WEEKLY PEACE CALENDAR

January 14, 2026

Monterey County

Quote of the Week: "When power lies, community memory becomes an act of justice" ~ Mary Geddry, writer and political observer, from her Substack newsletter

All events are Pacific Time. New items are in blue.

CALENDAR EVENTS

Thursday, January 15, 3 pm - 4:30 pm, in person, Defund I.C.E. Terror messaging at the Castroville Pedestrian Overpass over Highway 156 at Geil Street & Salinas Street. Indivisible Monterey Bay will bring the sign - you supply the energy. Find more details and sign up HERE.

Mondays through March 16, 4 pm - 6 pm, in person, Empathy in Action: Winter 2026 Series, an initiative of the Transformative Justice Center based in Monterey. In this arc of transformation, volunteers will spend over 8 weeks exploring different readings and topics with the incarcerated community at the Correctional Training Facility in Soledad. Sign up HERE. For more information, email Megan McDrew at mmcdrew@transformativejusticecenter.org

Saturday, January 17, 8 am - 5 pm, in person, Salinas/Monterey County Homeless Union’s 10th Anniversary Celebration, National Steinbeck Center, 1 Main St, Salinas. The Salinas Homeless Union is celebrating 10 YEARS of fighting for justice, dignity, and housing for all, and amplifying the voices of the most impacted. All are invited to the party! Organized by HUGS (Helping U Get Support) and the NAACP Monterey County Chapter. More Information HERE. Contact: Wes White (510-274-9275) or Crystal Sanchez (916-495-9026).

Sunday, January 18, in person, Salinas MLK March & Vigil: A Celebration of Diversity! 4:30 pm: Gathering at the Old Jail,142 W. Alisal St.

5:00 pm: March to City Hall Courtyard 202 Lincoln St.

5:30-6:30 pm: Candlelight Vigil and Commemoration.

In case of rain, meet at First United Methodist Church, 404 Lincoln Avenue in Salinas. Admission is free. All Dreamers are Welcome! More info, call (831) 578-5353. Sponsored by the Monterey County Interfaith Alliance.

Monday, January 19, 11 am – 3 pm, in person, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day March & Program in Seaside. All are invited to march with the Peace Coalition of Monterey County. Signs and banners will be provided. Wear white to signify peace. Start gathering at 11 am at the parking lot at the intersection of Broadway Aveue & Noche Buena St. The march starts at 12 pm sharp. It continues to Oldemeyer Center, 986 Hilby Ave, for a program honoring Dr. King’s legacy of freedom, justice, and nonviolence. Sponsored by the Monterey County Black Caucus. For inquiries, email MCBlackCaucus@actioncouncil.org

Monday, January 19, 11:30 am – 3:30 pm, in person, Celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. in Marina at the MLK Sculpture Garden on the Marina Library grounds, 190 Seaside Circle (near Locke-Paddon Park). An afternoon of music, community, and remembrance. Kona Jerry will be on-site selling delicious food. Performance Schedule:

• Leon Joyce Trio, presented by the Just Jazz Foundation, 12:30–1:00 PM

• Smokey Ruffin Quartet, 1:15–2:00 PM

• Monterey County Pops Orchestra, 2:15–3:15 PM

Co-sponsored by Monterey County Pops! Orchestra, Citizens for Sustainable Marina, Monterey Peninsula Regional Park District, and the City of Marina

Tuesday, January 20, 2 pm – 3 pm, in person, Salinas: Free America Walkout. Gather in the Star Market parking lot, 1275 South Main Street in Salinas. Sign up HERE. Walk away from fascism and walk toward a Free America. Fight for a future that belongs to us all. Take the Free American Walkout Pledge. A project of the 2026 Women’s March. More info.

Friday, January 23, 5 pm – 10 pm, in person, Raise a Pint for Immigrants: Fundraiser for Watsonville Law Center at Other Brother Beer Co. Brewery, 877 Broadway Ave in Seaside. Other Brother Beer Co. will donate $1 to WLC for every pint of beer purchased at the event. PLUS, you can bid on an incredible array of silent auction items. More info and sign up HERE. Proceeds will help fund WLC’s Rapid Response Network that protects our immigrant neighbors from I.C.E. overreach. Local businesses: email indivisiblemonterey@gmail.com if you can donate an auction item. Cash donations are also deeply appreciated.

