It's important to read Trump's executive order about compiling lists of eligible voters, messing with the vote-by-mail process & threatening prosecution of local officials. Read it and be able to speak to it. 

There is every reason to believe there will be interference in Harris County 2026 elections. I know this order will be challenged in court & we'll see. But the State of Texas will also be attacking us. Greg Abbott has already said that the state should take over Harris County elections. 

What state law will John Whitmire cite as making us unable to offer a meaningful reply to election interference from Abbott/Paxton? That's often what he does when he says we can't do anything about at all about ICE in Houston. 

Let's continue to organize, connect and show up for ourselves. Let's show each other grace as we each follow the path(s) we see as best to advocate for freedom.

My view is that circumstances will in time compel us to act in unity. There is a lot of trouble ahead. 

​





​I spoke at the Houston Downtown No Kings yesterday, 3/28. That's me speaking above. I'm appreciative of being included by the organizers. 

(Here is the Houston Press report on yesterday's No Kings.)

Here is what I said at No Kings: 

My name is Neil Aquino. I’m the founder of the Houston Democracy Project. 

This event today was organized by people just like you and I. Rank & file leaders who stepped up. The resources to stage this protest are from our local community. 

The next action is when you organize it. The First Amendment is your permit. The only credential you need is your presence. Voting will not be enough 

This protest is Downtown. But it’s at not the center. Across the Houston-region today, there are No Kings demonstrations in La Porte, Navasota, Katy, Galveston, Fort Bend County, Clear Lake, Conroe, Cypress, Kingwood, Pasadena, Angleton, Pearland, Brenham, The Woodlands, Coldspring & both Bryan and College Station. (Here is a USA Today story that talks about the high national turnout yesterday & that much of that turnout was driven by protests outside big cities.) 

No community is on the periphery. No person is on the periphery. We are all in this fight.  

We are at Houston City Hall. There is a mayor, a city controller and 16 council members. The Mayor is John Whitmire. The Controller is Chris Hollins. The Mayor Pro Tem is Martha Castex-Tatum. She is a citywide official. There are 10 Democrats and 6 Republicans on Council. 

Local government and local officials matter. Right now there is an ordinance before Council that would regulate how the City of Houston  interacts with ICE. It may or not get the needed nine votes. But contact Houston City Hall on the matter & acquire the practice of pressuring city hall all the time for our freedom. Voting will not be enough & the conventional political process at city hall will not be enough. Let’s show up for ourselves. 

Every elected official takes an oath to the Constitution. They must meet that oath. When ICE rounds up people without cause, elected officials must remember the oath they took. Call, e-mail and speak to Houston City Council. You can speak at Council most Tuesdays at 2 PM & once a month at 5:30. The next evening session is March 31. Learn the details of the process and demand local accountability.  

Mayor Whitmire has made clear that nothing will cause him to address Trump and Abbott.  The Pride Crosswalk in Montrose, Ice in Houston/Harris County, ICE at the airports & the threats to free Harris County elections from Abbott and Trump in 2026 are all connected. We must lead the response ourselves. 

Our opponents seek to criminalize political opposition and restrict free speech. They didn’t scare us off today. We are confronting authoritarians and white supremacists. It will not be inherently safe. The thing is of course, that a future under authoritarian, white supremacist government that can’t be removed, will also not be safe and it will be terrible. 

We have rights. We have First Amendment rights, and as we’ve been told over and over all our lives, we have Second Amendment rights. We have the right to show up, to speak up and to self-defense. 

We are the ones who will show up when habeas corpus is suspended, when Greg Abbott does not permit Harris County to have fair elections, when low flying helicopters terrorize Houston communities like we saw in Chicago & when ICE shoots people dead with no accountability like in Minneapolis. 

We saw how people responded in South Korea in 2024 when martial law was declared. They showed up for themselves and prevailed. We saw how the rank & file showed up for others in Minnesota. They fought back. We will show up for ourselves all across the Houston-region no matter what is ahead. 

The next action is when you organize it. The First Amendment is your permit. The only credential you need is your presence. Voting will not be enough. No community is on the periphery. No person is on the periphery. We are all in this fight.  

​A "Proposition A" motion, meaning it can be brought to Houston City Council with the signatures of three councilmembers, about how the City of Houston interacts with ICE has been advanced by Alejandra Salinas, Ed Pollard & Abbie Kamin. 

