Bruce Springsteen drew the ire of President Trump this week with his speech during a performance in Manchester, UK. “My home, the America I love, the America I’ve written about, that has been a beacon of hope and liberty for 250 years, is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration. Tonight, we ask all who believe in democracy and the best of our American experiment to rise with us, raise your voices against authoritarianism and let freedom ring!”19 Watch below.
Activists protest Mayor’s plan to arrest unhoused individuals who refuse shelter
Dozens of advocates from Sacred Heart Community Service gathered this week to protest San Jose’s Mayor Matt Mahan’s plan to arrest unhoused individuals who refuse shelter, forcing them to a ‘recovery station,’ by a new unit of police officers. “We do not support arresting, detaining, or forcibly relocating our unhoused neighbors, whether or not they choose to accept shelter,” said Emilia Castellanos with Sacred Heart Community Service.
Retirees organize anti-Trump protest in Canton, OH
One hundred twenty-five people, many retirees, gathered in front of Ralph Regula Federal Building to protest cuts to Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid benefits.20
"We built Social Security. We created Medicare and Medicaid. Because the private sector would not. We've done this so we can have a life after a life of work," said Norm Wernet, 79.
Anti-Trump Rally in Greenwood, SC
More than two dozen people gathered Saturday in Greenwood, SC, to protest the Donald Trump presidency. "I'm protesting Trump letting himself be bribed. […] He is the most corrupt president I think I've ever known, and I know a lot because I'm a historian," said Greenwood resident Joel Cleland. Resident Suzy Holloway added, “It's a critical time in our country because we have a would-be king. We have an autocracy shaping up, and I'm against that. I'm against fascism. I love our country. I love what it stands for. I'm 86 years old and I never, ever thought I would be having to stand for democracy and stand up and shout for it, but we have to."21
Hands-Off protesters gather again for second rally in Idaho
Protestors in Idaho gathered for a second time to harness the local anti-Trump momentum. “It’s all about fighting against the rise of a dictatorship and authoritarianism. That’s always been my motive from the get-go. There are tons of issues out there that people have — everybody from veterans to federal workers to people on Medicaid and social security — who are feeling very threatened. All those issues are out there. But for me, it’s always been about not allowing a dictatorship in our country,” said organizer Elmer Martinez, “I get plenty of calls from people that want to help participate and I’m starting to hear from people who supported Trump but now are having big regrets. They’re starting to see that he is grifting not just the voters, but the whole country. People that did support him are starting to see the consequences of some of their votes.”22
Fighting Back in the Courts
Eighteen states sue Trump administration over birthright citizenship order
Attorneys general from 18 states have sued the Trump administration to stop it from seeking to eliminate birthright citizenship, a protection guaranteed in the U.S. Constitution.23
Families of deportees sent to El Salvador are suing Trump
A lawsuit filed with the Inter-American Commission of Human Rights seeks the release of Venezuelan migrants deported from the United States and jailed in a notorious Salvadoran prison.24
Nineteen attorneys general sue Trump over funds tied to immigration enforcement assistance
Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha announced Tuesday that he and 19 attorneys general have sued the Trump administration for making federal funding contingent on working agents in federal immigration enforcement.25
Humanities groups sue Trump administration to reverse local funding cuts
The Federation of State Humanities Councils and the Oregon Council for the Humanities have sued the Trump administration to stop cuts to funding for the humanities, asking for the court to, “Stop this imminent threat to our nation’s historic and critical support of the humanities by restoring funding appropriated by Congress."26
Defiant New England Attorneys General to Trump: ‘Bring it on’
AGs from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Maine, and Vermont held a town hall in Dorchester, MA, pledging that nothing is off the table when it comes to holding immigration officials accountable and praising the courts for standing firm so far. “All of us probably have a target on our back,” Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Campbell said, “But we say bring it on.”27
Federal judge gives the administration a week to identify efforts to return Kilmar Abrego García and 137 Venezuelans from El Salvador
The Trump administration now has orders from three courts, including the Supreme Court, to return Kilmar Abrego Garcia.28
Supreme Court maintains block on some Trump deportations of migrants
Supreme Court kept a block on the Trump administration’s use of a rarely invoked wartime power to deport migrants in Northern Texas, saying they had not granted individuals sufficient time to challenge deportation. The court did not address the broader question about whether Trump officials can legally invoke the Alien Enemies Act to target alleged gang members.29
Thanks for being part of this, and I’ll see you on Wednesday!
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Wait until you see the crowds of protesters for the June 14th NO KINGS protest. It's going to be huge!
Thank you for such a thoughtful, comprehensive gathering of hope by drawing together a snapshot of resistance actions across the nation recently in response to the ongoing regime.
Wow what a run on sentence-