Saturday, January 24, 7 pm - 9 pm, in person, Diana Gameros, in concert at the Palenke Arts Studio, 1713 Broadway Ave. in Seaside (behind Martin Luther King, Jr. School of the Arts). Diana Gameros is a Mexican singer-songwriter whose music weaves love, longing, and hope across cultures and languages. She captivates audiences with soaring vocals, expressive guitar work, and an engaging stage presence. Doors at 6:30 pm. Purchase tickets on Eventbrite. Proceeds benefit Palenke Arts multicultural arts organization.

Monday, January 26, 5 pm – 6:30 pm, in person, Whistlemania! Indivisible Salinas and Indivisible Monterey Bay will host a workshop at the SEIU Local 521, 334 Monterey St. in Salinas. Free and open to all ages. Help assemble whistle kits for use by local community members to alert their neighbors when ICE is nearby. Learn more and sign up HERE. Donations to support the WhistleSTOP Campaign are gratefully welcomed.

Thursday, January 29, 2026, Monterey County Point-in-Time Count for all populations of persons experiencing homelessness. Volunteers Needed! The Count is required to receive federal homeless assistance funds and provides critical data used to understand homelessness locally and support strategic program decisions. Find more details and sign up HERE. Contact alex@appliedsurveyresearch.org or 877-728-4545.

Saturday, January 31, 1 pm - 5 pm, in person, We The People Central Coast Teach-In, Monterey Peninsula College, 980 Fremont St, Monterey. Free and open to all. experience energizing speakers and practical training. Plentiful free parking. More details and sign up HERE.

Saturday, January 31, 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm, in person, Game Night Fundraiser at the Monterey Peace and Justice Center, 1364 Fremont Blvd in Seaside. It's all fun and games for a good cause! Play your favorite board and card games. No cover charge. Snacks and refreshments will be available by donation. RSVP HERE. Proceeds will benefit the Monterey Peace and Justice Center.

Tuesday, February 10, 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm, in person, Join Swing Left: Write Postcards and Help Register New Voters in Swing States. Meet at the Monterey Public Library Community Room, 625 Pacific Ave., in Monterey. Join the postcard and letter-writing party or pick up a packet to work on at home. RSVP HERE so the organizers can anticipate supplies.

Thursday, February 12, 2:45 pm – 4 pm, in person, Operation North Star, a monthly action at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in Monterey, Sloat Ave Gate, organized by Veterans For Peace Chapter 46. Call on Naval officers to follow their conscience and reject unlawful orders. Bring a sign: Disobey Unlawful Orders; No Venezuela Blood for Oil; No War on Venezuela; No Troops on our Streets! Extrajudicial Killings Are Unlawful! For more info, visit www.vfp46.org or contact Justin Loza, Justin.Loza.vfp46@gmail.com

Friday, February 13, 3 pm – 4:30 pm, in person and on Zoom, Monthly Meeting of Veterans For Peace, Monterey County Chapter 46. Members and allies are invited to attend the meeting in person at the Monterey Peace and Justice Center, 1364 Fremont Blvd., in Seaside. Or join via Zoom, directly HERE. Passcode 678017. For more info, contact Chapter President Justin Loza at justin.loza.vfp46@gmail.com. Chapter 46 meets on the second Friday of each month at 3:00 pm at the Monterey Peace and Justice Center in Seaside (Optionally on Zoom). Visit the website and blog at vfp46.org. Follow on Facebook JohnSteinbeckIV and on BlueSky Social vfp46.bsky.social

Friday, February 13, 6 pm - 7:30 pm, in person, MC Million Rising Gathering at the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Monterey Peninsula (UUCMP), 490 Aguajito Rd., Carmel. Meet on the 2nd Friday of each month to explore creative and nonviolent ways for ordinary folks to resist today's authoritarian threats to our freedoms and civil liberties, especially within Monterey County. Find notes from past meetings HERE. To stay up to date, send your name, email address, and how you heard about the group to mcmillionrising@gmail.com.

Friday-Sunday, February 20–22, 2026, in person, A Black History Month Celebration: Exploring and Restoring Our Path to Healing Through Empathy and Music, a weekend retreat at Esalen Institute, Big Sur, CA. LaVerne McLeod and Melanie DeMore will facilitate this transformative workshop. People of all backgrounds are invited to explore shared experiences using empathy, songs, visualization, and movement exercises. Reserve your spot early; this event will fill up. Registration is now open at http://bit.ly/41qjXpg. Special Offer: Reduced rates are available for Big Sur and Monterey County residents who arrange their own lodging offsite. Click the Register Now link for details.

