Latest news with #TrumpTakeover
CTV News
2 days ago
- Politics
- CTV News
Demonstrators protest Trump-backed redistricting plans at over 200 events across the country
Demonstrators protest against the recently introduced redistricting legislation during an emergency march and picket rally outside of the Governor's Mansion on August 4, in Austin, Texas. (/File via CNN Newsource) (CNN) — At parks, coffee shops, churches and government buildings around the country, hundreds of people are gathering today with a simple message: 'Stop the Trump takeover.' The rallies are a bid to combat Republican-led plans to redraw congressional maps. The main event will take place in Texas, where a new congressional map backed by U.S. President Donald Trump that could net Republicans five additional seats in the 2026 midterm elections inspired the state's Democratic lawmakers to flee the state – preventing the quorum needed to vote. 'Trump is terrified of the American people,' said the Texas for All Coalition, which is helping organize the events, in a news release. 'He knows he can't win on his ideas, so he's trying to take Congress by hook or by crook – and he's doing it by silencing the voices of communities of colour. We're not going to let that happen.' Organizers emphasized 'a commitment to nonviolence' at all events in event page descriptions. Over 200 events are planned in 34 states, according to the event's official website. The Democratic National Committee is helping organize events, it announced in a news release. 'From coast to coast, people will be showing up at their statehouses, city halls, and community spaces to make it clear – we see what Trump is doing, and we won't stand for it,' said the DNC. A swath of non-profits and other organizations are also supporting the effort, including Planned Parenthood, the Working Families Party and Human Rights Campaign. Trump described the proposed Texas congressional map as a 'very simple redrawing' at the White House. 'We pick up five seats,' he added. But it doesn't end with Texas. Republican leaders in other states, too, have proposed changing their congressional maps ahead of next year's midterms. The White House is pushing Missouri legislators to consider a special session to redraw maps. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has floated the idea of changing his state's maps, and has said he thinks the Trump administration should give the state another seat. In Ohio, maps must be redrawn due to a quirk of state law – which may make the state's delegation even more Republican and carve up two Democratic seats, according to a report in June from CNN's Fredreka Schouten. Democratic lawmakers have announced their own plans to fight back, including California Gov. Gavin Newsom, who kicked off his own redistricting push on Thursday. Here's more on what we know about Saturday's protests. Austin, Texas, rally Today's largest protest is taking place in Austin, Texas. Over 1,000 people RSVPed for the event, which started at the state's Capitol. 'Texas is being used as a testing ground for extremist policies and partisan games that don't reflect our values,' reads the event page. 'Thousands of Texans have shown up against the racially gerrymandered congressional map lawmakers are trying to force through in order to weaken the voting power of communities of colour.' Demonstrators filled the area outside the Capitol, waving signs with messages including 'Abbott's letting Trump take over Texas,' 'Put Texans first,' and 'Compassion over cruelty.' Organizers led chants of 'Show me what democracy looks like, this is what democracy looks like' and 'Sí se puede' – the motto of the United Farm Workers, which translates to 'Yes, you can.' The demonstration, which began Saturday morning, has included a performance from drag queen Brigitte Bandit and speeches from former Texas Congressman Beto O'Rourke, United Farm Workers co-founder Dolores Huerta, Democratic U.S. Rep. Greg Casar and Rep. Lloyd Doggett of Texas, as well as local activists. 'The danger we're facing is so much bigger than any one of us,' Casar said. 'This is about the state of our country, and we're in really hard times here in America right now.' The congressman criticized Trump's ongoing deportation campaign and said that he had been prevented from visiting an immigration detention centre. 'Here in Austin, Texas, we're a shining light,' Casar said of the protest. 'Authoritarianism is what we're facing. And when you feel that pit in your stomach, that despair, and when you ask, 'What can I even do?' You are showing people what we do.' Doggett said the president is deploying National Guard troops 'not because of crime or immigrants.' 'It's because he envisions a day when he will use that military against us,' the lawmaker said. 'We don't need the National Guard on our streets,' Doggett said. 'We need national guard rails on a lawless president.' O'Rourke said the Republican push for redistricting is because Republicans fear 'accountability for their crimes and corruption.' 'They will do everything they can to seek to stop us, including trying to divide us,' he said. 