Three brief things about the occupation of Minneapolis, which isn’t what this blog is about and is the second post this week, so I’ll keep it brief. 

Things you can do from home

One: If you’d like to add your name to Minneapolis’s Nobel Peace Prize nomination,  you can. Seriously. Just follow the link. (The link, folks, sot the yellow brick road. That’s closed for gilding and rumor holds that it’ll be renamed Trump’s Great Big Magnificent Highway.)

The Nation, which made the nomination, writes, “In the face of [unprecedented state violence], ordinary residents have stood their ground with nonviolent protest, mutual aid, and solidarity, confronting fear and authoritarianism with dignity and resolve. Thousands have marched in freezing temperatures; communities have organized legal observers, delivered groceries to those in hiding, and insisted on human rights and constitutional freedoms.

I was going to send a red rose to the people of Minneapolis, but the photo I have on hand is a red begonia. Close enough. They are amazing.

“By adding your name, you affirm that this courageous public resistance—rooted in solidarity and the defense of human rights—deserves international recognition. Your signature sends a clear message to the Norwegian Nobel Committee: the world is watching, and the actions of ordinary people defending human dignity matter.”

Two: If you want to help pay the rent of people who are in hiding and unable to work (this isn’t paranoia; people are being detained at work as well as in their cars and at bus stops), here’s a way. Working with the Coalition on Human Needs, the Minneapolis Labor Federation has started a fund to keep people from being evicted. If you pay US taxes, it’s even tax deductible.

The federation’s president, Chelsie Glaubitz Gabiou, writes, “One thing I’ve learned in this process is that it’s difficult to pay someone else’s rent. Not any organization can do it. But we can. Our navigators help renters get in touch with leasing companies and landlords, and keep people in their homes.

“We’ve called for an eviction pause during this emergency, but the government moves slowly and the crisis is now.

“We will keep fighting for our neighbors until ICE drags them to a country where we can’t reach them. But the fastest, most effective protection we can give is if we can just pay their rent today. . . . 

“The labor movement is built on solidarity. When people stand together, we are more powerful than any other force.”

Donations are divided equally between the two groups unless you customize your donation and give a larger percentage or the entire amount to one of them. 

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Update: The Minneapolis City Council just voted $1 million to help cover people’s rent during the ICE surge. That’s all I know at this point. It may be a long time before the money’s available. It could be held up by a court challenge or by a fleet of dragons swooping in from Iowa. It’s too early to tell. I’ve made a donation anyway. I’m pretty sure it’ll be needed.

And a bonus for making it to the end

I’m so old that I was around for the Civil Right Movement, so I can testify that it was powered by music, and now music has made its way onto the Minneapolis streets, including a group called Singing Resistance. I found a few examples here, although they keep changing. I also found a typically understated, straight-faced introduction to Minnesota culture for ICE agents from out of state, although you may have to do some scrolling to dig it out.