BACP-BLUE October 6, 2025, Meeting Minutes 1. Review BACP-BLUE hosting a table at Pride in the Park on Saturday, September 13. 2. Review the Camp Ripley peace vigil held on Sunday, September 14. 3. Review the protest outside the Kitchigami Regional Library System Center and the Kitchigami Regional Library System Board meeting held on Thursday, September 18 and the efforts of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), the union representing Kitchigami Regional Library System employees, to ask the Board to remove an abusive manager and have the head of the Kitchigami Regional Library System retrain or resign. Meeting participants will discuss and decide whether to approve a statement supporting Kitchigami Regional Library System employees in their struggle for workplaces free of harassment, bullying, and discrimination. The statement was written by fellow BACP-BLUE member Trish Miller and Brainerd Lakes Area Democratic Socialists of America (BLA DSA) co-chair Julius Kapushinski. (A copy of the statement will be sent to the BACP and BLUE listserv). Online petition can be signed at http://bit.ly/4gKxZZk 4. Review the Sun Day vigil held on Sunday, September 21. Only five people present, but there were many events across the country with thousands involved. 5. Review the Brainerd divestment teach-in and Gaza peace vigil held on Saturday, October 4. Great presentation by AntiWar Committee. Seven locals attended and Scott from Northfield was also there. The four people from AWC also attended our vigil. There were eight locals there for a total of 12 attendees. See Divest MN for info and to sign the petition calling for divestment. 6. Plan the upcoming BACP-BLUE Fall Adopt a Highway cleanup scheduled for Saturday, October 11. Clean up will be Saturday, October 11th. Meet at 371 and MO county road 46 at 11 a.m. Weather should be good! 7. Discuss BACP-BLUE supporting the Brainerd "No Kings II" rally hosted by Brainerd Lakes Area Indivisible scheduled for Saturday, October 18. Members verbalized their intent to attend. 8. Plan the Gaza peace vigil scheduled for Saturday, November 1. One p.m. at intersection of 210 and 371. Larry suggested a vigil supporting Venezuela considering the unlawful attacks by the US military on fishing vessels in the Caribbean. It was decided that he would bring the Venezuela related signs to the No Kings rally and members will display them. 9. Discuss the Minnesota BDS Community's campaign to repeal Minnesota's anti-BDS law. Minnesota BDS Community member Angel Dobrow requested an opportunity to discuss the campaign during BACP-BLUE's Monday, November 3 meeting. Approved by attendees. 10. Discuss the possibility of showing the Greenpeace film "Gaslit" in the near future. Film not yet available. It was suggested that it might be a good film to show around Earth Day. 11. Discuss the recently formed Environmental Action group Creation Care, which is part of the Lakes Area Justice Table. Fellow BACP-BLUE member Barb Cromwell mentioned the formation of the new environmental organization at the Monday, September 8 BACP-BLUE meeting. Dean will contact Barb and hopefully she can attend our next Zoom meeting and fill us in.