Indivisible plans to protest government corruption

Published 8:00 am Monday, July 16, 2018

The group Indivisible North Coast Oregon hopes to confront corruption and to keep Russia out of Oregon’s elections with a protest on Wednesday, organizers announced. “We’re making it an event,” said Eric Halperin, a Gearhart resident.

Halperin said corruption of democracy, corruption of ethics and foreign involvement in American elections represent an “attack on law.”

“We’re bringing light to that,” he said.

A gathering will take place at 8:18 p.m. on Wednesday, July 18, at the large orange chair in front of the Seaside Visitors’ Bureau at 7 N. Roosevelt Drive. Tiffiny Mitchell, Democratic candidate for House District 32 will be a featured speaker.

Indivisible North Coast Oregon is working in conjunction with other national organizations, including moveon.org and the nationwide Indivisible organization. Indivisible North Coast includes groups in Astoria, Warrenton, Gearhart and Seaside. Other regional groups cover Cannon Beach and Pacific County.

Halperin said the group has about 900 Facebook followers and an email list of 450 recipients. The region has about “50 core people that make up the action part of it.”

A march hosted a march to reunite rally that brought almost 500 people said. The group also organized after the Parkland shooting at Margery Stoneman High School in February.

Indivisible North Coast Oregon’s inception was the Woman’s March in January 2017 after the inauguration of President Trump.

About 1,500 people attended that event, Halperin said.

He said he was hoping to get some media coverage from Seaside’s event. “I don’t know if we’ll have 25 or 200 people,” he said. “We’re trying to shine a light and get the public’s attention that there is a high level of corruption at many levels of U.S. government, and people need to be demanding of transparency and honesty and integrity in our electoral system.”