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L.A. Kauffman

@lakauffman.bsky.social

Veteran organizer, writer. She/her. Books: DIRECT ACTION and HOW TO READ A PROTEST. Newsletter: DETOUR AMERICA lakauffman.substack.com

2,273 Followers  |  293 Following  |  164 Posts  |  Joined: 13.11.2024
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Posts by L.A. Kauffman (@lakauffman.bsky.social)

In my neighborhood, they loaded corpses by forklift into a refrigerator truck ... parked alongside my kids' favorite play area in our local park.

Millions died, and many millions more have become disabled. And yet the media and ruling consensus has been to shrug and bury the scale of the harm.

21.02.2026 14:27 β€” πŸ‘ 61    πŸ” 19    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

Appreciate this lifting up of Giuffre's courage. But real justice and accountability for Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor would include accountability for his part in her tragic death.

19.02.2026 11:59 β€” πŸ‘ 4    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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This Machine Quells Fascists All across the nation, there's a new vibration, spreading from Minneapolis and traveling at the speed of song.

I'm back from a week of vacation with a report on the next wave of the Defiance: The Singing Resistance. It's easy to join; it's addictive once you do it; and it converts rage into loving action. Link below: open.substack.com/pub/theconne...

16.02.2026 22:52 β€” πŸ‘ 13    πŸ” 10    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 1

Fantastic - congratulations!

30.01.2026 17:35 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

He gives a special mention this week to ten dogs who were rescued by a neighbor from empty apartments "after their humans were disappeared by ICE"

30.01.2026 16:16 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 2    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Rep. Joaquin Castro meets with the 5-year-old boy held with his father at a Texas detention facility | CNN US Rep. Joaquin Castro met Wednesday with Liam Conejo Ramos, the 5-year-old Minnesota boy taken from his family’s suburban Minneapolis driveway last week after federal agents apprehended his father, t...

I know this is a small thing compared to the cold-blooded murders, but they TOOK HIS LITTLE HAT

β€œHe keeps asking about that hat and that backpack that are in the picture,” the congressman said. β€œI think they took that from him.”
www.cnn.com/2026/01/28/u...

29.01.2026 10:09 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 1    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
Post image

Tomorrow’s front page of the Minnesota Star Tribune: Jan. 23, 2026

22.01.2026 23:19 β€” πŸ‘ 14694    πŸ” 7006    πŸ’¬ 393    πŸ“Œ 532
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List of Minnesota businesses closing for Jan. 23 anti-ICE strike First announced by faith leaders and unions on Jan. 13, Minnesota businesses have begun announcing plans to join the action.

A truly impressive list of Minnesota businesses and organizations that will be closing for tomorrow's anti-ICE strike >
bringmethenews.com/minnesota-li...

22.01.2026 22:34 β€” πŸ‘ 8    πŸ” 4    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
An ad reading "THURS 1/22 ON LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT - MARIA J. STEPAHN" at 1:35/10:35c on CBS|Paramount"

An ad reading "THURS 1/22 ON LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT - MARIA J. STEPAHN" at 1:35/10:35c on CBS|Paramount"

A remarkable sign of the times: Legendary nonviolent resistance scholar and trainer @mariajstephan.bsky.social will be on @colbertlateshow.bsky.social tonight to discuss "what nonviolent action is, why it works, and how to take part in this growing broad-front pro-democracy movement."

22.01.2026 16:55 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0

I know people keep saying this but it’s hard to communicate the depth of active resistance here. Like, I’m on random cafes and people are checking in for observation shifts. Signs everywhere. Folks in visibility vests on the corners. It’s wild. Absolutely wild.

22.01.2026 16:04 β€” πŸ‘ 14441    πŸ” 2638    πŸ’¬ 215    πŸ“Œ 212
An ad reading "THURS 1/22 ON LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT - MARIA J. STEPAHN" at 1:35/10:35c on CBS|Paramount"

An ad reading "THURS 1/22 ON LATE SHOW WITH STEPHEN COLBERT - MARIA J. STEPAHN" at 1:35/10:35c on CBS|Paramount"

A remarkable sign of the times: Legendary nonviolent resistance scholar and trainer @mariajstephan.bsky.social will be on @colbertlateshow.bsky.social tonight to discuss "what nonviolent action is, why it works, and how to take part in this growing broad-front pro-democracy movement."

