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Immigration Took place
Bethel Defends Democracy - My Immigrant Grandparents
Saturday, August 15, 2026, 11:00 AM EDT
Bethel Public Library, Bethel, Connecticut
About
Please join us for our 76th consecutive community rally to Defend Democracy in beautiful downtown Bethel. Our overall theme is Defending Democracy. On Saturday, August 15th, 11am - 12:30pm (90 mins), we are thrilled to welcome our guest speaker, who kindly rescheduled from last week, our fierce Victoria (Tori) Calamito. (Tip: If viewing on facebook or mobilize, it is easier to read the full Bethel rally announcement with pictures here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HBP6EsoXWP15TQ3kqaZpzged51nm5041bLCieefb98s/edit?usp=drivesdk. Victoria (Tori) Calamito We are so excited to have Victoria (Tori) Calamito with us this week in Bethel, right before she runs to join her regular rally group in New Milford. Lots of rallying for Tori this Saturday: both in one day! Tori will speak about her immigrant grandparents and how it feels watching ICE throw innocent people like them into prison camps. Tori is a long time member of ActLocal NWCT and a regular New Milford rally participant. She is a passionate activist seeking to do all she can to protect her community and speak out for those who don’t have the privilege of speaking safely at this time. Tori is also a TikTok star who is a die-hard Wizard of Oz fan and historian. On her theozvlog TikTok account, she has accumulated over 320,000 followers who can see some of her Oz Con appearances, videos about the movie, and content about Wicked as well. ************************ See the full Bethel rally announcement with pictures here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HBP6EsoXWP15TQ3kqaZpzged51nm5041bLCieefb98s/edit?usp=drivesdk Please don’t attend the rally if you cannot refrain from engaging with agitators. ************ Never miss information about upcoming rallies by registering for our rally newsletter, bit.ly/BethelRalliesNewsletter (case sensitive). You can also provide feedback on what you'd like to see at future rallies. Questions and feedback are also always welcome anytime at: [email removed] Visit our website BethelRallies.org to find videos and pictures from our past rallies. Note: Rally is rain, snow or shine. Please bring your own lawn or camping chair. Approximate Rally Schedule: (Rally will be on Greenwood Ave behind the Bethel Library on the sidewalk and up to 17 feet from the curb) 11:00 - 11:15. Sign holding 11:15 - 11:45 Program 11:45 - 12:30. Sign holding and chanting 12:30 Disperse Food Pantry Requests: We collect for Bethel’s food pantry each week. All non-perishable items are greatly appreciated, but the food pantry especially needs: Cereal, Canned & dried fruit, coffee, toilet paper, laundry detergent in SMALL bottles. The pantry is also ready to receive *Cardboard* egg cartons only. ***************** Upcoming events: Bethel Rally next week 8/22/26 Speaker : Jonathan Langdon Phillips Live Music: Lenny Levine ********************* Hands Across The Hudson: August 30th Update: If anyone is interested in driving a carpool or being in a carpool, please contact Alyson Tabot at [email removed]. Some folks asked about the elevator at the bridge. The bridge is fully accessible. Whether the elevator is working or not will not matter. We will be meeting at the top of the bridge which has parking lots as well as golf carts for folks who need them. We will have a designated meeting spot so the Bethel rally crew can be together and we’ll have a special pin we will all wear to identify us as a group. More details to follow.*** ************ A coalition of nine Indivisible groups in the Hudson Valley invites the public to Hands Across the Hudson to gather for democracy and join hands in support of our shared democratic values. The event will occur Sunday, August 30, 1 to 3 p.m. at the Walkway Over the Hudson between Highland and Poughkeepsie NY. Official hand hold across the walkway will take place at 2 p.m. Inspired by the Hands Across America event 25 years ago, attendees will join hands in support of values we cherish and show United We Stand for: • Voting rights • Free speech and press • Diversity and inclusion • Affordable housing and healthcare • Climate action • Immigrant rights • and more… There will also be music, singing, a few speeches and booths for voter registration, food pantry donations via QR code. Celebrate the strength of community and American values by linking hands across the longest pedestrian bridge in the world. Come along, join hands, listen to music, sing, and generate attention, enthusiasm, and engagement before the 2026 midterm elections. No signs are permitted. Western Connecticut has the ability to make a strong showing of solidarity! Let’s show the world and politicians that we are not just small, isolated groups. We are united…despite efforts to divide us! It is a message to inspire hope and reenergize us both for the days ahead and engagement for the long term! To be successful and span as much of the Hudson river as possible they would need several thousand peaceful folk. The…
What it's about
- Against Immigration enforcement & deportation Machine-labelled, not yet reviewed
- For Climate policy Machine-labelled, not yet reviewed
- For Free speech & press Machine-labelled, not yet reviewed
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