I say City of Houston rather than HPD because we too often refer to the police as something separate from the city or from other city departments. The police work for us and are subordinate to civilian authority. 

This effort was announced at press conference Thursday, 3/19, at Houston City Hall. I went to the press conference. Here is a detailed story on the proposal from NPR KUHF 88.7. 

According to Councilmember Salinas, here is what the ordinance would do: 

• HPD won't be required to contact ICE for civil administrative warrants
• Traffic stops end when their lawful purpose ends — not when ICE arrives
• Transparency reports on HPD's contact with ICE

​Except today, 3/27, Houston City Attorney Arturo Michel has said no to the any city discretion in calling over the warrants. Below you see Mr. Michel at the 3/19 press conference. I took this picture & said to myself I'll use it when he does some harm to the ordinance. He was watching like a grim reaper waiting for the moment. Mr. Michel is skilled in doing what Mayor Whitmire wants done.

(To Mr. Michel's credit, he understands that being in public means somebody might take your picture. Councilmember Twila Carter & police union boss Doug Griffith don't seem to get that.)

​Above you see the statement from Salinas, Pollard & Kamin on the City Attorney decision. 

From the Houston Chronicle:
​
"A proposal to change the way Houston police officers work with immigration agents looks set to move ahead with two of its three original provisions after the City Attorney’s office rejected one of them, saying it would have violated state law...City attorneys rejected a third provision that would give officers discretion on when to call ICE, saying it might violate state law...Council members Alejandra Salinas, Abbie Kamin and Edward Pollard on Friday said they were working to refile the proposal, while saying they "strongly disagree" with the legal ruling. Other Texas cities have made it discretionary for their officers to call ICE...It’s unclear why City Attorney Arturo Michel’s office rejected the provision, given that Austin and Dallas have changed their policies to reduce how often officers call ICE for administrative warrants...The Chronicle has reached out to the city attorney's office for a copy of the ruling but had not received a copy Friday afternoon."

There is seemingly no off ramp for City of Houston cooperation with our authoritarian state and federal governments. I was hopeful we could at least discuss that Houston police officers do not have to robotically comply with these ICE warrants. Nope. We can't even present that idea formally for council to consider. If it comes from ICE, then we are on board. The unelected City Attorney says so. 

What happens when ICE issues warrants for political opponents? 

Harris County Clerk Tenisha Hudspeth says openly she expects interference from either the state or federal government in our 2026 Harris County elections. Ms. Hudspeth counts the votes. Governor Abbott has said our elections should be taken over. Understanding that counting the votes is a county function, will the city go along with that as well? 

All Mayor Whitmire ever really says is we need federal cooperation to run the city. But our civil liberties and freedom are not luxuries or privilege. They are not for others to bargain away. 
​
Where is the off ramp? 

ICE at the voting polls? Suspension of habeas corpus? ICE killing peaceful protesters? A Trump third term affirmed at the 2028 Republican Convention which is right here in Houston? The federal government rounding-up non-white American citizens for deportation? All these things have occurred or been suggested by Trump or his close allies. 

I support the ordinance and will advocate for it. I appreciate the councilmembers who moved it forward. I do not agree it is strong after Mr. Michel's decision today. Pledges of transparent reporting from Mayor Whitmire & HPD about working with ICE are worthless. They've lied about the cooperation over and over. 

I'll support the ordinance for the progress it does bring & for the capacity it has to organize ourselves. The March 31 evening public comment session of Houston City Council promises to be lively and entertaining. Ms. Salinas and other councilmembers are encouraging people to take part. That's good. Let's make a habit of showing up. 

There are advocacy groups supporting the ordinance. That's good as well. My focus is more so people acting as individuals. Most of us are going to act as individuals. That's much of the point of the more than 3,000 No Kings protests across the nation. People are showing up for themselves. These are the people who will show up when habeas corpus is suspended. 

The rapid and successful citizen response to the declaration of martial law in South Korea in December, 2024 & the rank and file-led actions of people in Minnesota against the abuses of ICE are strong examples of the necessity of our leadership. 

The next action is when you organize it. The First Amendment is your permit. The only credential needed is your presence. Voting is not going to be enough. The conventional political process at city hall or in the legislative chamber is not going to be enough. 

Let's use the process over this ordinance to strengthen ourselves. We must show up for ourselves. 

