🚩 ADDRESS CHANGE: 1211 E. 105th St 🚩 |
Friends - Here is the action you can take in response to last week's FBI Raid! ⭐
From the Hands Off Ohio team: It's time to get loud in defense of our vote. The Trump administration sent 100 Homeland Security and FBI agents into our state to intimidate organizers, leaders and volunteers from the Ohio Organizing Collaborative – which runs one of the most effective voter registration programs in the nation. Freedom Summer Kickoff Rally Thursday, June 18 at 1pm 1211 E 105th St. Cleveland, Ohio 44106 Bethany Baptist Church
Reigster HERE Good poster text from ACLU: voting is a right, not a privilege (At least 1 SURJ NEO person will be there!)
We will hear from an array of voices who represent the diversity of our state: college students, senior citizens, faith community leaders, workers, elected officials, civic engagement groups and more. Our message is simple: We will not stop engaging and empowering Ohioans -- no matter what the bullies throw at us.
The raids on OOC are just the latest example of attacks on our vote in Ohio. We’re up against legislative maps drawn to disempower Black and brown Ohioans and consolidate power in the hands of the few. We’re contending with voter I.D. laws that especially harm people with disabilities, senior citizens and college students. Purges that have kicked hundreds of thousands of Ohioans off the voter rolls. And now a ballot issue to enshrine voter I.D. in the Ohio constitution. But we refuse to back down. We will not let anyone bully us out of the voting booth. See you there! The Hands Off Ohio Team For more information visit HandsOffOhio.org
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If you did not see Friday's email, here is more information:
On Thursday, June 11, 2026 FBI agents raided the Cleveland office of pro-democracy organization, Ohio Organizing Collaborative (OOC), as well as the homes of various individuals who work with OOC on voter registration, accusing the organization and targeted individuals of voter fraud. Over 100 FBI agents were part of this state-wide operation, showing up at people’s homes (with and without warrants), following people to work and parents with their children.
The Ohio Democracy Defense Coalition (ODDC) held a rapid response virtual meeting today, June 12, 2026 to update coalition partners, organizations and concerned citizens on the events and the rapidly developing action plan. How can you get involved?
Keep tabs on the #HandsOffOhio webpage. This will be the primary location for updates on calls to action and other resources that are in the works.
ODDC and Black Voters Matter are organizing a Day of Action around voter registration next Thursday, June 18. Innovation Ohio has written a sign-on letter. Individuals and groups are welcome to sign.
Are you a lawyer and want to get involved? Register for this virtual event led by Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison on Thursday, June 25 at 2pm ET.
Want to know what your rights are if law enforcement requests or compels you to give them election-related information/records or equipment. Click here to see a resource provided by Lowell & Associates PLLC.
This is a brazen attack on voter rights in Ohio and we must not only combat it by amplifying this story with love, joy and power but prepare ourselves to be able to better protect our voting rights and democracy. In Solidarity, Maria Hettel
Battlegrounds Campaign and Organizing Associate Ohio Indivisible |
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The rest of this email is the same as last Thursday's, I just don't have the time to delete it all! 😊😕🤬 |
⭐Tuesday Night's Chapter Gathering! ⭐ |
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Westshore UU's Undoing Oppressions group joined SURJ NEO Tuesday night at their building, which they provided free for our use. Participants felt energized to join the canvasses for Brian Poindexter, the fight against Flock and to attend Cleveland Police Commission meetings. Some asked for links to be shared today. The evaluation form is also below for those who attended but ran out of time to give comments. Special thanks to Bishop for presenting on behalf of the Working Families Party, Jennifer on the CPC and Rob on Flock systems. Thank you to Randy who took photos and notified us of the Ohio Dems coordinated campaig and Megan and Candace from Sing for Justice CLE for leading our final song.
ATTENDEE EVALUATIION FORM: HERE Some action steps from this meeting:
Watch this inspiring Video about Working Families Party candidate Brian Poindexter! HERE
KNOCK DOORS for Brian Poindexter this and every Saturday: HERE https://www.mobilize.us/ohioworkingfamiliesparty/event/970255/ Fairview Park Gemini Recreation Center 21225 Lorain Rd, Cleveland, OH 44126
Sign up for Cleveland Community Police Commission (CPC) Email Updates: HERE Research Flock Camera numbers in your city! ALPR companies have contracts with 51 cities in Cuyahoga County,
plus CMSD and RTA
Flock Hopper: https://dontgetflocked.com/
DeFlock: https://deflock.org/
Here are ways to respond to people who want to minimize the dangers of the Flock system: i.e. “If you don’t break the law, you don’t have anything to worry about”. You can tell them about abuse cases such as:
Man Trapped in Dystopian Nightmare Thanks to AI Surveillance
Cameras Flagging His Every Move
https://futurism.com/future-society/flock-ai-surveillance-colorado
'Flock Flocked up’ How a license plate camera misread unraveled one
man's life.
https://www.businessinsider.com/flock-safety-alpr-cameras-misreads-2026-3?
