My wife and I just attended the Hands-Off! Rally and March in Augusta with 3,000 other Mainers! It was peaceful and rowdy at the same time: very inspiring. One of the speakers said that over 60 billionaires bankrolled the Republicans in the last election, and 83 billionaires bankrolled the Democratic Party. She said both parties are complicit in letting the oligarchy control our government. The next presenter was a Maine legislator, and she talked about bills that were voted down last week in Augusta. All of the Republicans voted for six bills that would have helped make abortion illegal, and they all voted for a bill that would have made contraception inaccessible. All the Democrats voted against these bills, so it made a difference that the Democrats have a three-seat majority!  Another presenter talked about how the oligarchy keeps us busy fighting cultural wars about things like reproductive freedom, so they can go unnoticed while they continue winning their class war against us, privatizing government agencies and widening the income gap. 

      Democrats will win big time when they commit more to representing the poor, the oppressed, the working families, and the middle class; working together to make everyone’s lives better. And when they do that, we’ll have the power to end subsidies to the fossil fuel corporations. We’ll finally make some progress on climate change!

Third Act Maine’s co-lead Molly Schen organized the Hands Off rally at Monument Square in Portland, which also drew thousands, including Maine’s State Senator Angus King!

Meanwhile, Molly’s fellow co-lead, Tom Mikulka and hundreds of friends were at Erskine Park in South Portland at the entrance to the Casco Bay Bridge.

The Lewiston-Auburn area  standout was on the Longley Androscoggin bridge, downtown between Lewiston and Auburn which drew an estimated  400-500 people. Third Act Maine member Nancy Greene shared her experience:

Third Act was well representing in Farmington, Maine!

Big oil companies such as Exxon, Chevron, and Shell have known for decades that more fossil fuels would mean fiercer storms, more floods, homes destroyed, and lives lost. It’s time to join Vermont and New York in holding polluters accountable. We’ve heard that other states have similar legislation in the works as well.

Devastating storms have already impacted cities and towns across Maine. It’s only a matter of time before the next climate disaster comes. If polluters aren’t the ones paying for the damage, that leaves the people of Maine on the hook – again and again and again.

You can support the soon to be released Make Polluters Pay Act by signing this petition by Maine Conservation Voters.

The Climate Superfund is a 2025 priority action of Maine’s Environmental Priorities Coalition, a statewide alliance of 39 conservation, climate action, and public health organizations.

Central Maine Hub

Central Maine Hub actively focused on defending democracy. Hub members attended a big rally at the State House, a smaller gathering outside Senator Susan Collins’ office in Augusta, two demonstrations near Tesla chargers at the Waterville Elm Plaza (One of which was mentioned on the Racheal Maddow Show!) and a “Dump Trump” rally with 50 other protesters on downtown Main Street in Waterville. The Hub is coordinating with Indivisible. They’re emailing, calling political representatives, and writing letters to the editor.

Western Mountains

Well over 200 concerned citizens rallied at a standout organized by Western Mountains Third Act on March 1 in downtown Farmington. Protesters were greeted frequently with beeping horns and waves from passersby. There were very few dissenters. Protest participants cited reasons for standing up:

“I’m very frightened and angry for our democracy” – Wendy

“We have to speak. Silence is capitulation” – Ellen

“I’m a queer woman, and I have a non-binary child.” – Sara

Lincoln County Hub

In Lincoln County, Third Act Maine has teamed up with Indivisible, Maine Dems and other groups for weekly demonstrations at the Damariscotta/Newcastle bridge on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons. When the gathering of democracy advocates began several weeks ago, only a handful of folks participated. After Trump and Musk took a chain saw to the federal work force, 400+ people have been showing up.

“This is the new normal, and for the sake of future generations and all life on this beautiful planet, if we want a fighting chance, the time to show up is NOW” –  Marnie Sinclair, Third Act Maine

Greater Portland Hub

Greater Portland Third Act Maine members have been protesting in Augusta and in Monument Square in Portland week after week. Television interviews and meeting a woman, 80+ with her granddaughters,  are a few highlights.