Public comment time at Houston City Council is each Tuesday at 2 PM with the exception once each month when it is at 5:00 PM. Here is how you can speak at Council and here is how to contact your councilmember.  The earlier before the session you sign up, the higher up on the speaker's list you'll be. You must register to speak by 3 PM the day before. 

The agenda session to conduct Council business is each Wednesday at 9 AM. The agenda is posted in advance. Council can be watched live on HTV Houston Television and past sessions are available at any time on the HTV feed on Facebook. Here is the link to past sessions of Council. Here are maps of Council districts so you can see who represents you. 

Here is contact information for Mayor Whitmire & Council--

Mayor Whitmire—832-393-1000 [email protected] 

Democrats: 
At-Large-Alejandra Salinas 832-393-3012  [email protected]
At-Large-Sallie Alcorn 832-393-3017  [email protected]
District B-Tarsha Jackson 832-393-3009  [email protected]
District C-Abbie Kamin 832-393-3004  [email protected]
District D-Carolyn Evans-Shabazz 832-393-3001 [email protected]
District F-Tiffany Thomas 832-393-3002  [email protected]
District H-Mario Castillo 832-393-3002  [email protected]
District I-Joaquin Martinez 832-393-3011 [email protected]
District J-Edward Pollard 832-393-3015  [email protected]
District K-Martha Castex-Tatum 832-393-3016  [email protected]

Republicans: 
At-Large-Julian Ramirez 832-393-3014 [email protected]
At-Large-Willie Davis 832-393-3013 [email protected] 
At-Large-Twila Carter 832-393-3005 [email protected]
District A-Amy Peck 832-393-3010 [email protected]
District E-Fred Flickinger 832-393-3008 [email protected] 
District G-Mary Nan Huffman 832-393-3007 [email protected] ​​​
​

​
​




​







​



​Above you see a list of March 28 No Kings protests in the Houston-area. There are many No Kings events across Texas including Brenham, Bay City, Navasota and both Bryan and College Station. Here is the link to find a No Kings protest near you anyplace in the nation. 

Below you see word of a bridge overpass protest in Montrose that is at now 12 consecutive weeks. It is each Friday. A lot of people see the protesters over 59 and it is worth taking part. 

The next action is when you organize it. The First Amendment is your permit. The only credential needed is your presence. Voting is not going to be enough. The conventional political process at city hall or the legislative chamber is not going to be enough. We must show up for ourselves. 

The rapid and successful citizen response to the declaration of martial law in South Korea in December, 2024 & the rank and file-led actions of people in Minnesota to the abuses of ICE are strong examples of the necessity of our leadership. 

I am a speaker at the Downtown Houston No Kings. I appreciate being asked. My theme will be the same theme I have every time I speak: Empowering Ourselves. I'd be happy to speak at your club or organization meeting anyplace across the Houston-region. I've spoken in Brazoria, Montgomery and Fort Bend counties in  addition to across Houston/Harris County. Leave a comment here or e-mail at [email protected] 

Below you see me at the weekly John Cornyn Houston Office Protest. Next Tuesday, 3/31, will be Week 477. The protest is each Tuesday, 11:30-1, 5300 Memorial Dr. 

​




​This past Thursday, 3/20, I spoke at the East Houston Democrats meeting. I was invited by club president Darius Provost-Evans. The club includes Democrats in Sheldon, Channelview & Galena Park.

​I would very much like to speak at your club/org meeting. I am informative and friendly. Please leave a comment or e-mail me at [email protected] 

Above is a picture of me speaking & a picture of some of the people at the meeting.

Here is what I said:

1. It’s an honor to be asked to speak to fellow rank & file Democrats. I really appreciate it. 

2. Both conventional politics and protest are essential. The lines between the two are blurring. The people running the country and running Texas currently do not see much difference between the two. The goal is to criminalize opposition. Increasingly, Harris County Democratic clubs are organizing and taking part in protest while still doing the electoral work. 

3. We have a right to a collective identity and power as active rank and file democracy advocates and Democrats, that is independent from official party structures, candidates and elected officials. The extensive No Kings organizing now in its 3rd round for March 28 & Harris County Democratic Precinct Chair admonishments of Kim Ogg, Shawn Thierry and John Whitmire are just some examples of this autonomy and power. Elected officials are our elected employees & we must show up for ourselves.