22.01.2026 16:55 β€” πŸ‘ 5    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
ICE OUT OF MINNESOTA: DAY OF TRUTH & FREEDOM Event in Minneapolis, MN by Faith In Minnesota and 15 others on Friday, January 23 2026 with 12K people interested and 3.2K people going. 61 posts in the discussion.

Minnesota’s coalition is demanding:

1: ICE must leave Minnesota now.
2: Renee Good’s killer, Jonathan Ross, must be held legally accountable.
3: No additional federal funding for ICE in the upcoming budget.

β€œThese are moral common sense for a state that values truth, freedom, and life.”

22.01.2026 14:30 β€” πŸ‘ 1192    πŸ” 353    πŸ’¬ 5    πŸ“Œ 16

A major coalition is launching a general strike in Minnesota tomorrow, aimed at pushing out ICE.

It includes:

-Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1005
-The MN AFL-CIO
-SEIU Local 26
-UNITE HERE Local 17
-CWA Local 7250
-Saint Paul and Minneapolis Federations of Educators
-Faith leaders

And more. 🧡

22.01.2026 14:30 β€” πŸ‘ 3960    πŸ” 1519    πŸ’¬ 44    πŸ“Œ 97

It's genuinely a leaderless (or leaderful) movement, decentralized in a way that the state is absolutely unequipped to handle. There are a few basic skills involved, and so people teach each other those skills, and people are collectively refining them.

22.01.2026 03:58 β€” πŸ‘ 8785    πŸ” 880    πŸ’¬ 14    πŸ“Œ 63

Half the street corners around here have people--from every walk of life, including republicans--standing guard to watch for suspicious vehicles, which are reported to a robust and entirely decentralized network that tracks ICE vehicles and mobilizes responders.

22.01.2026 03:58 β€” πŸ‘ 7459    πŸ” 647    πŸ’¬ 8    πŸ“Œ 36

So far this morning, I have swept the Lowe’s and harbor Freight for ICE and stood in the freezing cold trying to get my /Democratic /senator to prevent funding ICE. Lotta ICE this morning!

21.01.2026 14:38 β€” πŸ‘ 35    πŸ” 11    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

Why do so many Democratic officeholders, candidates and political operatives keep following the same playbook, the one that says that if they want to win elections they have to raise tons of money, spend nearly all of it on targeted media... (1/n)

20.01.2026 20:57 β€” πŸ‘ 11    πŸ” 8    πŸ’¬ 2    πŸ“Œ 3

DE ICER
ICE OUT OF MN

Powderhorn Art Sled Rally
Minneapolis

17.01.2026 20:24 β€” πŸ‘ 630    πŸ” 214    πŸ’¬ 9    πŸ“Œ 16

I'LL TAKE MY HORCHATA WARM
CUZ FUCK ICE

Powderhorn Art Sled Rally
Minneapolis

17.01.2026 20:32 β€” πŸ‘ 562    πŸ” 154    πŸ’¬ 4    πŸ“Œ 20
Preview
Preaching to The Choir, by Rebecca Solnit

I believe this wonderful essay by Rebecca Solnit is the preaching-to-the-choir reference you're looking for
harpers.org/archive/2017...

17.01.2026 13:49 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
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On Dreams and Pillars What would it take to bring this nightmare to an end?

Take a moment to enjoy the joyous dream some of us spun out seven years ago, when we went to the White House and handed out an edition of the Washington Post depicting T's downfall after a massive popular uprising. It's a dream with real lessons for today:
lakauffman.substack.com/p/on-dreams-...

17.01.2026 12:51 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
A reproduction of a parody edition of the Washington Post, featuring the top headline: UNPRESIDENTED: TRUMP HASTILY DEPARTS WHITE HOUSE, ENDING CRISIS and beneath it, a photo of a grim looking Trump exiting a building

A reproduction of a parody edition of the Washington Post, featuring the top headline: UNPRESIDENTED: TRUMP HASTILY DEPARTS WHITE HOUSE, ENDING CRISIS and beneath it, a photo of a grim looking Trump exiting a building

Three people dressed in winter coats and hats stand in front of the White House on January 16, 2019, distributing copies of the UNPRESIDENTED Washington Post

Three people dressed in winter coats and hats stand in front of the White House on January 16, 2019, distributing copies of the UNPRESIDENTED Washington Post

🧡 Seven years ago today, a small team and I fanned out in front of the White House and distributed copies of the Washington Post with a dramatic headline:

UNPRESIDENTED - TRUMP HASTILY DEPARTS WHITE HOUSE, ENDING CRISIS

The paper was a work of fiction, created with @theyesmen.bsky.social

16.01.2026 22:40 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0

If you'd like to enjoy the dream we spun out in 2019, you can still find a PDF of the paper online ... theyesmen.org/sites/defaul...