Cop seemingly ignored Flock camera timestamp to justify arrests.
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/06/man-jailed-for-a-month-
despite-flock-showing-he-was-5-miles-from-crime-scene/ MORE FLOCK & CPC ACTIONS further down this post! |
SURJ marched with Flock NO at Pride CLE! |
Charlotte, C, Suzanne, Jennifer and Adin from SURJ NEO - C is wearing the I want to Monetize your data camera, and Bryn, co-founder of Flock No, is wearing the Do you Know who is Watching? |
Neighborhood and Clubhouse Cleanup Day at New Era |
Cathy, Nancy, Suzanne, and Jennifer did some trash pick up on Saturday morning before Pride - Cathy and Nancy stayed the longest. You can see lots of bags got filled up to beautify a street in the Buckeye Neighborhood with New Era Youth. About New Era: Established in 2016, we are serving the people, powered by the people! From neighborhood clean-ups, food distribution, yoga & meditation, community patrols, political education, homeless outreach, family literacy, to bringing home missing young black girls, we do it all for the love of our people! |
Restoration for action! June 25-27 registration deadline June 15 |
Indigenous Art and Dance Friday June 12th at Westshore |
NAACP Teach Truth Day of Action Sat June 13th |
SURJ NEO is a co-sponsor of this event with our partner NAACP! They have excellent break out workshops. We will have at least three people there to promote SURJ NEO - Join us! |
Protest Flock cameras in Cleveland-TIME MOVED EARLIER |
The Cleveland City Council Public Safety Commission will be looking at the Flock Automatic License plate reader camera contract. The public may attend and comment. We are concerned about a nationwide network of surveillance of us all (with no warrants), but are particularly concerned now for immigrants. One of us will be there! If you want a Flock No t-shirt to attend this event, reply to this email with the size you need.
🔔 Wednesday, June 17th, 10:00-11:00 am If you can get there at 9:30 Flock No wants us then in the rotunda. 🚧 Cleveland City Hall: Mercedes Cotner Committee Room 217 (which is right across from Council chambers) |
SURJ NEO defending Democracy Jun 4th. |
Move to Amend hosted the13th annual Cleveland Heights Democracy Day Public Hearing last week. We have more to share about this from last week!
This event included 5 minute testimonies about the local, state and national impact of corporate power and big money invested in our elections and those testimonies are sent to our federal and state representatives. Support Amendment 32 to get big money out of politics.
SURJ NEO member Steve spoke about the American Monetary Reform Act. He expressed concern about the relationship between national debt and taxes, the reliance on private corporations to serve the public good and the problems wiht corporate rule. His video is HERE
SURJ NEO leader Suzanne spoke about how structural racism undermines a functioning democracy and ways that PAC money caused election losses for SURJ-supported Black house representatives. Video of Suzanne is out on Facebook somewhere!
The short and informative statements of all the speakers can be read HERE |
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SURJ NEO Fundraiser June 20th |
Cleveland Community Police Commission Meeting June 24th |
Come to the community meeting for the CPC and get to know the commissioners, community concerns, and areas you might be excited to join in committees or workgroups.
Once you get the feel of these meetings, you can represent us by asking questions, making challenging statements, or reporting ways the commission needs our support. For more information from Jennifer, reply to this email and she can fill you in! 🔔 Wednesday, June 24, 6:00 - 8:00 pm 🚧 3631 Perkins Ave, 4th Floor, Cleveland |
Income Inequality Lecture June 24 |
Speaker will be David Lay Williams of Depaul University! Author of The Greatest of All Plagues. Dr. Williams shows how economic inequality has been a central theme in history of political philosophy from Plato to Marx and why it is the worst problem that can plague a society. Hosted by the Community of St. Peter. Part of their informed voter series.
🥝Wednesday June 24th 6:30 PM 🏦Community of St. Peter 7100 Euclid Ave, Suite 125 🧨Register: HERE |
Need a t-shirt for actions? |
If you need a SURJ t-shirt to attend actions, reply to this email with the size you need - we may have a free gray SURJ NEO or black SURJ national shirt in your size, or you can purchase a black national one at THIS SITE. Allow a week to receive it and with shipping it cost $33.23. If you need us to buy one for you or subsidize the cost, reply to this email.
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Neighborhood Circle Meetings |
Some of you may want to join a smaller gathering in between our Chapter Gatherings! 📃Heights Circle - Wednesday June 17th 7:00-9:00 PM - in Cleveland Heights 📜 East of Cleveland - Thursday, June 25th in Bedford 🧧 West Side - Sunday, July 26, 3:30-4:30 PM Lakewood Public Library. To get locations and instructions, reply to this email! |
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| Showing Up for Racial Justice
PO Box 1376
Buffalo, NY 14205
United States |
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