Pushback 29

Andrea Dooley

03 Mar 2025 — 3 min read

Stand With Ukraine Rally, SF Ferry Building, March 2, 2025; Photo Credit: Ilana DeBare

Yesterday, a friend invited me to join her at rally in support of Ukraine. She made a sign, and a random guy handed me one that said Ukraine Yes! with the letters crowded together near the end because he didn't judge the size correctly. It didn't matter, lots of people still honked. Two things of note: a LOT of people honked and they were all different ages and races and in all kinds of cars, from taxis to Teslas, hoopties to pickup trucks; and the people at the rally were not your standard Bay Area boomers and black bloc people. It was families with children, teenagers, very old people. They wore traditional Ukrainian flower garlands or just the flag around their shoulders. Say what you will about the efficacy of rallies, it is fun to go outside and shout together, and feel that our power might build.

Welcome to the new folks. The Pushback is an antidote to the relentless bad news. We find stories about the people and organizations that are pushing back against the Trump administration, not to be naive about the work involved in building a movement, but to let you know how many other people out there are pushing back.

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Action Items

Federal Unionists Network is pulling together federal workers and their supporters for a mass action campaign called Let Us Work! Save Our Services! Check it out.

If you aren't sure what to tell Elon Musk you did last week, you can try out this auto response generator to "5 things email for federal employees." I put in that I am an arbitrator, and it offered me this:

Facilitated resolution of disputes through impartial mediation and negotiation.
Reviewed case materials and evidence to ensure informed decision-making.
Drafted and issued binding agreements or recommendations for involved parties.
Maintained confidentiality and neutrality throughout all proceedings.
Communicated effectively with all stakeholders to ensure clarity and understanding.

It's not wrong!

You can find a 50501 protest to attend tomorrow!

Keker Van Nest & Peters has filed an amicus brief in U.S. v. Adams, the case where the Attorney General is seeking to dismiss charges against Mayor Eric Adams without prejudice. The brief is being filed on behalf of former federal judges who are weighing in with their perspective on Judge Dale Ho's authority to not dismiss the case. You can find the brief at the NYT or shoot me a message and I'll send it to you.

Just Security Litigation Tracker has a two updates today:

Judge Amy Berman Jackson has permanently enjoined (stopped) the removal of Special Counsel Hampton Dellinger, which the White House has appealed.
More plaintiffs have filed suit to prevent being detained in Gitmo.