'I am afraid that the consolidation of authoritarian power in the hands of this president will be nearly unstoppable.' Met with raucous applause, O'Rourke also called for 'a free, independent, sovereign Palestinian state' and for Texas women to be able to 'make their own decisions about their own bodies.' 'So we must stand together, and we must stand in front,' he went on. 'It's up to you and me to show them that in Texas, our knees do not bend.' Huerta, who is 95, urged attendees to organize politically and fight the redistricting push. 'When we organize, we win,' she said. She ended her speech with a chant of 'Who's got the power? We do.' Across Texas, events are also happening in Houston, Dallas, San Angelo, Tyler, McAllen, Conroe and Kingwood. Nationwide demonstrations Events and rallies are also scheduled in dozens of other states, both in Democratic strongholds and Republican-majority states. Local organizers planned each city-specific event. In New York City, demonstrators are expected to gather in Central Park. In Washington, DC, where Trump has deployed the National Guard and declared a federal takeover of the local police department, organizers are painting banners and signs to place around the city. Protesters in Raleigh and Durham, North Carolina, plan to hold a 'bridge brigade,' holding signs on 16 different bridges. Demonstrations are also planned in Cincinnati, Ohio; Sarasota, Florida; and Jefferson City, Missouri, among other cities. The planned events include rallies, teach-ins, banner drops and art-making at locations that include a bookstore in Jacksonville, Florida, and a Tesla showroom in Palo Alto, California. The demonstrations follow a string of other protests organized since Trump took office for the second time in January, including the 'No Kings' protests in June and demonstrations against the president's deportation campaign in July. Drucilla Tigner, the executive director of statewide coalition Texas For All, said in a news release that the fight extends far past Texas. 'Across Texas, and across the country, communities are speaking out in a united voice to call for an end to the Trump takeover,' she said. 'Though this fight started in Texas, it doesn't end here. This isn't just about redistricting or one state's politics.' 'It's about the future of our democracy.'
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Texas Democrats who left the state over redistricting will take part in national demonstration
CHICAGO — Texas House Democrats who left their state to prevent Republicans from passing redistricting maps will take part in nationwide 'Fight the Trump takeover' protest on Saturday. Those Democrats, who are expected to return to Texas on Monday, continue to argue that Texas' redistricting plans are unfairly taking place in the middle of the decade, instead of in conjunction with a national once-a-decade census. The proposed Texas maps would add five Republican seats in Congress. 'It's been really hard for the members to stay away from Texas, from their jobs, from their kids and families,' said state Rep. Vikki Goodwin, who's also running for the lieutenant governor seat in 2026. 'It's also very expensive with the $500 a day fine. So some members just felt like we can make a commitment for one session quorum break, but we really can't do it indefinitely.' Activists are holding more than 150 rallies in 34 states over the weekend to call attention to the Texas redistricting issue and President Donald Trump's support for changing congressional maps. The goal is to send a message that 'we see what Trump is doing, and we won't stand for it,' according to a statement from organizers. The Texas Democrats, and members of the party nationwide, were helped when California Gov. Gavin Newsom announced his state would also redistrict in order to counteract Texas' moves. On Friday, California presented its own redrawn map favoring Democrats. The ballot measure, which goes before voters in November, would take effect only if Texas Republicans follow through on their plans. 'Califorina coming on board gives us more options,' said Texas House Democratic Caucus Chair Gene Wu in an interview Friday. 'If California passes a trigger bill, then there will be real incentive for Texas to not pass its [redistricting] bill.' During the past two weeks, the Texas Democrats have met with Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, whose team found them hotel rooms — they had to move once after a bomb threat — and a few members of the group also met Gov. Kathy Hochul in New York and Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear via Zoom. The Texans made two trips to California for key meetings in conjunction with Newsom pushing for his state to come up with its own adjusted boundaries for the U.S. House, potentially giving Democrats an edge in Congress in 2026. Newsom's move 'changed everything,' said state Rep. Sheryl Cole, recalling the sacrifice of leaving her 87-year-old mother behind to watch TV coverage of Abbott threatening FBI arrest warrants. 'It made a difference with the sacrifice.' Her colleague state Rep. Diego Bernal put it more bluntly: 'When we knew definitively that they were going to do something, it felt like wind. Like something was happening. You feel less isolated.'
