After two months as the presumptive Republican nominee, Donald Trump will officially become the GOP’s presidential candidate this week at the Republican National Convention. In June, Politico reached out to members of Trump’s party and found that many refused to attend, let alone speak on his behalf. An early lineup included only one Latino – Ted Cruz – but on Friday, the full list revealed a few more people of color. It didn’t stop the Los Angeles Times from calling this year’s RNC “super weird and super white.” As the publication points out, Trump – whose entire campaign has been mired in controversy – picked a seemingly random mix of speakers, which includes models, actors, and athletes. And whether it’s a lack of preparation or an oversight, the RNC 2016 app didn’t have an official schedule as late as Monday at 8 a.m. EST.
For more than a year, Trump has run a xenophobic, anti-immigrant campaign, but he might as well be made of Teflon in the eyes of many Republican voters. While for months the media hinted at a contested convention to try to dump Trump, the almost week-long event will instead be a love-in for the worst presidential candidate of our time. Outside the convention center, on the other hand, is a much different story both in terms of sentiment and diversity. Activists and artists repping several different organizations will gather to stand up to Trump. More than a dozen events will take place concurrently with the convention – each meant to tear into a different aspect of his platform, as well as the GOP. Protesters have gotten an early start. On top of sharing images of themselves preparing for the week ahead, they’ve also gotten out there as early as Saturday. One of the most striking examples came on Sunday when thousands of protesters showed up to the Hope Memorial Bridge and linked hands to “Circle the City With Love.”
As many of us question how we got this moment, people are fighting back so that a Trump presidency – one that seeks to alienate so many people – doesn’t become a reality. They are fighting for the majority of us, which is why their efforts deserve attention. Here are 13 events happening outside of the Republican National Convention that you should know about:
1
Door-to-Door Campaign Against Trump’s Hate-Filled Agenda
When: July 16 to July 21
Where: Ohio and around the country
Two days before the convention officially kicked off, Ohio Against Hate and MoveOn.Org teamed up to start door-to-door canvassing in Ohio and 16 other states. Volunteers will hit up thousands of homes to inform them of Trump’s hateful campaign. “The National Doorstep Convention and Ohio Against Hate represent a historic push to expand the political revolution,” said Victoria Kaplan, MoveOn.Org’s campaign director. “Together, we will combat the hatred and divisive politics of Trump, build multiracial support for economic and racial justice, and deepen grassroots democracy over corporate power.”
Find a location here.
2
March on the Republican National Convention
When: July 18 from noon to 3 p.m.
Where: Mall A, 6th St, Cleveland, Ohio 44134
March on the RNC – the same group that staged protests at the 2008 and 2012 Republican conventions – is standing up against racist, anti-immigrant, anti-Muslim attacks on the opening day of the convention. Together with Coalition to Stop Trump, the march offers an alternative to what’s happening inside the convention hall: “Republicans will promote their agenda of bigotry, racist discrimination, Islamophobia, war, and austerity. On the streets of Cleveland, we will demand Peace, Justice, and Equality!” Organizers expect thousands of people and activists from around the country.
Follow @marchonRNC for updates.
3
The Daily Show Convention Sideshow
When: July 18 from noon to 5 p.m.
Where: 2400 Superior Ave. E, Cleveland, Ohio 44114
“The Daily Show Convention Sideshow” started on Sunday, but continues on Monday. The event is basically what it sounds like – a day full of satirical games, including a Run for the Border interactive game, The Hall of Not Presidents, and the Yuuge Wall.
Follow @TheDailyShow for updates.
4
End Poverty Now! March for Economic Social Justice
When: July 18 at 1 p.m.
Where: East 45th, just north of Superior Ave., Cleveland, Ohio 44103
Starting at 1 p.m., Rebel Diaz, Prophets of Rage, and other musical acts will kick off End Poverty Now‘s event, which will end with a march for economic social justice. As the Republican Party prepares to spend four days in Cleveland – a city with nearly 40 percent poverty rate – End Poverty Now reminds us that the party has undone the progress of the Civil Rights and anti-poverty movements. “It is in this tradition that we call on all who care about justice to join us on the afternoon of July 18, 2016 to deliver a message to the Republicans gathering in Cleveland,” the organization’s website reads. “Your membership status in the human race should not depend on the size of your income, or where you stand in the corporate pecking order Being human is not a commodity. It is a right. We will march on Quicken Loans Arena, the convention center, on July 18 and make it loud and clear.”
Follow @EndPoverty2016 for updates.
5
Firebrand Records' Concert
When: July 18 from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Where: Negative Space Art Gallery, 3820 Superior Ave, Cleveland, Ohio 44114
Rebel Diaz’s busy Monday continues at Negative Space Art Gallery, where he will take the stage at Firebrand Records’ Concert against the Republican National Convention. Pedro El Poeta, Son of Nun, and Ryan Harvey will also perform. This event is co-sponsored by Iraq Veterans Against the War, Poor Peoples’ Economic Human Rights Campaign, Squatter Productions, and End Poverty Now 2016.
Follow @FirebrandRecord for updates.
6
Standing Together for Justice Concert and Benefit
When: July 18 from 8 p.m. to 1 a.m.
