Cville Dems

The Charlottesville Democratic Committee

Protest/Rally

“Hands Off UVA!!” Rally at the Rotunda on Friday July at 1pm

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Flyer for "Hands Off UVA" rally on Friday July 4 2025. Hand-drawn pen and ink drawing of the Rotunda is on the left, with an American flag upside down as a distress signal, with bullet points to the right reading "Stand up against the hostile takeover", "Demand UVA's independence!", "Learn what this means for UVA, and for our democracy", and "Open mic for public comments and expression". The poster has a light, orange background and letters are blue and white. Date/time/location are given at bottom.The public is invited to gather in urgent interdependence on the 4th of July at 1pm, at the University of Virginia Rotunda Jefferson statue (University Avenue side) for a peaceful rally demonstrating our collective dismay at the forced resignation of UVA President Jim Ryan.

His ousting was an attempted hostile takeover of the University by the federal government that flies in the face of historically struggled-for ideals, values, and civil rights that began 250 years ago.

A range of University and community stakeholders will speak briefly. The rally’s second part will feature an open mic for public expression (2-minute limit per person). The rally was organized by UPRISE! Creative Collective C’ville and co-sponsored by Indivisible Charlottesville.

 

June 14 No Kings Day Rally at Stonefield

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Indivisible Charlottesville poster for theNo Kings Day rally on 6/14 Noon-2pm at the Shops at Stonefield. Image shows an orange-hued photo of trump with a cartoon crown on his head that's been Xed out. The date/time/location information lines are each in a different bold color against a dark blue background filled with rows of barely visible words "No Kings" in black capital letters.No Kings Day rally organized locally by Indivisible Charlottesville is happening June 14, 12-2 pm at Stonefield to protest Trump trying to turn his birthday into a national extravaganza-with-military-parade; we say nuts to that!! This is a big national protest, we hope another Hands Off rally that turned out 4000+ people in April. It’s exhilarating being there with so many like-minded community members, so plan to come out in numbers (i.e. bring along lots of friends and family) to ensure we send a loud and clear message.

Rep. John McGuire a No-Show at Town Hall Meeting

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A cardboard cutout of John McGuire at a odium onstage with a full auditorium of Democrats and other constituents wanting answers

Almost 1,000 people attended a town hall at Charlottesville High School’s MLK Auditorium on Saturday, April 26 to which 5th District Republican Congressman John McGuire had been repeatedly invited by Indivisible Charlottesville — but did not respond. The group propped up onstage a full-sized, cardboard cutout of McGuire at a podium.

Attendees then lined up at several microphones set up around the auditorium to ask questions they would have posed to the real McGuire on a wide range of topics including the economy and federal funding and job cuts. They also wrote questions on cards to be collated and delivered this week to McGuire’s office. We’ll see if he responds.

Also among the audience: other local, county, and state lawmakers. Thank you to Creigh Deeds, Katrina Callsen, Amy Laufer, Lloyd Snook, and Michael Payne for coming to listen to your constituents, and to Hashmi Ghazala for her inspiring words.

Note: Indivisible Charlottesville also shared a very amusing “bird-dogging” video of one of its members nabbing an unexpecting McGuire on the street in Charlottesville to personally invite him to attend!

May Day Rally — Thursday May 1, 5:00-6:30pm

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Indivisible Charlottesville flyer for the May 1 5:00-6:30pm May Day protest rally at the Albemarle Country Office Building, 401 McIntire Road. At the top is a small headline "STAND UP FOR WORKING FAMILIES". The poster's center Has the words May Day Rally" in very big bold red letters partially obscured by multicolor raised clenched fists. The bottom gives date+time+place information.Members of Indivisible Charlottesville, Cville Dems, and allied organizations will be standing in front of the Albemarle County Building on McIntire Road from 5:00-6:30pm on Thursday, May 1 in a demonstration of solidarity with working families and everyone whose basic needs are under threat.

We’re standing for shared humanity when we all stand in “moral opposition” to the unlawful tactics of this administration. Hundreds of working people, parents, students and community members will rise in every corner of the country to fight for dignity, justice, and public investment in our lives.

This local action is part of a national mass mobilization day, a follow-up to the very successful April 5th “Hands Off” rally where 5,000 people showed up; it was amazing and empowering and sent an incredibly loud and clear message!

We know that Thursday right after work is not as convenient a time as Saturday afternoon was on April 5, but we’re asking you to put up with some inconvenience and continue standing up for American Democracy! Turnout matters: we want to come as close as possible to the 5,000 people who showed up for Hands Off. You can let your network know you’re standing up for democracy by RSVPing to the Facebook event.

Please spread the word, please come for at least a few minutes, please bring your family and/or a friend or two or three (enjoy dinner together afterwards)… and try to find someone who can stand in your place if you can’t make it!

Your Voices Are Heard!

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Protesters angry at Elon Musk and DOGE activity protest with posters at Stonefield Mall near the site of a potential Tesla Showroom.

Hundreds of people have been joining area protests (see above for one this Saturday!) organized or co-organized by Indivisible Charlottesville.

  • Hundreds gathered for a March 15 “Tesla Takedown” rally at Tesla’s planned store (expected to open sometime April-June) at Stonefield Mall on Route 29. The Mall’s owner/developer told The Daily Progress that there are no plans to back out of a lease put together three years ago and executed last fall. If you feel strongly, call the number in the photo below to ask Stonefield to consider not opening the showroom or shopping at Stonefield (as some protestors noted).
  • A “Stand Up for Science” rally took place March 7 at the Free Speech Wall. Scientists and medical professionals addressed rally-goers in response to the recent executive orders, funding freezes, and federal firings. Organizers said they want the Trump administration “to leave science to the experts.”
  • March 4 was a “Stand With Ukraine”rally at the Federal Building on Main Street.

The goal of rallies is to encourage people to “Raise their voices, vote when the next elections come, and stand up for democracy and the kind of world we want to live,” Dan Doernberg (Indivisible Charlottesville and Charlottesville Dem member) said in an NBC29 interview.

Think protests don’t make an impact? Check out this now-classic article on the power of nonviolent protest movements. (Note: 3.5% of the US adult population is about 9 million people).

A crowd turns out on the Downtown Mall waving cards and posters that detail the critical importance of science. hundreds rallied.  A protester holds a sign asking people to call the manager of Stonefield to prevent a new Tesla Showroom there. His poster says -Call Stonefield Management Charlottesville - Proudly against white Supremacists since 2017. There is an image of No Tesla.