16.01.2026 22:40 β€” πŸ‘ 0    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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On Dreams and Pillars What would it take to bring this nightmare to an end?

What turned the tide, in our story, was when protesters focused their energies not on Trump but on do-nothing Democrats, viewing them as a key "pillar of support" for the regime. The paper was a fantasy, but the strategy behind it is more relevant than ever: lakauffman.substack.com/p/on-dreams-...

16.01.2026 22:40 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
A closeup of a portion of the front page of the UNPRESIDENTED Washington Post, featuring the story, "Pres. Pence begins 'clipped duck' term: New president starts term 'Penced In" by predecessor's embarrassing reign of failture and crime."

A closeup of a portion of the front page of the UNPRESIDENTED Washington Post, featuring the story, "Pres. Pence begins 'clipped duck' term: New president starts term 'Penced In" by predecessor's embarrassing reign of failture and crime."

The point of this fictional paper was to raise morale at a time of low energy, but it was more than that. Co-editor Onnesha Roychoudhuri and I based its stories on real historical examples, most notably Otpor!, the movement that drove the Serbian dictator Slobodan Miloőević from power in 2000.

16.01.2026 22:40 β€” πŸ‘ 3    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
A close up of the front page of the UNPRESIDENTED Washington Post, with the headline "From #MeToo to 'You're Fired' -- 'Finally!' say women"

A close up of the front page of the UNPRESIDENTED Washington Post, with the headline "From #MeToo to 'You're Fired' -- 'Finally!' say women"

The paper described how, after months of mounting protests and pressure from all sides, Trump had simply given up and abandoned the White House, slipping out of the country quietly in the dead of night. β€œCelebrations break out worldwide as Trump era ends,” read one front-page headline.

16.01.2026 22:40 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
A reproduction of a parody edition of the Washington Post, featuring the top headline: UNPRESIDENTED: TRUMP HASTILY DEPARTS WHITE HOUSE, ENDING CRISIS and beneath it, a photo of a grim looking Trump exiting a building

A reproduction of a parody edition of the Washington Post, featuring the top headline: UNPRESIDENTED: TRUMP HASTILY DEPARTS WHITE HOUSE, ENDING CRISIS and beneath it, a photo of a grim looking Trump exiting a building

Three people dressed in winter coats and hats stand in front of the White House on January 16, 2019, distributing copies of the UNPRESIDENTED Washington Post

Three people dressed in winter coats and hats stand in front of the White House on January 16, 2019, distributing copies of the UNPRESIDENTED Washington Post

🧡 Seven years ago today, a small team and I fanned out in front of the White House and distributed copies of the Washington Post with a dramatic headline:

UNPRESIDENTED - TRUMP HASTILY DEPARTS WHITE HOUSE, ENDING CRISIS

The paper was a work of fiction, created with @theyesmen.bsky.social

16.01.2026 22:40 β€” πŸ‘ 6    πŸ” 3    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
On Dreams and Pillars What would it take to bring this nightmare to an end?

On the dream of bringing him down, and how Democratic leadership keeps serving as a pillar holding him up:

My latest, about the fictional WaPo we handed out at the White House seven years ago today, and its lessons for the current moment.

lakauffman.substack.com/p/on-dreams-...

16.01.2026 18:10 β€” πŸ‘ 1    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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On Dreams and Pillars What would it take to bring this nightmare to an end?

Seven years ago today, a small team and I fanned out in front of the White House to distribute a fictional newspaper that imagined Trump’s downfall after a nationwide popular uprising. It was a dream, yes, but one with lessons for our current nightmare: lakauffman.substack.com/p/on-dreams-...

16.01.2026 16:45 β€” πŸ‘ 2    πŸ” 0    πŸ’¬ 0    πŸ“Œ 0
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Police Bibliography Critical Police Studies Bibliography The Policing and Social Justice Project at Brooklyn College Alex S. Vitale, Coordinator This is an open access resource for scholars, researchers, teachers, and ...

Someone just asked me for a bibliography for people interested in delving more deeply into police and policing. Prof @alexvitale.bsky.social and crew have a comprehensive one that continues to evolve: docs.google.com/document/d/1...

15.01.2026 16:49 β€” πŸ‘ 130    πŸ” 70    πŸ’¬ 1    πŸ“Œ 1