“I think you would have your gas tank partly refilled by this raucous group of mostly elders. It was lots of fun and my batteries are recharged.” – Tom Mikulka, Third Act Maine

On February 23rd, ten members of Third Act Maine sang their way into the Portland office of Senator Collins. They met with her representative and expressed grave concerns about the powerful senator’s deafening silence on cuts to federal services, veterans, and USAID.

They presented a letter to Collins, pressing her to:

• Speak out against the arbitrary cruelty of Elon Musk’s unconstitutional actions
• Speak out to defend the Constitution and Congress’s power of the purse
• Lead efforts to build coalitions with Republican and Democratic senators against cuts of crucial programs and grants
• Schedule a Town Hall Meeting with constituents to hear questions and concerns.

For more news and ways you can can get involved and make a difference check out our March newsletter.

In Cape Elizabeth, the Greater Portland Hub gathered together to get out the vote with a postcard party using the well-organized campaign “Vote Forward” to focus on registered voters in swing states.

Video: newscentermaine.com

Third Act Mainer Tom Mikulka described the joint action with Divest Maine

“It was supposed to rain but it turned into a hot, humid day in the Parking Lot of MainePERS in Augusta.   However, the main heat came from 40-50 protesters from Divest Maine. About half of those were Third Actors from Midcoast, Central Maine, Western Mountains and Greater Portland. It was also great to be joined by students. The mood was joyful as Marcia Taylor, accompanied by Chuck Spanger, ended the protest with music and a Conga line of protesters singing and carrying signs.  News Center Maine also came through with accurate coverage of the event. It was telling that MainePERS executives refused to comment about the event or their need to divest from fossil fuels. Let the Summer of Heat continue!”

Maine Public’s Peter McGuire covered the event for Climate Desk: Climate activists push Maine pension fund to divest from fossil fuels

“…Divest Maine campaign manager Hope Light said the agency has dragged its feet. Switching from oil, gas and coal will bring the same or better returns for Maine retirees, Light said, and would limit the system’s risk as the public turns away from fossil fuels.

“So in the future it is not going to be the safe return on their investments that they see. Folks are trying to electrify their homes, they are trying to electrify their vehicles, they are really as a whole moving away from big oil and gas,” Light said.”

Maine Morning Star’s Emma Davis was there too, read her story here: Activists and Maine Public Employee Retirement System at odds over fossil fuel divestment progress,

“The group rallying Thursday, which ranged in ages, concluded the event with a song summarizing their stance.  “We’ll have a say so, in how our money grows, in our retirement plan,” the crowd sang. “We who are older, we’re getting bolder, foot dragging we refuse, and we who are youthful, we must be truthful, we’ve got the most to lose.””

Keenan Mills of WABI Channel 5 also reported on the rally, with video.

”Divestment is not only a moral imperative. It’s easy to lean into the moral imperative, we shouldn’t fund the climate crisis,” said Maine Youth Action Advocacy Director Anna Siegel. “But, it’s more than that. It’s an action that we must be taking to protect pensioners, folks whose retirement funds are invested in the fossil fuel industry, and as a result, they are losing money.”

And the Kennebec Journal put us on the front page today, July 12, 2024.

“Climate action protestors gathered at the Freeport Independence Day parade, calling for divestment from fossil fuels.

About two dozen members from Th!rd Act Maine gathered on a crowded Main Street, calling for independence from fossil fuels as the Fourth of July parade marched through town. The protest was set up outside of L.L. Bean’s Flagship store, a place the group frequents as it protests the company’s ties to fossil fuels.

“Ultimately, our issue is our need to transition rapidly from fossil fuels,” said Bill Rixon, a Freeport resident and Th!rd Act Maine member.

Th!rd Act Maine, a group of Mainers over the age of 60 working to fight climate change, was founded in 2022 and currently works on a statewide  divestment campaign. It has frequently called on L.L. Bean to pressure its credit card provider Citigroup – also known as Citibank – to divest from fossil fuels.”

Read the full article here via this gift link:

Freeport parade protesters call for fossil fuels divestment