Where: Cleveland Agora, 5000 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, Ohio 44103
Stand Together Against Trump, Singing for Justice Meetup Group, and a few other groups have put together a charity event at the Agora Theatre and Ballroom. “The event will be an opportunity for people to use their voice to demand common-sense solutions,” the Facebook event page reads. “Our messages will encompass the many things we have in common while rejecting those manufactured issues which divide us.” The money raised from the event will benefit St. Paul’s Church and the Thea Bowman Center – two Cleveland-based groups. Brendan O’Malley, Matt Harmon, Allison Beyer, and Swap Meet will perform.
Follow @ST_AgainstTrump for updates.
7
Unite to Stop the Hate at the RNC
When: July 19 at 11:45 a.m.
Where: Greater Cleveland Immigrant Support Network, 4241 Lorain Ave., Cleveland, Ohio 44113
The Greater Cleveland Immigrant Support Network’s 30-minute event will ambitiously serve as a history lesson on the US constitution and a way to debunk Islamophobia. “We have heard the hateful rhetoric and scapegoating of immigrants, Muslims, and People of Color,” the Facebook event page reads. “We have heard the suggested policies to block immigrants and Muslims from living, working, or raising a family here, and contributing to the fabric of the United States of America.”
8
CODEPINK Film Screening of 'The Brainwashing of My Dad'
When: July 19 from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m.
Where: Unitarian Universalist Cleveland, 20401 Hillard Blvd., Rocky River, Ohio 44116
On Sunday, Codepink marched through Cleveland. A group of women dressed as pink versions of the Statue of Liberty held signs that read “welcome immigrants,” “give me your tired, your poor,” and “refugees welcome.” On Tuesday, the group – which began as a response to George W. Bush’s administration invasion of Iraq – will screen The Brainwashing of My Dad. This film looks at the rise of “right-wing media through the lens of” Jen Senko’s father, “whose immersion in it radicalized him and rocked the foundation of their family.” A Q&A session with Jodie Evans, co-founder of CodePink and executive producer of the film, will follow the screening.
Follow @CodePink for updates.
9
Prophets of Rage - Make America Rage Again Tour
When: July 19 at 8 p.m.
Where: Agora Theatre and Ballroom, 5000 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, Ohio 44103
Though supergroup Prophets of Rage’s Make America Rage Again Tour officially kicks off in August, they’ll make their way to the RNC this week. According to the Orange County Register, Tom Morello, Tim Commerford, Brad Wilk, MC B-Reak, Chuck D, and DJ Lord’s tour came together because of the RNC. “Really the only discussion we had, the only thing we had that was preconceived in all of this was that we wanted to play the Republican National Convention,” Commerford said. “We knew it was coming up so we had a bullseye for it since we first walked into a room to talk about all of this. It just seemed like a no-brainer for us. The songs, they’d already been written and they are needed right now, so we get to just delve into a catalog that’s rich with songs of defiance.”
Follow @prophetsofrage for updates or buy tickets here.
10
Wall Off Trump
When: July 20 at 11 a.m.
Where: Public Square, Cleveland, Ohio 44114
Mijente – an organization that fights for la gente and justicia – is giving Trump his wall. But instead of building something to separate the United States from its neighbors, Mijente wants to counteract his hate. “In polarized times we need to be building more bridges between us and less walls that divide us,” said Marisa Franco, director of Mijente. “But if Trump is set on building a wall, we’re going to giving it to him. But we’ll be walling off his hate. We won’t go quietly as he campaigns to put us back in the closest, back across the border, or to the back of the bus.” Mijente’s 15,000 feet of wall will reflect the diversity of our country.
Follow @ConMijente for updates.
11
Is the GOP Embracing the New American Electorate?
When: July 20 at 4 p.m.
Where: Moncho’s Bar and Grill, 2317 Denison Ave., Cleveland, Ohio 44109
Ohio’s Voice and Latino Victory Fund’s panel will examine whether or not the GOP is embracing the increasingly diverse electorate. Held at Moncho’s Bar and Grill, NBC News contributor Stephen Nuño, Latino Victory Fund’s Pili Tobar, Ohio’s Voice Director Lynn Tramonte, and moderator Tom Meyer will discuss the importance of communities of color in this election. A meet and greet will follow the panel.
Follow @latinovictoryus for updates.
12
Stand Together Against Trump March and Rally
When: July 21 at 1:30 p.m.
Where: West 18th and Lorain, Cleveland, Ohio 44113
Through the week, Stand Together Against Trump will begin its day with STAT Peace and Nonviolence Training for Protesters, and Thursday is no different. But following the training session, STAT will host two events: a march at 1:30 p.m., and a rally at 6 p.m.
Follow @ST_AgainstTrump for updates.
13
Anti-Trump Day Of Action
When: July 21
Where: Nationwide
On the last day of the convention, activists around the world will protest Trump. NextGen Climate, CREDO, United We Dream ACtion, People’s Action, and more have organized a day of peaceful protests at Republican party offices, as well as the offices of companies sponsoring Trump. “If he wins in November, Trump would be a disaster for our country and the climate,” Action Network writes. “He’s promised to massively expand fossil fuel extraction, abolish the EPA, build a border wall, and ban Muslims from entering the United States. His agenda is unacceptable, and we must oppose it.”
Check out this map for an event near you.