WEEKLY PEACE CALENDAR
WEEKLY PEACE CALENDAR
August 26, 2026
Monterey County
Embedded Files
Quote of the Week:
“No system of mass surveillance has existed in any society that we know of to this point that has not been abused." – Edward Snowden, whistleblower who, as a National Security Agency (NSA) intelligence contractor, disclosed classified documents revealing the existence of global surveillance programs
All events are Pacific Time. New items are in blue.
CALENDAR EVENTS
Wednesday, August 26, 6 pm – 8 pm, in person, Join the League of Women Voters of Monterey County for Why Vote? / ¿Por qué votar? at Sacred Heart Church, 22 Stone Street, Salinas. Explore the power and importance of your vote with speakers, Chris Barrera, President of LULAC Salinas, and Steve Hughes, popular instructor of political science courses for the CSUMB OLLI program. Refreshments at 6:00. Talks begin at 6:30. English-to-Spanish interpretation services will be provided. Please share: English Flyer and Folleto en español
Wednesday, August 26 and September 2, 4 pm – 5 pm, virtual on Zoom, States at the Core Trainings. Sign up for sessions separately:
Aug 26: Protect Elections - Assessing the Threat. Register
Sept 2: Demand Democracy - Sharpening Your Strategy. Register
Wednesday, August 26 (and every Wednesday), 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm, Hour of Power weekly protest at the intersection of Harden Parkway and North Main St. in Salinas. Rally for our community and country! Stay visible! Show up with your friends and protest signs. Sign up and find more info. Organized by Indivisible Salinas.
Thursday, August 27, 5:30 pm, virtual on Zoom, Watsonville Safe Ag Safe Schools at the Pajaro Valley Federation of Teachers (PVFT) Office, 734 E Lake, Watsonville. Meeting. Learn more about the STEAM Pilot project around schools in Santa Cruz County.
Friday, August 28, (and every Friday), 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm, in person, Salinas Overhead Bridge Protest. Gather at the Overpass Bridge behind Mount Toro High, 330 Sherwood Dr., Salinas. Sign up and find more info HERE. Find rules and protocols at Visibility Brigade. Organized by the No Nonsense Brigade.
Saturday, August 29, 1 pm - 3 pm, Play for Peace 2026, a free porch concert by Old Flannel Pajamas (and possibly some guest musicians) on the porch of 561 Junipero Avenue in Pacific Grove. Celebrate "Play Music on the Porch Day" and enjoy some tunes that include Appalachian, Irish-Scottish folk, and some American classics. Chairs provided.
Sunday, August 30, 3 pm – 4 pm, in person, Freedom Vigil: ICE Out of Gilroy! Stop Holsclaw Detention Center from Opening. 7240 Holsclaw Rd., Gilroy. This recurring 4th Sunday monthly vigil is a call for peace in our communities and in the world in solidarity with our friends, neighbors, and community members who are being unjustly detained and deported by ICE. Event details.
Wednesday, September 9, 12 pm, in person, Just Say NO to Prop 39, with Carol Moon Goldberg, immediate past president, and current vice president, of the League of Women Voters of California and its related Education Fund. Free talk presented by the League of Women Voters of Monterey County at their monthly “Lunch & Learn” meeting at the Unitarian Universalist Church, 490 Aguajito Rd. in Carmel. Doors open at 11:30 am for registration. Lunch at 12 noon. Presentation starts at 12:30 pm. Lunch (Mediterranean fare) is $25 per person, payable at the door with cash or check. Contact Beverly Bean at beverlygb@gmail.com or (831) 236-1611 to make your lunch reservations by Monday, September 7. Find more details HERE. Recording will be posted on the LWVMC website, under Videos.
Thursday, September 10, 2:45 pm – 4 pm, in person, Operation Northstar, a monthly action in front of the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) in Monterey, at the intersection of Sloat Avenue and Ninth St. Organized by Veterans For Peace Chapter 46 to provide moral support and conscientious objector resources to Naval personnel. More info at www.vfp46.org or contact Justin Loza, Justin.Loza.vfp46@gmail.com
Friday, September 11, 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 at the Monterey Peace and Justice Center, 1364 Fremont Blvd., Seaside - or join via Zoom HERE. Passcode 678017. For more info, contact Chapter President Justin Loza at justin.loza.vfp46@gmail.com. More info at vfp4,6.org. Facebook JohnSteinbeckIV. BlueSky Social vfp46.bsky.social.
Saturday, September 12, 7:30 pm – 9:30 pm, in person, In Concert: AZA Tamazight music from Morocco presented at the Palenke Teen Arts Center, 530 Elm Street, Seaside. Evocative of Saharan-African blues, yet with an original style that defies categorization, AZA’s stirring performances feature deep, danceable rhythms, intricate string melodies, and soaring, soulful vocals. Purchase tickets HERE. Proceeds will support Palenke Arts multicultural youth arts and culture programs. palenkearts.com.
