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Make a personal connection with our community's day laborers

Want to connect with immigrants in our community? Here’s a way to do it: Volunteer for the Adopt a Day Labor Corner campaign.

The effort, organized by the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON), is a way to provide support to the many immigrants, mostly men, who work as day laborers in our community. These men often stand at the corner of big-box hardware stores like Home Depot, trying to pick up odd jobs in the community. They’re a highly visible target for immigration officers.

"This moment demands more than watching," NDLON says on its website. "It demands that we show up for one another—in person, nonviolently, with courage, determination and love. If you are not at risk of deportation, we are asking you to consider taking action today."

Phinneywood Rising member Warren B. has been one of those volunteers for the last few months. He goes to the Home Depot on Aurora and 115th for about an hour every week, usually in the morning, on a schedule put together by NDLON. It’s a low-key hour of socializing with men who are trying to help their families make ends meet in less-fortunate countries.

“You basically make friends with them, to generate some trust and to gain their trust,” Warren said. “They’re happy to tell their stories, where they’re from, and you really develop these friendships.” Knowing a little bit of Spanish helps, he said.

He often brings coffee and granola bars to the men, since many haven’t yet eaten breakfast. One week, Warren went to a Mexican food store on Aurora and brought 50 tamales. “Anything warm is much appreciated,” he said.

There’s never been an immigration raid on the hardware store while Warren has been volunteering there, but immigrants have been picked up north and south of the Home Depot's Aurora location. If there is a raid, activists are trained how to capture immigration actions with their phone cameras. Warren has traded phone numbers with day laborers so he could get word to their families if they are detained.

The Home Depot in Shoreline, adjacent to Costco, also has a robust group of volunteers. In addition to standing with the laborers, these volunteers have organized food and clothing drives, and served hot meals.

Many day laborers send money home to family members. Some rent a basement apartment, or even sleep in their trucks or vans, if they have them. “They’re really just looking for work. The problem is, they may go many days without getting work,” Warren said. Another way to support them: hire a worker to help you with a project, as Warren intends to do.

Interested in getting involved? Click here to find out more.

Greenwood march: How they did it

Almost 50 Phinneywood Rising members got together in February to hear how two Greenwood women were able to organize an ICE OUT rally and march Jan. 31 that drew at least 500 people, and earned a police escort down the middle of Greenwood Avenue.

That march underscored efforts to divide Greenwood into neighborhood watch zones, allowing residents to quickly respond whenever ICE agents move into the area, or to provide mutual aid to neighborhood families in fear of deportation.

The Greenwood march took place seven days after Minneapolis VA nurse Alex Pretti lost his life at the hands of the U.S. Border Patrol, and 23 days after Renee Good was shot and killed by ICE agents. Greenwood residents Jess and Ashley used posters and social media to draw attention to the march, contacting local community groups and posting the event on neighborhood Facebook groups.

The two originally thought they’d get a turnout of about 50. When the news started spreading, they upped their guesstimate to 200. They applied for an emergency free speech permit with the city of Seattle at the last minute, and received the permit the day before the march. A police escort made it possible for marchers to take the street, rather than being confined to the sidewalk.

Both women said the nature of the march – local and highly accessible – made it a good alternative to larger events. Sadly, the timing also worked in their favor because of the news coming out of Minneapolis. People were so hungry for action, they said.

Jess, who later traveled to Minneapolis to observe how people were organizing against ICE and Border Patrol agents, described how people worked to provide mutual aid – including food and drives to home and school – and to warn people about ICE actions. Many of the activists’ efforts are done in secret to avoid exposing people living under cover. “Nobody knows the full picture or plan,” Jess said. “There are no assignments. You just go and do it.”

Greenwood Neighbors Protecting Neighbors can be found on Facebook. (Note that the group has now morphed into Neighbors Protecting Neighbors because of its more expansive geographical area.)

Here’s what else members discussed:

The Signs of Fascism project organizers are seeking out a new day and new location to bring out their 20+ signs that detail the types of actions that indicate a turn to fascism. If you’re interested and aren’t on the email list for this, contact PWR leaders.
Communities Rising’s next All-Hands meeting March 25 will be in Greenwood and may include a movie. Stay tuned for details and let us know if you’re available to assist.
The next No Kings march will be March 28, and there’s some interest in holding a small, neighborhood-based rally around Green Lake in addition to any larger rallies being planned downtown. Stay tuned for details.

Huge turnout for Greenwood ICE OUT march

Not only did the sun come out Saturday afternoon, but so did the Greenwood neighborhood. Neighbors toting kids and carrying signs streamed up the side streets to Greenwood Avenue and the Alice Ball Park across from the Greenwood Library. “Melt Ice” and “Democracy is Under Attack” read just two of the hundreds of homemade signs that protestors carried. The two women who organized the protest said this was their first time doing anything like this. They were overwhelmed and joyous by the response. (Find the group Greenwood Neighbors Protecting Neighbors on Facebook.)

Police on foot and on motorcycles were also present in force. Their job? To close off Greenwood Avenue from Ken’s Market to 85th St. so protestors could march in the street. They waved at the marchers, particularly the kids and smiled when protestors thanked them for “not wearing a mask.” After marching to 85th, then down to 73rd and then back to the park, people filtered off either back home or to various eateries. Signs propped on tables and chairs were visible throughout the Phinneywood area.