ONGOING PEACE VIGILS

Mondays and Wednesdays, 6 pm – 7:45 pm, English Second Language Classes at the Monterey Peace and Justice Center, 1364 Fremont Blvd., in Seaside. No registration necessary. Walk-ins welcome. For more information, text, or phone Alex Stampher at 831-899-7322.

Thursdays, 24-hour Economic Boycott! Let your economic power send a message to the big corporations that exploit workers, fuel militarism, suppress unions, or abandon diversity, equity and inclusion. Demand accountability and justice. Try to shop locally, if you must spend. Resources: WagingNonviolence.org and ChooseDemocracy.us/boycott-central/

Fridays, 4 pm - 5 pm, Peace Message Fridays at Window on the Bay, 717 Del Monte Avenue in Monterey, organized by the Peace Coalition of Monterey County. Contact Sidney Ramsden Scott at sramsdenscott@hotmail.com for more information.

Paused starting Friday, January 2, 2026, until further notice:
Fridays, 4:30 pm - 6 pm, Vigil for Peace: Salinas Palestine Solidarity, at the Star Market parking lot, corner of S. Main and Blanco Road, Salinas. Email Dick Strubbe at dickstrubbe@sbcglobal.net for more information. Co-sponsored by MPJC.

First and Third Sundays of each month, 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm, Vigil For Peace at the Star Market parking lot, corner of S. Main and Blanco Road, Salinas. This vigil intends to bear witness to the prospects for peace everywhere. The vigil will be guided by Quaker testimony and Dr. King's historic Principles of Nonviolent Action: fearlessness, community-building, pursuit of direct action for the cause, aversion of internal spiritual violence, as well as external violence and injustice. Email John Silva at roycamp39@gmail.com for more information. Sponsored by the Live Oak Friends Meeting (Quakers). Email John Silva at roycamp39@gmail.com for more information.

Sundays, 3 pm - 5 pm, No Rest Until Liberation for Palestine, at Window on the Bay, 717 Del Monte Ave in Monterey. Activities include information sharing, art, street protest, music, community, and food. Rain or shine. Signs are available, or bring your own. Organized by Monterey Palestine Solidarity. More info, email montereypalestinesolidarity@gmail.com

ACTION AND INFORMATION

Action: Take Action to Protect Our California Coasts. Submit Public Comment before Friday, January 23, 8:59 p.m. (1) Preferred Method: go to Regulations.gov to submit comments. (2) Send a written letter and mail it in an envelope addressed: Comments for the 11th National OCS Oil and Gas Leasing Program, Ms. Kelly Hammerle, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (VAM-LD), 45600 Woodland Road, Sterling, VA 20166-9216. Visit the Save Our Shores website for more actions https://saveourshores.org/drilling/

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Action: ICE Out of Our Communities. Stop Deportations Now! Send a message to Congress and the Trump administration. Tell them to immediately halt deportations and detention. Demand that ICE and Border Patrol stay out of our communities. Tell them to respect the rights and dignity of all people! Sponsored by American Friends Service Committee

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Article: Western media whitewashes deadly riots in Iran by Max Blumenthal and Wyatt Reed, January 12, 2026, for The Grayzone

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Social Justice Calendar, a comprehensive listing of actions and events around Monterey County (and beyond, if virtual). Use it to avoid scheduling conflicts when planning your local actions and events. Contact Anita Crawley at acrawley@comcast.net to add your organization’s events to the calendar.

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IndyBay Event Calendar, an independent open-publishing newswire serving the California Central Coast. Indybay.org Click on the Region drop-down to select Santa Cruz / Monterey Bay Area

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Local Activism:

Unite Monterey County is a pro-democracy coalition of organizations and networks in Monterey County - formed to support direct actions to resist the agenda of the current administration. Sign up for alerts on their website.

Stay informed about 50501 Monterey Bay actions at https://linktr.ee/50501Monterey
Join/Follow Indivisible Monterey Bay and Indivisible Salinas Valley on Facebook.

