FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: January 12, 2021

New Jersey non-profit and grassroots organizations call upon legislators to issue a strong public response to insurrection at Capitol

More than 60 organizations ask for immediate action sending clear message that actions that undermine our democracy are not to be tolerated

On January 6, 2021, rioters incited by the President of the United States and other elected officials attempted an anti-democratic insurrection at the Capitol building in Washington, D.C. A coalition of non-profit and grassroots organizations in New Jersey is now calling for strong measures in response to the event.

The group is issuing letters to all fourteen members of New Jersey’s congressional delegation, Governor Phil Murphy, Senate President Steve Sweeney and Assembly Speaker Craig Coughlin to initiate action. Listed among their demands are a formal censure of President Trump for his role, a call for the removal of President Trump through the 25th Amendment or impeachment, public condemnation of the racist double standard in policing, and an insistence on a thorough investigation followed by prosecution to the fullest extent of the law of all involved or complicit in the attack and the failure to secure the Capitol adequately.

Lauren O’Brien, a community organizer who has volunteered on many campaigns and championed for gun safety and environmental issues brought the group together. “During this time of crisis, I felt it was important for our most prominent community leaders to use their collective voice; to send a clear message to our elected officials that we will not tolerate anything less than immediate removal of Donald Trump. We needed to call out the blatant racism on display and demand that all those responsible for the atrocities of January 6 be held fully accountable.”

“Activist groups across the state have been horrified by Donald Trump’s brazen misuse of his office, during the entire term of his presidency. In these final days, Donald Trump is a clear and present danger to our Democracy. We, as a collective community, have been fighting to save our democracy since the 2016 election, and now demand the immediate removal of Donald J. Trump from the office of the presidency. We further encourage all of our elected officials in the state of NJ to advocate his removal as well,” said Marci Bandelli, co-founder of Westfield 20/20 .

The advocates recognize that while January 6, 2021 was indeed a dark day for our country, American democracy is strong. The events of that day do not represent the values America stands for and they look upon their elected officials to amplify that message.

Organizational Signatories (in alphabetical order):

Action Together New Jersey

Bergen County Green Party

Bergen County Immigration Strategy Group

Bernards Township Democratic Committee

Cape May County Indivisible

Central Jersey Progressive Democrats

Chatham Borough Democrats

Chatham Moms for Change

Clean Water Action

Coalition Against Pilgrim Pipeline – NJ

Cooper River Indivisible

Cranford Rising

David Pringle Associates LLC

Don’t Gas the Meadowlands

Down Jersey Coalition

EMMAUS

Essex Rising

Good Government Coalition of New Jersey

Hudson County Central Labor Council

IFPTE LOCAL 194

Indivisible Central New Jersey

Indivisible Cranbury

Indivisible Lambertville NJ/New Hope PA

Indivisible NJ 3rd Congressional District

Indivisible NJ 5th District

Long Valley Indivisible

Madison Alliance on Racial Equity

MACTA (Madison Area Call to Action)

Morris County Democratic Women’s Caucus

Morris County Human Relations Commission

Morris County Young Democrats

National Organization for Women of New Jersey (NOW)

New Jersey Institute for Social Justice

NJ CD-2 Progressive Democrats

NJ7 Citizens for Change

NJ11th for Change

NJ Working Families

Northern New Jersey Jewish Voice for Peace

Occupy Bergen County

Our Revolution Essex

Our Revolution New Jersey

Our Revolution Passaic

People Demanding Action

Pequannock Township Democratic Committee

Piscataway Progressive Democratic Organization

Pompton Lakes Democratic Club

Randolph Democratic Committee

Real Democrats of New Jersey

SOMA Action

South Jersey Democratic Women’s Forum Atlantic-Cape

South Jersey Progressive Democrats

Springfield Unity Project

STAND Central New Jersey

Summit Area Indivisible

Summit Marches On

Swing Left of North Central New Jersey

The Democratic Club of the Chathams

The Standard

Urban Matters Advocacy & Action (UMAA Network)

Union County Democratic Women’s Club

United Progressive Democrats

Westfield 20/20

We the People NJ-07

Wind of the Spirit, Immigrant Resource Center

Women’s Divorce Support Group of NJ