4. We give a lot of free labor to candidates. It's exploitive in many ways. Politics is a multi-billion dollar industry. Many campaigns extract resources like a strip mine. Primary candidates come and go like Christmas or Halloween pop up stores. Our need to live freely remains. You can decide if fighting over them is worth it when they will be gone so quickly.​

5. Opposing an authoritarian, white supremacist opponent is not going to be safe. We’ve to accept some measure of risk in our fight against the right.

6. The next action is when you organize it. The First Amendment is your permit. The only credential needed is your presence. Voting is not going to be enough. The work ahead is ours.

7. The current proposal about City of Houston cooperating with ICE involves:

• HPD won't be required to contact ICE for civil administrative warrants

* Traffic stops end when their lawful purpose ends — not when ICE arrives

* Transparency reports on HPD's contact with ICE

These are ideas that could also be pushed for Harris County itself, constable precincts & cities across the county.

​






​







​
​This past Wednesday, 3/19, I went to the press conference at Houston City Hall about the proposed ordinance regulating City of Houston interactions with ICE. 

Also watching the press conference was far-right Republican At-Large Councilwoman Twila Carter. Because I always need content for social media and for my Houston Democracy Project Blog, I took pictures of Ms. Carter. 

There is nothing unusual about taking pictures of a Houston City Councilmember at Houston City Hall. I had no interest in provoking anybody. 

However, Ms. Carter was agitated. She sent a staffer to ask who I was. I told the staffer I was a citizen. Because again, I don't need to identify myself for taking pictures of an elected official in a public place. 

That seemed the end of the matter. 

A few minutes later though, Ms. Carter was joined by Houston Police Officer’s Union boss Doug Griffith. I wanted a picture of the two of them together at the press conference as well. 

I’m not exaggerating when I say I’ve had my picture taken at the weekly John Cornyn Houston Office Protest at least 200 times over the past nine years. If not 300 or 400or more. Passers-by take our picture all the time. Some of them are really unfriendly-seeming people in giant trucks.  

It’s okay though because we are in public and that is how it goes. I can stay home if I don't like it. 

In the picture above you see what appears to be Councilmember Carter pointing me out to Mr. Griffith. Below you see Mr. Griffith standing right in front of me as Ms. Carter smiles in the background. Mr. Griffith stood next to me for about five minutes.

It was just so stupid. In addition to having my picture taken many times by strangers , I've interacted with many police officers. When I go to a big protest, I'll get nods or a greeting from a fair number of officers. I'm not intimidated by police officers. I'm not looking for conflict with police officers. I just want to live in a free society. 

It must be nice to be an elected official who can just direct the head of the police union to bug law-abiding citizens. It must be nice at least if you are a lousy person like Twila Carter.

Mr. Griffith came to Houston City Council this past November and said that use of the word "fight" in describing how you'll oppose ICE could be taken as a threat to law enforcement. Last June, Councilmember Carter advised people to stay away from the first No Kings because she was concerned there might be trouble. 

These two do not appear the have the capacity to accurately assess public safety concerns. Thoughtful Houstonians should discard their views on public safety issues. 

Here is what Donald Trump said today:  "Now with the death of Iran, the greatest enemy America has is the Radical Left, Highly Incompetent, Democrat Party!" Now that sounds like a threat. I encourage Ms. Carter & Mr. Griffith to concern themselves with actual extremists and genuine public safety threats. 

Councilmember Carter is up for reelection in 2027. Let us please work to defeat her. 

​A "Proposition A" motion, meaning it can be brought to Houston City Council with the signatures of three councilmembers, about how the City of Houston interacts with ICE has been advanced. 

I say City of Houston rather than HPD because we too often refer to the police as something separate from the city or from other city departments. The police work for us and are subordinate to civilian authority. 

This effort was announced at press conference yesterday, 3/19, at Houston City Council. I went to the press conference and above you see a picture.

Here is a detailed story on the proposal from NPR KUHF 88.7.

The three councilmembers who signed the ordinance are Alejandra Salinas, Ed Pollard & Abbie Kamin. 

