AUGUST 18, 2025
What Now? Organizing Action.
Last Wednesday evening, 35 Helena Indivisibles gathered at St. Paul’s Methodist Church for the third and final session of the Indivisible One Million Rising trainings: “What Now? Organizing Actions.” The training spotlighted three projects National Indivisible is encouraging local groups to take on:
1. Signs of Solidarity: Indivisible is urging chapters to ramp up protection of immigrant community members most at risk of illegal deportation by ICE. The project calls on volunteers to canvas local businesses and ask them to post “Signs of Solidarity” in their windows, declaring their support for immigrant employees and customers and making clear that ICE cannot enter without a signed judicial warrant for a specific named individual.
Indivisible Helena has not yet officially organized for this campaign, but you can canvass business owners to take a stand, making clear their business is private property, and ICE cannot enter without a signed judicial warrant for a specific named individual.
2. Avelo Airlines: Avelo Airlines became the first U.S. commercial carrier to sign a deportation charter contract with ICE, making them complicit in deporting people for profit. Groups nationwide have been boycotting Avelo and publicizing its role, and the pressure is working: Avelo has already pulled out of the West Coast.
While Avelo doesn’t serve Montana, National Indivisible asks all groups to amplify this campaign to increase pressure and keep other airlines from following Avelo’s lead.
3. Fight Trump’s Redistricting Coup: Trump is pressuring states to rig/gerrymander congressional maps to create permanent Republican control of the House. Texas is a test case — just the beginning of more unlawful pressure on states.
In case you missed it, you can watch the video of Wednesday’s call here.
We have lots of opportunities to push back against this unlawful, destructive authoritarian administration. Let’s get to it.
This Week’s To-Do List
Take It to the Streets
Wednesday, August 20, 4:30pm
Carroll monument at Euclid & Benton
The Sewing Circle will be at Alive at Five at Carroll College. Two members will set up a “Lucy-style” advice booth to spark conversations, while the rest of us gather at the Carroll monument at Euclid and Benton. We’ll line Euclid with signs calling out the damage of the Trump Administration and how it affects Montanans. Bring your big, bold signs and stand with us.
Saturday, August 23, 12 noon to 1pm
11th Ave. and Montana Ave
Ours is a scary country now with no letup in the foreseeable future. It’s time to bust out of our comfort zone and let our community, state, and country know our values and that we stand against the Big Bad Bill.
Every Saturday until harsh winter weather sets in, we will hold demonstrations from noon to 1 pm, at the intersection of 11th Ave and Montana Ave.
The demonstration will focus on educating people with signs that say what the Big Bad Reconciliation Bill is going to do, how it will make Montanans’ lives harder. The signs should be directed to our Congressional delegation — let’s call out Daines, Sheehy and Downing (“Where’s Troy Downing?”) Bring your big bold signs — they need to be seen by cars speeding by!
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Plan and Hold Your Community Resistance Gathering
Take the One Million Rising training, then host your own Community Resistance Gathering. Learn how to build energy and momentum for peaceful non-cooperation — and train others to do the same. Then encourage your guests to sign up with Indivisible Helena, to stay connected and help keep the movement growing.
These gatherings can be lively and welcoming, while still having structure. The One Million Rising training toolkit offers resources and guidance to help you lead with both confidence and ease.
Learn more about hosting a community gathering.
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Another Helena Gathering
Desserts and Dissent: Helena Bakes Up Resistance
Over plates of desserts and tasty drinks, 18 Helena community members gathered to explore how small acts of non-cooperation can build collective strength against authoritarianism. The evening opened with words of inspiration and introductions, as each participant named something they could offer to the resistance.
The group reviewed the One Million Rising framework, discussed the authoritarian playbook, and reflected on real-world examples of non-violent strategies. Using the One Million Rising toolkit as a guide, organizers showed how brainstorming can spark action: in just one evening, the group created and refined seven concrete steps focused on resistance here in Helena.
Ideas included:
- Hosting an economist at Hometown Helena to explain how Trump administration policies harm Montana’s economy,
- Launching a “Resist with Humor” effort using memes and bumper stickers, and
- Organizing students and alumni across Montana universities to pressure regents to resist political extortion.
- Connecting with local sheriffs and faith leaders as ally voices for democracy.
Everyone left energized to work together on these local efforts. The takeaway was clear: it doesn’t take much to start — a toolkit, a few organizers, and a willingness to act.
The One Million Rising trainings are designed to create trainers who go on to host their own gatherings. Many in Helena are eager to act locally, and the next step is for participants to step up as trainers themselves — strengthening local resistance and spreading non-cooperation strategies throughout our community. We will rise!
If you are interested in more about this, you can find information at indivisiblehelena@gmail.com
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Good Reads
| GOOD READ #1 Substack Robert Reich 8/15/25 If Democrats got off their asses, here’s what they’d be doing now: Nine critical steps.Robert Reich offers a list 9 things the Democrats could do to fight back against this authoritarian regime, but some of them we Indivisible citizens can do. Take a look at this concise list of actions. |
| GOOD READ #2 Montana Dispatch Ryan Busse 8/15/25 Billionaires to Gate 1,700 Acres and Bulldoze Historic Orchard on Flathead LakeA packed July 11 meeting in Lakeside showed fierce opposition to a billionaire resort. But the story goes deeper: Ryan Busse lays out how wealth and power are quietly dismantling Montana’s way of life. |
Solidarity Calendar
We’re often asked to help publicize events related to our mission that are hosted by our allies in the Helena area. For the sake of efficiency, we’ve created a single source for sharing them: The Solidarity Calendar.
If you want to publicize your event whose content advances the local resistance to an authoritarian takeover, please submit your listing to indivisiblehelena@gmail.com.
Include the who, what, when, where, and why of your event listing as completely possible, including an email address for more information.
A contact email address is mandatory.
We will review your listing to ensure it meets the criteria above, and will ask for clarification, if necessary, before publishing it.
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NO KINGS Signs Available
If you’d like to support Indivisible Helena in pushing back against fascism, please consider a donation via this link to the Indivisible Helena ActBlue donation portal or use the QR code below. Your information will remain private — neither IH nor ActBlue shares or sells personal data.
AND, if you want a NO KINGS yard or window sign, email indivisiblehelena@gmail.com with your name, street address, and cell number. We want to see NO KINGS signs across the Helena area. Until our democracy is safe, keep them up.
Together, we’ll make sure the U.S. has NO KING.
