In the weeks since President Donald Trump took office, multiple organized rallies and protests have occurred across the metro, some were put together by a new grassroots movement called “Indivisible.”
“Indivisible KC” is the local branch of the movement taking shape.
“It’s just kind of happening organically,” said organizer Allegra Dalton, who describes Indivisible KC as roughly 3,000 strong, with many first time ‘activists.’ “They are pastors and teachers and doctors and nurses and shop owners, and all of a sudden they are growing in leadership skills and growing in advocacy skills.”
The movement follows a blueprint of activism created by former congressional staffers on how to effectively engage with members of congress.
“This guide kind of came bopping down the stream of the internet as these things do and it was very clear that it was a methodical step by step blueprint that we can all wrap our passions around. It’s a means,” said Dalton.
The authors of the guide attribute the success of the Tea Party movement as their inspiration.
“It worked for the tea party and that’s something that we have to acknowledge and give proper respect where respect is due. They came up with a technique,” said Dalton. “We may not have the power as progressives right now to set an agenda for a long time to come, so what we need to do is shine a light on the agenda that is being set.”
At a Tuesday rally at the Kansas City field office of Senator Roy Blunt, Indivisible KC requested face time with the Senator.
“We really hope that he’ll hold a town hall. Senator Blunt’s staff, we do appreciate they have been receptive to meeting with us and taking our concerns back to him, but we want to talk to him directly,” said organizer Hillary Shields. “We are a little bit tired of hearing ‘I don’t know the Senator’s position on this issue, I’ll have to check with him and get back to you’ We want to talk to him directly to hear what he thinks about this stuff.”
In a statement, Senator Blunt said in part:
“The right to protest peacefully is a fundamental part of who we are as a nation and I always appreciate Missourian's sharing their views."
A request to Senator Blunt’s office asking if the Senator would hold a town hall during his next recess, went unreturned.
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Brian Abel can be reached at brian.abel@kshb.com.