Sunday, September 13, 12 pm - 2 pm, in person, Restoring America's Promise: The Fight for Justice, at the Monterey Peninsula JACL, 424 Adams St, Monterey. Register HERE by September 11. Free event. Street parking is limited. Hosted by Go For Broke National Education Center and the Monterey Peninsula JACL. For more information, please email Gina Nieto at gina@goforbroke.org.
Tuesday, September 15, 1:30 pm – 3:30 pm, in person, Write Postcards and Help Register New Voters in Swing States with Swing Left Monterey Peninsula at the Unitarian Universalist Church of the Monterey Peninsula, 490 Aguajito Rd. in Carmel. RSVP HERE so the organizers can anticipate supplies. Email HERE to request more than one packet.
Saturday, September 19, 9 am to 12 pm, in person, Volunteer on California Coastal Cleanup Day. Be a part of the biggest beach cleanup and volunteer event of the year! Save Our Shores will coordinate cleanups at 16 coastal and inland sites in Monterey County. Volunteers can sign up at saveourshores.org/coastal-cleanup.
Monday, September 21, 4 pm – 5 pm, in person, Peace Messaging at Window on the Bay, 717 Del Monte Avenue in Monterey, organized by the Peace Coalition of Monterey County in honor of International Day of Peace. Bring a sign on the theme “Creating Peace on Earth,” for example, Fund Peace! Create a Department of Peace! Diplomacy, Not Bombs! No New Nukes! Reduce Weapon Arsenals! War is Harmful to All Living Things!
Monday, September 21, 6 pm – 8 pm, in person, International Day of Peace Celebration. Share a community potluck and screening of the documentary, Peace One Day at the Monterey Peace and Justice Center, 1364 Fremont Blvd., Seaside. The film chronicles filmmaker Jeremy Gilley’s six-year campaign to establish September 21 as an annual day devoted to strengthening the ideals of peace. Each year, the United Nations calls for a 24-hour global ceasefire and encourages individuals, communities, and governments to recognize peace as a fundamental human right. Sponsored by the Peace Coalition of Monterey County. Pizza provided. Bring a side dish to share, if you wish. For more information, contact Sidney Ramsden Scott at sramsdenscott@hotmail.com
Tuesday, September 29, 6:30 pm – 8:30 pm, in-person, Seaside Candidate Forum: Mayoral and City Council seats, at Oldemeyer Center, 986 Hilby Ave., Seaside. Sponsored and moderated by the League of Women Voters of Monterey County. Arrive as early as 6 pm to submit your questions. A video will be posted afterward on the League’s videos website. For more information about LWVMC or this event, contact Dennis Mar at jturner215@comcast.net. Co-sponsored by Sustainable Seaside and the City of Seaside.
Saturday, October 3, 12:30 pm – 4 pm, in person, Know Your Rights Training and Legal Clinic, at the Monterey Peace and Justice Center, 1364 Fremont Blvd, Seaside. Learn California-specific information. Organized by Pause the Calls. For more information, email pausethecalls@gmail.com.
Saturday, October 10, 2 pm – 5:30pm, in person, All That’s Left of You, Film Screening and Panel Discussion at Irvine Auditorium, Middlebury Institute of International Studies, 499 Pierce St., Monterey. Doors open 1 pm. This deeply moving, multigenerational family drama follows one Palestinian family across seven decades. Through their hopes, losses, and resilience, the film illuminates an often-overlooked history of Israel and Palestine and its enduring impact today. The panel discussion and Q&A will begin immediately after the screening. Admission is free, but reservations are requested: Reserve your tickets. Donations to the Middle East Children’s Alliance (MECA) will be gratefully accepted at the event or online.
ONGOING PEACE VIGILS
Moral Mondays Movement, 11:30 am – 12:30 pm, Join members of Live Oak Friends Meeting (Quakers) on the fourth Monday of each month on the steps of the Monterey County Courthouse, 142 W. Alisal Street, Salinas. Gather near U.S. Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren’s office in support of compassion, justice, diplomacy, and the protection of human life in Gaza, Iran, and other regions affected by violence.
Mondays (6 – 8 pm) and Thursdays, (6 – 7:30 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 Catherine Crockett at 831-899-7322.
Wednesdays, 4:30 pm – 5:30 pm, Hour of Power weekly protest at the intersection of Harden Parkway and North Main St. in Salinas. Rally for our community & country! Show up, bring your friends, and your protest signs. Sign up HERE. Organized by Indivisible Salinas.
