French Creek Indivisible

Alana Sabol

The organizers behind the grassroots group French Creek Indivisible, a subset of the national progressive movement Indivisible, held an informational session at FEED Media Art Center during which they discussed upcoming protests, shared petitions to sign, and informed constituents on how to best communicate with our regional lawmakers.

The small front room at FEED Media Arts Center was packed, and the audience shuffled around for space while Judy Dauson, one of the founders of French Creek Indivisible, spoke about the group's focus and mission. The meet-and-greet took place on March 21 from 5 to 7 p.m. with the goal to share ideas and action plans around the current state of democracy. Dauson shared an updated version of the poem by Martin Niemöller, "First they came for the socialists..." to reflect modern times, referencing xenophobia and discrimination against the LGBTQIA+ community.

French Creek Indivisible is a local chapter of the national progressive movement Indivisible, which aims to fight for democracy and oppose the Trump administration. French Creek Indivisible covers Erie and Crawford county but Dauson added,  "We don't have to stay within those boundaries. We are just trying to get as many people activated as possible."

Dauson was initially interested in the movement following the 2016 election. Though French Creek Indivisible effectively paused in 2020, they were reinvigorated in 2024. In February and again in early April, the group organized a rally and protest downtown.

"I couldn't not do something. So, I just started moving forward and got about 50 people to come and so we reactivated all of those tools and the group has grown. We've doubled what we had, but we need more people," Dauson explained to the audience.

During the event, French Creek Indivisible provided petitions to sign and send to local government officials including Congressman Mike Kelly, Senator John Fetterman, and Senator Dave McCormick. The petitions highlighted key concerns such as supporting the Environmental Protection Agency and National Parks, public education, reckoning with the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and Elon Musk's role in cutting government funding and programs, and the deportation and criminalization of immigrants. French Creek Indivisible also highlighted 30 agencies that have been affected by budget cuts or downsizing.

Addressing local government concerns, Marcus Jacobs, who is running for the District 4 County Council seat, said "[County Executive] Brenton Davis is way outside of his boundaries."

Terry Chylinski, a retired nurse, explained to me that protests and activism have historically been effective, citing protests against the Vietnam War in the 1960s and '70s. "You don't want to lose your voice," Chylinski said.

To learn more about upcoming events, protests, or to get involved, visit facebook.com/frenchcreekindivisible

Alana Sabol can be reached at alana@eriereader.com