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Photo Lilly Stuart

Photo Lilly Stuart

Resist Trump

American Independence Day, 4 July, saw a meeting in Hastings which focused on the resistance within America to Donald Trump’s presidency. US-born local resident, Tamara Stevens, spoke about the opposition triggered by Trump’s election victory last November. At the meeting she explained that central to the opposition has been Indivisible: a guide to the most effective ways to influence Congress. The guide was produced by former Congressional workers who understood what made politicians listen, an insight gained by observing the success of the right-wing Tea Party movement in influencing US politics. John Enefer writes.

Indivisible suggests people should engage very directly with their political representatives – through co-ordinated phone-calls, visits to their offices, or at public meetings and events. The guide encourages assertiveness, persistence, filming politician’s responses to questions at public events, sharing responses that are unhelpful on social media, as well as building contacts within the mainstream media to raise the profile of campaigns. According to the Indivisible website, their guide has been viewed or downloaded over two million times, with over 5,000 groups inspired by the guide now set up.

Also important to the growth of organised opposition to President Trump was the Women’s March the day after his inauguration in January. An estimated million people marched in Washington, with many large demonstrations elsewhere in the US and beyond. Tamara explained that the marches gave momentum to a movement that has continued ever since.

“The Women’s March sparked a large resistance movement which is creating political change, often using the tactics of the Tea Party. There are applications that could be used in the UK to give voice to opposition in these interesting political times.”

In the face of broad opposition, Donald Trump has struggled to enact the policy agenda he outlined in his campaign for the presidency. The vote on replacing ‘Obamacare’ has been delayed, with uncertainty that the Republicans will be able to get enough votes to push a replacement healthcare bill through the Senate. The travel ban on people from majority-Muslim countries is being implemented, but in a watered-down form from that originally proposed. The Mexican Wall proposed by Trump continues to be controversial, with the Mexican government refusing to commit to pay for it.

The meeting was organised by Hastings Against War, which has further public meetings planned for later in the year. On Tuesday 5 September there will be a joint meeting with Hastings and District Interfaith Forum on the subject of militarism in schools. The speaker will be Dr Paula Radice, and the meeting will begin at 6.30pm.

On Tuesday 7 November, the subject of the meeting will be the current Pope’s message on non-violence. The speaker will be Henrietta Cullinan, a peace activist and writer who has supported refugees in Calais and travelled to Afghanistan to support peace activists in Kabul. This meeting will start at 7pm.

Both meetings will take place at the Quaker Meeting House, 5 South Terrace, Hastings TN34 1SA. All are welcome to attend both meetings which will be free.

Hastings Against War.

 

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Posted 07:44 Monday, Jul 10, 2017 In: Politics

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