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. If you must spend, try to shop locally. Resources: WagingNonviolence.org and ChooseDemocracy.us/boycott-central/
Fridays, 4:30 pm – 5:30 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
Saturdays, 1 pm - 3 pm, Defenders of Democracy: Protest at Window on the Bay, 717 Del Monte Ave., Monterey. A nonviolent weekly action to protest the policies of the Trump regime. We the People Will Not Be Silenced!
First and Third Sundays of each month, 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm, Vigil For Peace, Star Market parking lot, corner of S. Main St. and Blanco Rd., Salinas. Join this public witness for peace, grounded in Quaker testimony and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s principles of nonviolent action. Sponsored by the Live Oak Friends Meeting. 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. Organized by Monterey Palestine Solidarity, montereypalestinesolidarity@proton.me
ACTION AND INFORMATION
Action: Speak Up About Expanded County Surveillance. Further review is needed on the Monterey County Sheriff’s proposed 10-year, $2.78 million contract with Flock Safety for 103 surveillance cameras, 40 more than the County currently operates in unincorporated areas. This item was removed from the August 25 Board of Supervisors meeting agenda and may return September 22 for review and action. Email comments to the County Clerk of the Board: cob@countyofmonterey.gov. County officials should publicly address public concerns over privacy, civil rights, and public accountability before committing taxpayers to a decade-long surveillance contract with a company that has faced serious controversy concerning access to and sharing of data collected by its systems.
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Article: The Sheriff’s Office wants more Flock cameras, but it must convince the Board of Supervisors by Arec Sleeper, August 24, 2026, Monterey County NOW
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Action: Tell Your State Legislators: Vote Yes on the Protect California Rights Act. California SB 1105 protects our limited local law enforcement resources so they are used for local investigations and task forces, not to silence Californians and fuel a deportation force.
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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 acrawley@comcast.net to add your organization’s events to the calendar.
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Local Activism:
Join/Follow Indivisible Monterey Bay and Indivisible Salinas Valley on Facebook for timely notices about local, nonviolent direct actions.
Sign up for alerts from Unite Monterey County, a pro-democracy coalition of organizations and networks in Monterey County - formed to support direct, nonviolent actions to resist the agenda of the current administration.
Stay informed about 50501 Monterey Bay actions at https://linktr.ee/50501Monterey
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Contact your legislators - issue by issue, persistently.
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
The White House and other federal agencies: usa.gov/federal-agencies
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Whites for Racial Equity. To sign up for the e-blast, email whitesforracialequity@gmail.com
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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.
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Social Justice Calendar, a comprehensive listing of actions and events around Monterey County (and beyond, if virtual). To avoid calendar conflicts, please check it before scheduling your local actions and events. Contact Anita Crawley at acrawley@comcast.net to add your organization’s events to the calendar.
###
Local Activism:
Join/Follow Indivisible Monterey Bay and Indivisible Salinas Valley on Facebook for timely notices about local, nonviolent direct actions.
Sign up for alerts from Unite Monterey County, a pro-democracy coalition of organizations and networks in Monterey County - formed to support direct, nonviolent actions to resist the agenda of the current administration.
Stay informed about 50501 Monterey Bay actions at https://linktr.ee/50501Monterey
###
Contact your legislators - issue by issue, persistently.
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
The White House and other federal agencies:
###
Local Advocacy: Whites for Racial Equity. To sign up for the e-blast, email whitesforracialequity@gmail.com
Local Advocacy: 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 Monterey County organizations working for nonviolent solutions to world conflicts since 1991. For more information about joining PCMC, 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, peacecentral.wordpress.org.
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 the calendar for many years, up until she died at the age of 94 on February 17, 2021. She is remembered for her lifelong peace and justice activism. She was active in the leadership of the Monterey County Branch of the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom and the Monterey Peace and Justice Center until her passing. Representative Jimmy Panetta delivered a tribute to Joyce on the floor of the House of Representatives on April 8, 2021. View it HERE
MONTEREY PEACE AND JUSTICE CENTER
The Peace and Justice Center at 1364 Fremont Boulevard has reopened and is staffed on Wednesdays, 1 pm to 5:30 pm. The Peace Center is available for meetings and events. Capacity is 60. Wi-fi, audio-visual equipment, including a projector and screen, and other resources are available. Contact Catherine Crockett at (831) 899-7322 to arrange venue scheduling.
Volunteer Opportunities: 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 the Peace Coalition organizations. Since then, it has been a networking hub and resource center for those groups and other social and environmental justice advocacy groups. 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 on critical issues facing society. We aim to stimulate civil discourse on the issues and encourage participants to become engaged as change-makers for a just, equitable, and healthy society.
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