April 2nd-11th: March from Philadelphia, PA to Washington, D.C.
April 11th-18th: Mass nonviolent sit-ins and legal protests at the Capitol in DC.
Democracy Spring is being organized by a growing coalition of over 100 organizations, including a steering committee made up of 99Rise, Avaaz, Democracy Matters, Energy Action Coalition, the Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union (RWDSU), and the United States Student Association (USSA). We are united by these principles of unity. You can see the list of endorsing organizations at the bottom of the home page. If your organization would like to sign on as an endorsing organization please email democracyspring@gmail.com and let us know!
Our collective demand to Congress is that it take immediate action to end the corruption of big money in politics and ensure free & fair elections in which every American has an equal voice. We have identified at least four reform bills that are already pending before Congress as exemplary actions that can be taken. These include proposed legislation that would implement robust small-dollar citizen-funded elections, combat voter suppression, and empower citizens with universal suffrage; it will also introduce a constitutional amendment overturning Citizens United.
Our proposed reform bills are: the Government by the People Act & Fair Elections now Act; the Voting Rights Advancement Act of 2015 & Voter Empowerment Act of 2015; and the Democracy for All Amendment.
Importantly, while we will be very clear in pointing to the bills we think are best, we welcome any serious proposal for legislative action to address this crisis that is consistent with the imperative of citizen equality. No opponent of reform will be able to say that they cannot support action to address this problem because the specific bills we promote are not perfect — we will call on them to propose a better alternative or admit to being a protector of corruption.
The Equal Voice for All Pledge calls on current members of Congress and candidates for public office at any level of government — from President to City Council — to commit to fight for reform to save our democracy and ensure political equality. The Pledge is a tool to establish public commitments from elected officials or candidates that can be used to demonstrate the breadth of support for reform, educate voters about what candidates to support, and hold candidates-elect accountable to honor their commitment by fighting to pass reform.
The Equal Voice for All Pledge reads:
At present, no members of Congress or candidates have yet been asked to take the pledge. In the next several weeks, we will begin outreach to elected officials and candidates by directing them to www.equalvoiceforallpledge.org.
No. Democracy Spring is not affiliated with any political candidate or party. Further, while progressive leaders and organizations are initiating it, it is not a progressive or a conservative action but rather an American action. We urge all who agree with our demand to embrace others from all walks of life in a spirit of inclusion. We will stand together – progressive, conservative, Republican, Democrat, independent, libertarian – as leaders and citizens who want a government accountable to voters rather than big money interests. We may disagree on many things as Americans of different political perspectives, but we believe that it’s time for all who love our country to defend the republic that binds us as a free people.
Democracy Spring will be a deeply nonviolent campaign, in the tradition of the American civil rights movement. The guidelines for nonviolence for all Democracy Spring actions, which all participants must commit to uphold, are the following:
Anyone who is planning to risk arrest as part of Democracy Spring will be expected to participate in a nonviolent civil disobedience training beforehand. Trainings will be offered in local areas before we converge in DC and provided in DC twice every day for the duration of the sit-ins. Further, a corps of leaders will be trained to take special responsibility at all Democracy Spring actions for ensuring that all participants uphold our agreement on nonviolence.
Everyone who risks arrest in Washington, D.C. as part of the Democracy Spring will be expected to participate in a basic nonviolent civil disobedience training before hand.
We are holding an Action Camp in D.C. from the 11th to the 13th of March to train volunteer leaders who will be able to offer local trainings around the country in the coming month. Beginning on April 10th and for the duration of the mass sit-ins in DC, there will be nonviolent civil disobedience trainings twice daily. Further, online learning opportunities will be made accessible through our website as supplementary resources for those wishing to do additional preparation before taking part in this powerful, essential tradition of nonviolent civil disobedience.
Answers to frequently asked legal questions can be found here.
Legal orientation will be part of the training provided to participants.
We have hired a lawyer with decades of experience with civil disobedience cases as our lead attorney. He is leading a team of pro-bono lawyers who will provide legal counsel and representation for all participants who risk arrest as part of this campaign.
If you are an attorney and interested in volunteering to be part of that team, sign up here and let us know at democracyspring@gmail.com.
We have established Regional Organizing Hubs to coordinate and support local Democracy Spring organizing efforts in over 40 cities and states, with more emerging every week. These Hubs will help us recruit, train, mobilize, and transport as many people from cities, towns, and regions across America as possible. Click here to see if there is a Regional Organizing Hub near you. If you are interested in stepping up to lead a Regional Organizing Hub, let us know at democracyspringlocal@gmail.com. We will provide training, coaching, and support resources to the leaders of the Hubs.
Democracy Awakening is a mass mobilization being planned for April 16th-18th in Washington, D.C. that is distinct from, but closely aligned with and supportive of Democracy Spring. It will include an array of actions, including demonstrations, teach-ins, direct action trainings, music, a Rally for Democracy, and nonviolent direct action and advocacy pressing for a Congress of Conscience. Democracy Spring and Democracy Awakening organizers are in close coordination to ensure that the two mobilizations are as integrated and complimentary as possible.