According to Councilmember Salinas, here is what the ordinance would do: 

• HPD won't be required to contact ICE for civil administrative warrants
• Traffic stops end when their lawful purpose ends — not when ICE arrives
• Transparency reports on HPD's contact with ICE

What is not listed here is ending non-safety traffic stops. Advocacy on that issue has involved the RISE Houston Coalition. There has been extensive discussion about that issue at council & I've written about it for the Houston Democracy Project. These stops disproportionally impact Black Houstonians. We cannot let up pressing on these stops.

We must also aggressively pursue this proposed ordinance. We must minimize the harm ICE does in our city and protect our rights from the civil liberties abuses of ICE. Houston City Council has been awful in acknowledging threats to democracy and freedom. 

This ordinance is important because:

1. The policy changes it would enact.
2. It is a major challenge to Mayor Whitmire from a council that rarely challenges him. He needs to be challenged on many fronts. 
3. It gives us opportunity to further organize ourselves. Voting is not going to be enough and the conventional political process at City Hall is not going to be enough. 

Councilmember Salinas made a 72 second Facebook video on what council does and how to speak at council. 

Take Ms. Salinas up on the suggestion to speak at council. She is asking for many speakers at the Tuesday,  March 31 evening public comment session. You can sign up here. 

Pack Houston City Hall for public comment sessions and contact members of council. (Mayor Pro Tem Martha Castex-Tatum is the #2 official in Houston and as such can fairly be viewed as a citywide official. On her city website profile, it says she is "..a visionary leader shaping the city's future." All righty. No matter where you live in Houston, give the Mayor Pro Tem a call/e-mail.) 

The next action is when you organize it. The First Amendment is your permit. The only credential needed is your presence. Voting is not going to be enough. The conventional political process at city hall and in the legislative chamber is not going to be enough. The work ahead is ours. Take note of who is with you in the fight for this ordinance and make connections for the many challenges ahead. 

​Public comment time at Houston City Council is each Tuesday at 2 PM with the exception once each month when it is at 5:00 PM. Here is how you can speak at Council and here is how to contact your councilmember.  The earlier before the session you sign up, the higher up on the speaker's list you'll be. You must register to speak by 3 PM the day before. 

The agenda session to conduct Council business is each Wednesday at 9 AM. The agenda is posted in advance. Council can be watched live on HTV Houston Television and past sessions are available at any time on the HTV feed on Facebook. Here is the link to past sessions of Council. Here are maps of Council districts so you can see who represents you. 

Here is contact information for Mayor Whitmire & Council--

Mayor Whitmire—832-393-1000 [email protected] 

Democrats: 
At-Large-Alejandra Salinas 832-393-3012  [email protected]
At-Large-Sallie Alcorn 832-393-3017  [email protected]
District B-Tarsha Jackson 832-393-3009  [email protected]
District C-Abbie Kamin 832-393-3004  [email protected]
District D-Carolyn Evans-Shabazz 832-393-3001 [email protected]
District F-Tiffany Thomas 832-393-3002  [email protected]
District H-Mario Castillo 832-393-3002  [email protected]
District I-Joaquin Martinez 832-393-3011 [email protected]
District J-Edward Pollard 832-393-3015  [email protected]
District K-Martha Castex-Tatum 832-393-3016  [email protected]

Republicans: 
At-Large-Julian Ramirez 832-393-3014 [email protected]
At-Large-Willie Davis 832-393-3013 [email protected] 
At-Large-Twila Carter 832-393-3005 [email protected]
District A-Amy Peck 832-393-3010 [email protected]
District E-Fred Flickinger 832-393-3008 [email protected] 
District G-Mary Nan Huffman 832-393-3007 [email protected] ​​​

 







​













​Houston City Council District C candidate Nick Hellyar sent out a campaign mailer highlighting local union endorsements. Below you see the mailer listing the unions supporting Mr. Hellyar. 

I live in District C. There is a special election to replace Abbie Kamin who is the Harris County Democratic Party nominee for County Attorney. Early voting is March 18-31 & Election Day is April 4. Here is a map of District C. 

Pipe Fitters Local 211 and Plumbers Local 68 who endorsed Mr. Hellyar, have also endorsed Greg Abbott. Here is a list from the Abbott campaign of who is endorsing the governor. These unions would tell you they are looking out for their members no different from how a tobacco company would tell you it is serving shareholders. 

The Houston Professional Fire Fighters Association that has endorsed Mr. Hellyar is another outfit close to Mr. Whitmire. Mayor Whitmire gave them a budget-busting contract. According to Politico, officials from this union had a hand in pushing the International Association of Fire Fighters to remain neutral between Vice President Harris and Trump in 2024. 