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Contact your legislators: Stay engaged and resist the Trump administration’s illegal seizure of Congressional powers and its violation of Constitutional, civil, and human rights. Contact your legislators, issue by issue, persistently.

Contact members of Congress:

U.S. Senators by phone: (202) 224-3121
Congress members by email: Congress.gov
Congress members by mail: Representatives / Senators
Congress members by fax: Representatives
Contact all your officials at once by Resistbot: Resist.bot/officials

Contact the White House or other federal agencies:

usa.gov/federal-agencies

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Local Advocacy: The Monterey County Branch of Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) welcomes your membership in an international women’s peace organization that has advocated for peace for more than a century. Learn more about WILPF HERE. Download a copy of the WILPF membership application HERE.

PEACE COALITION INFORMATION

The Peace Coalition of Monterey County (PCMC) is a coalition of eight Monterey County organizations working for nonviolent solutions to world conflicts since 1991. If world peace is one of the concerns of your organization, consider joining the Coalition. Contact Co-chair, Sidney Ramsden Scott at sramsdenscott@hotmail.com.

The Weekly Peace Calendar is a project of PCMC. The calendar evolved in the early 2000s to facilitate networking among Peace Coalition organizations. The Peace Calendar may be viewed on the Monterey Peace and Justice Center website at tinyurl.com/Weekly-Peace-Calendar.

Please send information about peace, nonviolence, social justice, democracy, and environmental sustainability-related events in Monterey County to Catherine at cm_crockett@sbcglobal.net.

The Weekly Peace Calendar is dedicated to the memory of Joyce Vandevere, who compiled and published this calendar for many years. Joyce died at the age of 94 on February 17, 2021. She is remembered for her lifelong peace and justice activism. Visit the Peace Center in Seaside on Wednesday afternoons between 1 pm and 5:30 pm to view the memorial quilt created to honor Joyce’s memory.

Direct your questions about the Peace Coalition of Monterey County to Chair, Sidney Ramsden Scott, sramsdenscott@hotmail.com.

MONTEREY PEACE AND JUSTICE CENTER

The Peace and Justice Center at 1364 Fremont Boulevard has reopened and if staffed Wednesdays, 1 pm to 5:30 pm. Wi-fi is available and regular cleaning services have been arranged to ensure the health and safety of guests. Contact Alex Stampher (831) 899-7322 to arrange venue scheduling and for any questions or concerns about using the Center.

Volunteer Opportunities: To learn about tasks for the Center, leave a message about volunteering at 899-7322 or email montereypeaceandjustice@gmail.com.

History: The Monterey Peace and Justice Center was envisioned and founded by Valori George in 2004 as a venue to support the activities of Monterey Peace Coalition organizations. Since opening, it has been a networking center and resource center for those groups and others who were working for similar purposes. MPJC moved to its present Seaside location at 1364 Fremont Boulevard in 2008.

The mission of the Monterey Peace and Justice Center is to inspire and mobilize the people of Monterey County to cultivate peace, social justice, nonviolence, democracy, and environmental sustainability in our community and the world through education and advocacy. MPJC presents a wide spectrum of topics to stir up conversation about the issues. The MPJC board does not necessarily endorse the views of every speaker or film. We aim to stimulate civil discourse around the issues and encourage participants to become engaged as change-makers for a just society.

Website: https://peacecentral.wordpress.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/montereypeaceandjusticecenter/

Donations: Thanks to the continuous generosity of caring people in Monterey County, MPJC is able (when gatherings are allowed) to provide a venue for a host of allied community groups. If you wish to support MPJC’s education and advocacy, you can do so by sending a check to MPJC at P.O. Box 1823, Seaside, CA 93955. Or you can donate securely by PayPal or credit card on MPJC’s website, PeaceCentral.wordpress.org.

Direct your questions about the Monterey Peace and Justice Center to Alex Stampher, 899-7322 or montereypeaceandjustice@gmail.com.

For more information about events listed, contact the sponsoring organization. The events and actions listed here are not necessarily endorsed by the Peace Coalition nor any of the Coalition organizations other than the sponsor of the listed item. The listings are provided as a community service. PCMC cannot guarantee the accuracy of listed items. To ensure this Peace Calendar is not bounced, add cm_crockett@sbcglobal.net to your address book or whitelist.

Click to Subscribe to the Weekly Peace Calendar. Or - send an email request to cm_crockett@sbcglobal.net

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