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Thousands to join US ‘Fight the Trump Takeover' protests against Republican redistricting plans
Thousands are expected to gather in cities and towns across 34 states on Saturday for a national day of protest against Republican redistricting plans in Texas and elsewhere. 'Fight the Trump Takeover' will be anchored in Austin, Texas, with other sites spread nationwide. 'Texas House Democrats are blocking a redistricting vote in the Texas House right now to Stop the Trump Takeover,' a website for the protests says. 'But Trump has made it clear that he's not stopping at Texas. He's targeting Missouri, Ohio, Florida and every state he can twist to help him steal Congress.' The protests come as Texas Republicans are considering a mid-decade redistricting plan at Donald Trump's request that would add five additional Republican House seats to the red state. In response Democratic lawmakers have left the state in protest, depriving the statehouse of a quorum needed to move its plans ahead. 'Though this fight started in Texas, it doesn't end here,' Drucilla Tigner, executive director of Texas For All, said in a statement. 'This isn't just about redistricting or one state's politics. It's about the future of our democracy.' On Thursday, the Democratic governor of California, Gavin Newsom, announced Democrats there would move ahead with a plan to redistrict the blue state in response to Texas's effort. But, Newsom said, the plan for new California maps would only take effect if Texas or other red states pushed ahead with their own plans for partisan redistricting. Texas Democrats said on Thursday that they would return to the state after a nearly two-week absence if certain conditions were met, including Republicans ending their special session and California introducing its new map that would add five Democratic seats to offset Texas's proposal. 'The incredible support we're seeing – not just back home in Texas, but from Democrats, Republicans and independents across the country – proves this fight is bigger than any one state,' said congressman Gene Wu, chair of the Texas house Democrats. 'We're defending our entire country from the Trump takeover, and I'm honored to stand with every patriotic American who refuses to let extremists rig the system.' Major left-leaning organizations including Indivisible and MoveOn are helping to organize and support the protests, as is the Democratic National Committee. 'Trump knows the only way he can hold the majority after his budget betrayal is by changing the rules in the middle of the game to avoid accountability for ripping healthcare and food away from millions of Americans,' the DNC chair, Ken Martin, told NBC News. Organizers are using an approach they have honed in the second Trump administration – holding protests in places big and small to show that dissent against the administration exists in all corners of the country. An April day of protest called 'Hands Off' drew people to more than 1,000 sites. In June, as Trump held a military parade in Washington, millions turned out to more than 2,000 sites nationwide for 'No Kings' protests. Other days of action themed around labor and immigrants rights and voting rights also brought out tens of thousands of people on weekdays. Planning is under way for another mass day of protest set for Labor Day, on 1 September.
The Guardian
3 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Thousands to join US ‘Fight the Trump Takeover' protests against Republican redistricting plans
Thousands are expected to gather in cities and towns across 34 states on Saturday for a national day of protest against Republican redistricting plans in Texas and elsewhere. 'Fight the Trump Takeover' will be anchored in Austin, Texas, with other sites spread nationwide. 'Texas House Democrats are blocking a redistricting vote in the Texas House right now to Stop the Trump Takeover,' a website for the protests says. 'But Trump has made it clear that he's not stopping at Texas. He's targeting Missouri, Ohio, Florida and every state he can twist to help him steal Congress.' The protests come as Texas Republicans are considering a mid-decade redistricting plan at Donald Trump's request that would add five additional Republican House seats to the red state. In response Democratic lawmakers have left the state in protest, depriving the statehouse of a quorum needed to move its plans ahead. 'Though this fight started in Texas, it doesn't end here,' Drucilla Tigner, executive director of Texas For All, said in a statement. 'This isn't just about redistricting or one state's politics. It's about the future of our democracy.' On Thursday, the Democratic governor of California, Gavin Newsom, announced Democrats there would move ahead with a plan to redistrict the blue state in response to Texas's effort. But, Newsom said, the plan for new California maps would only take effect if Texas or other red states pushed ahead with their own plans for partisan redistricting. Texas Democrats said on Thursday that they would return to the state after a nearly two-week absence if certain conditions were met, including Republicans ending their special session and California introducing its new map that would add five Democratic seats to offset Texas's proposal. 'The incredible support we're seeing – not just back home in Texas, but from Democrats, Republicans and independents across the country – proves this fight is bigger than any one state,' said congressman Gene Wu, chair of the Texas house Democrats. 'We're defending our entire country from the Trump takeover, and I'm honored to stand with every patriotic American who refuses to let extremists rig the system.' Major left-leaning organizations including Indivisible and MoveOn are helping to organize and support the protests, as is the Democratic National Committee. 'Trump knows the only way he can hold the majority after his budget betrayal is by changing the rules in the middle of the game to avoid accountability for ripping healthcare and food away from millions of Americans,' the DNC chair, Ken Martin, told NBC News. Organizers are using an approach they have honed in the second Trump administration – holding protests in places big and small to show that dissent against the administration exists in all corners of the country. An April day of protest called 'Hands Off' drew people to more than 1,000 sites. In June, as Trump held a military parade in Washington, millions turned out to more than 2,000 sites nationwide for 'No Kings' protests. Other days of action themed around labor and immigrants rights and voting rights also brought out tens of thousands of people on weekdays. Planning is under way for another mass day of protest set for Labor Day, on 1 September.