From Politico: 
​
​"....In the weeks leading up to the firefighters’ union declining to endorse, union officials were telling Walz allies, Harris aides. their support was essentially locked in.... But at least a week before the vote, union officials knew the endorsement was slipping away from Harris.... union president, Edward Kelly, was under intense pressure by key local chapters — including New York, Boston, Philadelphia and some officials in Los Angeles and Houston.. — to withhold endorsing Harris, with some threatening to pull out of the larger union if it did..."

​What great people. 

(Here is a Politico story from April, 2025 about Trump seeking to cut research on protecting firefighters from toxins they encounter on the job.)

Mr. Hellyar is endorsed by the right-wing Houston Police Officer's Union. Above you see Mr. Hellyar shaking hands with HPOU's boss and Houston's #1 paid-agitator Douglas Griffith. Below you see Mr. Griffith on Twitter explaining away the ICE murder of Renee Good and insulting Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher in the process. 

In November, 2025, Mr. Griffith came to Houston City Council, and said that people using the word "fight" in how they are opposing ICE might be seen as threatening law enforcement.  

It all seems okay with Mr. Hellyar. 

In addition to the unions listed here, Mr. Hellyar's endorsements include the Houston Apartment Association, the Building Owners and Management Association and former Republican Houston City Councilmember Anne Clutterbuck. 

Despite touting union support, unions and labor that often endorse locally that have not endorsed Mr. Hellyar include the Communication Workers of America, Teamsters Local 988, SEIU Texas, Houston Federation of Teachers, International Brotherhood Of Electrical Workers and the Texas Gulf Coast AFL-CIO.

We should not hand over District C to John Whitmire and the bullies at the police union. We don't want to lose our representation to those folks either for important district projects that Mayor Whitmire often opposes or changes beyond recognition, or for important debates such as how/if HPD should cooperate with ICE. 

Laura Gallier, Audrey Nath, Joseph Panzarealla and Patrick Oathout are some of the candidates on the District C ballot. Check them out and see what you think.

Please be certain to share with your District C family, friends, neighbors and co-workers that Nick Hellyar is the wrong person to send to Houston City Hall.

​






​I'm the speaker at the East Houston Democrats March meeting on Thursday, 3/19. The meeting is 6:30-7:30 at the Pine Trails Community Improvement Association located at 6003 Wood Bend Dr. Thanks to club president & Sheldon ISD Boardmember Darius Provost-Evans for the invite.

As always when I speak, the topic & theme will be "Empowering Ourselves."

East Houston Democrats includes Galena Park, Channelview & Sheldon among the fine communities it serves.

I've spoken at Democratic club, Indivisible chapter, No Kings Organizing meetings and No Kings protests across Houston & Harris County, and also in Montgomery, Brazoria & Fort Bend counties. (Please someone invite me to Galveston County.)

This is all part of my work on the Houston Democracy Project. The link to contribute is in the comments. I've got to pay these Trump Iran War gas prices now to get to the meetings.

I'd be happy to speak to your club, organization or organizing meeting. I seek to be informational & engaging. Please comment here or e-mail at [email protected]

Thank you.

Three protest notes: 

​1. Mayor Whitmire yesterday implied yesterday in his press conference about HPD/ICE, that the Houston No Kings folks had asked HPD for protection for the 3/28 protest. That's not the case. They made a statement to that effect that you see below.

2. Below is a list of 3/28 No Kings protests in the Houston-region. The graphic leaves off the newly-listed Galveston protest. Here is the link to find a No Kings protest near you. If you don't see one near you, organize it yourself.

3. Below is a Montrose Bridge protest that tomorrow, 3/13, will be in its 10th week.

Here is the link for a street medic/emergency training in The Woodlands on Sunday, 3/15.

I'll say it every time because some people need to hear it to one able to move forward--Voting is essential & do the electoral work you need to do. 

But to leave ourselves only to the dysfunction, grift and limitations of electoral politics & the police elected officials send no matter how peacefully we assemble for our most basic freedoms, is a misguided path.
​
The next action is when you organize it. The First Amendment is your permit. The only credential needed is your presence. You don't need to feel self-confident to proceed. Voting will not be enough.