Indivisible Eugene-Springfield (IES) formed in response to the Trump-Musk assault on our democracy, our constitution, and the American people. Later in March, IES will co-sponsor three training sessions by the Civil Liberties Defense Council. These trainings are for activists, engaged community members, immigrants, and their allies. “Our community is responding to this crisis by coming together to push back against the takeover of our government by oligarchs and authoritarians,” said Stan Taylor, who serves as the leader of this new Indivisible chapter. “Individually, we may feel powerless, but we are stronger together, and Indivisible provides a clear focus for our work.”

Indivisible was born as a national organization in 2016, in response to the first Trump administration. It has been reinvigorated since our recent election and now has thousands of chapters in large and small communities across the U.S. The Eugene-Springfield chapter started in November 2024 with 20 people and now has over 300 members and is still growing fast. These trainings are the first major community actions for the new chapter. Other co-sponsors include the Civil Liberties Defense Center, Oregon Community Asylum Network, Our Community/Plaza de Nuestra Communidad, Lavender Network, 350 Eugene, Transponder, and Growers Market. The first training, “Know Your Rights and Risks,” is scheduled for Friday, March 21, from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m., at the Lavender Network, 440 Maxwell Road in Eugene. It covers basic rights, interacting with police, security culture, state repression, digital security and specific legal issues regarding organizing in Lane County.

A “Legal Observer” training will be offered on Monday, March 24, from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., upstairs at the Growers Market, 454 Willamette Street in Eugene. It will cover how to be an independent legal observer, supporting the rights of activists by observing and documenting police behavior at protests and demonstrations.

The third training is “Know Your Rights and Risks – for Immigrants and Their Allies.” It will be held on Thursday, March 27, from 4:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Lavender Network, 440 Maxwell Road in Eugene. Live Spanish translation will be provided. The training will cover ways for immigrants to invoke and assert their constitutional rights to stay safe when talking with police or ICE. Allies will learn how to protect their undocumented immigrant neighbors.