Like so many Greenbelters, I look for opportunities to DO something about what’s going on nationally and locally, too – any demonstration or good cause I could support. But with SO much going on, how to keep up? Some events I’ve only heard about from seeing of photos of them on social media, after the fact.

That’s why I was glad to see something called the Greenbelt Resistance Network (GRN) that looked like the answer. Here’s how it started, and who’s responsible.

In January of ’25 a group of neighbors started sharing their concerns that “the government was acting aggressively to cut services, deport immigrants, lay off federal workers, and violate the rights of American citizens. Over the past year the government has lied to us repeatedly, detained people based on their race, and has reacted violently towards immigrants and their allies. This has terrified our community. Immigrants are afraid to protest, go to work, or even leave their house.” 

I’m quoting the primary organizer, who in organizing circles going by “Autumn” here, rather than her ” government name,” due to fear of reprisal, etc. Justly so!

Next, the group “built a network of like-minded people to support one another. We are connecting communities with training and resources like food aid, petitioning our elected officials, planning protests and having regular meetings and conversations.” 

How to Join/Follow

I know there’s lots of Greenbelters looking for ways to organize or just make their opinions heard. Autumn told me she frequently hears from locals wanting to “find out when the rally is, sign the petition, or even join the Signal* chat to stay connected.”

*About the “Signal chat,” I had to ask what the heck it is. Turns out Signal is their communications app of choice because it’s secure from spying of any type. And people requesting membership in GRN’s group are vetted for everyone’s security.

There’s also the Greenbelt Resistance Network Facebook page, of which I’m now one of 180+ followers, so far.  (I LOVE the Facebook header, seen at the top of this post!) It was by messaging their FB page admin that I was able to make contact with the group..

How the Network does its work

I asked Autumn what it’s like behind the scenes in the GRN:

Some members join and are part of organizing. We have several committees that people can join to be more involved, including lobbying, letter writing, rallies, social media and canvasing. So people in the group have become activists. There are actions every week that people can be participating in. It is not just about going to rallies as much as it is about organizing. There is a lot that happens behind the scenes and things that people can do other than protesting. 

When you join the network you become plugged into the local communities’ resistance activities and you are part of a movement. We are creating a culture of resistance. People are getting trained in how to identify ICE and what they can do if they see a detention. People are being invited to participate in a range of actions such as mutual aid, lobbying, writing letters, research, etc. We keep a calendar of actions, training and meetings, as well as a list of resources.

 

People believe in the work that we’re doing and our numbers are steadily growing. But it is quality over quantity. Having dedicated activists that stay connected and keep showing up for meeting after meeting and action after action is what makes us powerful. 

And on top of all that, I’ll bet it’s a good way to meet people you’ll enjoy knowing.

What’s coming/new in 2026? I asked.

We’re starting to focus more on the goal of getting ICE out of Greenbelt Park. We are canvasing around Greenbelt to connect with more people from neighborhoods outside Old Greenbelt. We’re inviting people to ICE watch training and our biweekly rally that will be outside Greenbelt Park. We’re writing petitions and lobbying MD legislators to limit ICE. This network has been created under the current uprising but it will be here for our community for anything else that comes along.

In the collage above you see Autumn and other Network members asking the Greenbelt City Council to make a statement about ICE working with Park Police at Greenbelt Park. The city did agree to release a statement. Another graphic shown to the Council during the Network’s presentation showed these key organizations they’re in solidary with: Prince George’s Immigrant Rights Coalition, Prince George’s Democratic Socialists of America, Indivisible Route 1 Corridor and Indivisible Bowie, Refuse Fascism, Progressive Labor Party, Anakbayan and TerpChrp. (The last two are local organizations that educate people about human rights violations in the Philippines.)

About Autumn

I asked and learned that Autumn is an artist, whose current role is special ed teacher with a focus on teaching math. She went on:

I am a mother. I was a single mom for 13 years before I married my wonderful and supportive husband. My children and my students are a big part of my life. I have a child with severe medical needs and taking care of her is the most important thing in my life. I am very committed to my students and I’m always researching what the most effective strategies for teaching and learning are. I love creating fun and engaging lessons for my students. In my free time, my personal passions are making art, writing poetry and listening to music.

I asked about her work as an organizer.

Personally, I’ve been an activist all my life. I organized for Black Lives Matters and have been very active in the teachers union. When working in Montgomery County Public Schools several teachers were put on administrative leave after being accused of antisemitism. The truth was that the teachers were pro-Palestinian activists. I created a group called Solidarity Not Silence and organized with educators in Montgomery County. We pushed the union to support the teachers and they were eventually reinstated.

To all that I’ll just say ‘Thank you for your service.” And for helping us connect and take action!