An Open Letter to the People of CT by Chris Mattei, Throughout the past year, I have represented people who have been targeted and even imprisonedby this Administration. We have fought back in Court. The sobering reality, however, is that the legal challenges to the Administration’s abuses have been necessary, but not sufficient to secure our freedoms. To do that, we must exercise our rights openly, fearlessly, and with full awarenessof our constitutional protections. In the words of Thomas Paine, this is Common Sense. Learn more about your rights.

The letter emphasizes asserting rights calmly and firmly, requesting an attorney if detained, and refusing entry to homes without a judicial warrant. Written by a former federal prosecutor, it argues that the Bill of Rights remains a vital tool for protecting communities and must be actively exercised and shared. (Thank you Debra Kidder, Indivisible Amity for the summary)

Please note these important phone numbers at the end of the letter:

ACLU of Connecticut: (860) 523-9146

Connecticut Legal Services: (860) 344-0447

Know Your Rights and Training

Filming federal agents in public is legal, but avoiding a dangerous—even deadly—confrontation isn’t guaranteed. Here’s how to record ICE and CBP agents as safely as possible and have an impact.

You didn’t come this far to stop

Mother Jones Article: Serbian revolutionary Srdja Popvic talks about how to mobilize massive nonviolent movements.

He Advised Pro-Democracy Activists in 50 Countries. Here’s His Advice for Americans. Serbian revolutionary Srdja Popvic talks about how omobilize massive nonviolent movements. https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2020/11/srdja-popovic-democracy-movement-trump/

Gene Sharp (January 21, 1928 – January 28, 2018) was an American political scientist. He was the founder of the Albert Einstein Institution, a non-profit organization dedicated to advancing the study of nonviolent action, and professor of political science at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.[2] He was known for his extensive writings on nonviolent struggle, which have influenced numerous anti-government resistance movements around the world. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gene_Sharp

The works of Gene Sharp are available for free:

Albert Einstein Institution is to advance the worldwide study and strategic use of nonviolent action in conflict. The Institution is committed to:

• Defending democratic freedoms and institutions

• Opposing oppression, dictatorship and genocide

• Reducing reliance on violence as an instrument of policy

Albert Einstein Institute Library https://www.aeinstein.org/digital-library

Recommended reading to start are:

198 Methods of NonViolent Action

From Dictatorship to Democracy (seminal work) https://bit.ly/4iAWIj0 (There are many languages available)

Audio Version ON LIBRVOX

Videos:

Gene Sharp How to Start A Revolution YouTube video, 2011

How to Start a Revolution is a BAFTA Award-winning British documentary film about Nobel Peace Prize nominee and political theorist Gene Sharp, described as the world's foremost scholar on nonviolent revolution.

MLTalks: Building a Toolbox for Nonviolent Resistance with Jamila Raqib
Host: Joi Ito https://www.media.mit.edu/videos/ml-talks-2017-01-25-1/

Freedom Trainers -https://freedomtrainers.net/noncooperation-library/

CT Indivisible Leaders' Letter to Legislators

Double click on pdf or download document

Community Section - We will get through this togethe

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