By Mikaela STONE 

Historically, a government cannot withstand the peaceful resistance of just 3.5% of its population, states research by Erica Chenoweth, academic dean for Faculty Development and the Frank Stanton professor of the First Amendment at Harvard Kennedy School. The Indivisible movement seeks to mobilize this 3.5% against the Donald Trump Administration in both local communities and the voting booth. 

The Glendale chapter of Indivisible met for the third time on Tuesday night, united by frustrations and fears over tariffs, lack of due process, cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, and threats to Social Security. 

“If we don’t stop the coup attempt, if we don’t stop the destruction, the elections won’t matter,” said leadership committee member Bob Antall. 

His goal is to work with local leaders and the Indivisible committee to “build a supportive resistance community.” The organization has already made strides in its desired direction; just two months ago, the members of the leadership committee did not know one another. Now meetings are attended by upwards of 75 people. 

“The rule of law is being ignored, the Constitution is being ignored,” said Alan M. Dias. One of its constitutional concerns is the apparent access to sensitive information by the Dept. of Government Efficiency (DOGE). The breadth of the data mined is as of yet unknown; however, a whistleblower recently approached NPR alleging DOGE’s access of National Labor Relations Board data, which includes legal information on anonymous whistleblowers across America. DOGE allegedly accessed the Social Security database and Treasury data. 

“It’s not conservatism, it’s authoritarianism,” Dias said. 

This week, Indivisible rolled out its action groups hoping community members would join whichever form of activism appealed to them.

 The research group intends to look at past movements, drawing inspiration from many forms of non-violent protest such as marches, boycotts, strikes, sit-ins and silent protests. According to studies, non-violent campaigns are more likely to succeed in achieving political and social change. 

The protest organizing group will plan new ways to make Indivisible’s voice heard. Currently, the organization is seeking safety officers for the upcoming May Day protests on May 1, which will include members from Indivisible, 50501 and Action Network.

The recruitment and outreach group will seek new members. Currently, Indivisible hopes to partner with community members of all ages, including student protest organizations. One leader recognized that many people wish to get involved in their local community resistance groups but do not know how. Jenine Baines, leader of the outreach group, has a personal reason for her commitment to Indivisible. Her father was stationed in Pearl Harbor; her uncles fought in WWII – one was a bombardier who flew missions over Germany. Baines never met her bombardier uncle; his plane down was shot down. 

“They stood against fascism and so will I,” Baines announced. 

The members of the Congress group will contact politicians. Already they have made contact with Representative Judy Chu, who came to speak at Indivisible’s second meeting. It remains to be seen whether these contacts will continue at a state or national level. 

The next group, voter outreach, is especially important for one member of the community who feels betrayed by the estimated 90 million Americans who did not vote in the 2024 presidential election. The current administration’s promised cuts to the Affordable Care Act put her health at risk. 

“We [Democrats] for some reason only vote when we think it’s important. That needs to change,” she said. The New York Times theorized that President Trump would have won the election in 2020 had it not been for his handling of COVID, which led many Americans to feel desperate for change. The voter outreach group also promises to track the progress of the SAVE Act, which would require voters to have a passport or a birth certificate that matches their current name. Driver’s licenses, military ID and tribal ID would no longer be enough to prove voting eligibility. This would primarily affect married women who took their husband’s name and low- income communities as the current cost of a passport in California is between $65 and $195. 

The final group, media outreach and communication, will use social media to perform outreach. It hopes to get help from young people to keep up with social media trends. One grandmother offered a solution: “If you don’t know how to do it, ask your grandson or granddaughter!”

Indivisible hopes to build bridges across generation and party lines. 

“Being ‘woke’ is a positive. That’s what we want Americans to be,” said steering committee and leadership team member Patrick Briggs. While “woke” is a buzzword many Americans use as a catch-all for non-traditional or left-leaning values, the word originated in African American communities as a way to encourage one another to stay politically conscious. 

Indivisible encourages members to explore the Pasadena All Saints Church’s course on non-violent civil disobedience on April 27 at 3:30 p.m., which will teach methods of resisting systemic injustice.

The May Day protests will begin at 8:30 a.m. on May 1 at 1016 S. Flower St. in Los Angeles. The theme will be “One Struggle, One Fight – Workers Unite!”

Another protest takes place on May 1 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the intersection of Lake & Colorado (where Chase and Bank of America are located) East Colorado Boulevard & South Lake Avenue. For more information and to sign up visit https://www.mobilize.us/mayday/event/779664/?referring_vol=1140608&share_context=dashboard-event-details&sharer_role=2.