Over the last five months, we’ve watched something powerful take shape in our district. It didn’t start with a press release or a viral post. It started with you—your presence, your courage, your willingness to take a stand on a sidewalk in front of Rep. Abe Hamadeh’s office.
From a handful of concerned neighbors to thousands showing up across multiple cities for No Kings on June 14th, our protests have only grown. And with every handmade sign, every honk of support, every passerby who stopped to ask what we were doing, and every lie Abe Hamadeh tells about us, the message has spread:
We are awake. We are paying attention. And we are not going away.
This past spring, we joined forces with national movements. On April 5th, over 2,800 of us stood with millions across the country for the Hands Off day of action. On June 14th, we showed up again with millions more for the No Kings protest demanding accountability from those who flirt with authoritarianism.
Here in Arizona’s 8th Congressional District, over 5,700 people participated in No Kings. That’s not just impressive. That’s momentum.
But does protest actually work?
Yes—especially when it’s sustained.
According to political scientist Erica Chenoweth, movements that mobilize just 3.5% of the population using nonviolent protest are almost always successful. That’s because 3.5% is enough to shift public will, influence policy, and force even the most powerful to respond. In CD-8, that’s about 25,000 people. We’re on our way.
And we’re already seeing results.
When Northwest Valley Indivisible organized a series of protests outside the North Phoenix Tesla dealership, we didn’t know how far it would go. But the pressure worked. Our protests made the local evening news, and even got national attention from Rachel Maddow on MSNBC. And yes—Elon Musk noticed what was happening in Phoenix and across the country. We helped push him out of Washington D.C. That’s not speculation. That’s cause and effect. That’s the power of organized, consistent resistance.
And we’re not alone.
A recent analysis in The Bulwark, “The Public Is Resisting Trump. The Elites Aren’t,” points out that while many of our political and corporate elites hesitate to act, the American public is already pushing back hard. A Quinnipiac poll shows just 38% approve of Trump’s leadership, while 54% disapprove. That’s not a fluke—it’s a trend. And it means that our local actions are part of a much broader current.
This disconnect matters. When public pressure builds, it gives our leaders cover to act—and accountability when they don’t. We have to remember: we are the spine of our elected leaders. Much of the time, they won’t stand up unless we do. We can’t count on any branch of the government to do what’s needed to save us unless we take massive, peaceful action. That’s where our power lives.
Now, let’s talk about summer.
We know Arizona’s summer heat isn’t just uncomfortable—it’s dangerous. That’s why we’re not likely to host large-scale outdoor protests in July and August. But just because we’re indoors doesn’t mean we’re inactive.
This is the season to pivot, not pause.
🔥 Keep the pressure on. Use your voice where it counts:
- Call Abe Hamadeh’s office and demand answers for his support of Trump’s anti-democracy agenda
- Email our Democratic senators and tell them we expect them to hold the line and fight back
- Check our Take Action page for simple steps to take right now.
Your protest doesn’t have to be public to be powerful. A phone call is protest. A well-written email is protest. Sharing a post, talking to your neighbors, writing a letter to the editor—that’s all part of the work. And it all matters.
We want everyone who’s shown up over these past few months to know:
You haven’t been forgotten.
You haven’t been drowned out.
You are part of a growing, committed community that refuses to look away.
Movements aren’t built overnight. They’re built in heat waves and quiet weeks, in between the headlines. They’re built by people who keep showing up in whatever way they can—again and again and again.
We’re proud of what we’ve done. And we’re just getting started.
Let’s keep going!