The Phinneywood Tuesday bannering team had a great outing this week, and added an "ICE OUT" sign to the various signs held over Aurora Avenue.

Signs of Fascism

Phinneywood Rising members rolled out "Signs of Fascism," a thought-provoking series of signs meant to encourage people to think about where we are heading, on Green Lake Way Jan. 17.

Dispatch from Minnesota

Here are some things happening in Minneapolis which you won't read about in the news:

Churches, schools, and legions of volunteers are funding and organizing drives to purchase and deliver food to immigrant families too fearful to leave their homes.
Volunteers are posting at schools to watch for ICE especially when kids are released.
Because Minneapolis schools are closed today and tomorrow out of fear for the safety of students and staff, neighbors are offering free day care, snacks, games and supplies to assist families.
Immigrant businesses are keeping their doors locked and only admitting people on an individual basis, but people are patronizing these businesses to support them. Businesses closed yesterday out of respect for the killing of Renee Good.
Neighbors are distributing free alert whistles and literature to one another in case of ICE sightings.
Thousands of people are taking "upstander" trainings to better support people attacked by ICE.
Nonprofits are mobilizing to protect communities, and donors are stepping up to invest in these efforts.
We are checking in on one another.
Minnesotans are not rolling over in fear. We are acting from a place of being caring, protective, and just humans. We are doing what we can to forge on despite this attack on our community. This is what fighting for right looks like.

Notes from the January meeting

We had a full house at Phinneywood Rising’s January meeting. LFG! Here’s a synopsis:

We discussed starting a letter-writing or postcard-writing campaign to flood the mailrooms in Congress, the White House and the Supreme Court with our objections to what is going on. Read about Project Mail Storm here.
We encouraged everyone to call their congressional representatives to voice our unhappiness with, well, everything. Do it today! Use 5 Calls to make it easy.
We talked about going together as a group to the January 20 Free America walkout at Seattle Central College, or finding a north-end high school that’s walking out and showing up to voice our support for students. (Stay tuned for details.)
We began planning how we’ll deploy the “Refuse Fascism” signs, which look great. This has been tried effectively around the country (video here) and started in Sequim. If you’re not already on the email list for this project, get in touch and we will add you.
Former State Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson dropped some ideas for how to effectively lobby your legislators. The session starts Jan. 12. Check out the new Legislation page on the site for more details.
We talked about changes to the website, possibly adding more photos, little “how I did it” stories and curated reading lists. Note also the new email address at the bottom of the website (or here) for contacting the webmaster.

What it's like to banner on Aurora

It’s 3 p.m. on a cloudy Tuesday, and a group of people assemble on a pedestrian overpass on Aurora Avenue. They unfurl a banner with orange letters meticulously cut out and twist-tied to black mesh, secure the banner’s telescoping poles, and lift it carefully up into the air.

Almost immediately, motorists passing beneath the bridge began honking at the sign, which reads: “Democracy not dictatorship.”

Over the next hour, this group of about 12 will brace the poles against the concrete bridge walls and wave to a stream of commuters passing underneath. As Liz’s song playlist warms up the portable speaker, Aretha Franklin will ask for a little R.E.S.P.E.C.T. Bob Marley will encourage us to “Get up, stand up, stand up for your rights.” Sly and the Family Stone will sing about “Everyday People.”

More participants arrive, enough to unfurl additional banners — “Unmask ICE” and “RESIST.” Kathie dances with her rainbow-colored umbrella. Sheila distributes a bag of frog hats from Petco, complete with eyes that pop up when you squeeze a ball in the hat’s long ear coverings. And Liz climbs into the hot, awkward frog suit, like the one made famous by the Portland detention protesters, and leans over the wall, waving an American flag.

Perhaps the commuters sense that the protesters are having a great time up there on the bridge. Many honk their horns. Some flash their high beams. They wave and fist-pump and flash peace signs. Sure, there are some middle fingers, even in Seattle, but they’re few and far between. When the banners are deployed on both sides, the group estimates that they reach about 2,000 commuters in that hour.

The protest also reaches a handful of people using the bridge. Joggers give the thumbs up, or stop to talk about the resistance. Dog walkers laugh as they navigate their nervous pets past the weird blow-up frog shape. After an hour, the group is ready to disband, rolling up the banners in preparation for the next outing.

Is it worth it, spending this hour every week to buoy the resistance in a very dark blue city? The participants say it is. It’s clear from the enthuastic waves and honks from the cars below that they’re bringing joy and fun to the movement, and keeping a presence going in between big rallies. The dancing, bantering and waving brings a moment of joy during what has seemed like a relentless stream of bad news.

On top of that bridge, friendships are forming in a group that has found a way to defend democracy each and every week.

Political satire at its best

Seattle's own Trillionaires for Trump make their debut appearance at the Movement Voter Project benefit concert at Town Hall.

We did it!

Thanks to all of the wonderful hand-holding people, dancers, and musicians who showed up Oct. 4 to make Green Lake a success! We'll post additional photos on the Hands Around Green Lake page as we get them.

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