When tyrants seize power for themselves, ordinary people step in to take it back.

From Serbia to Chile to Poland, movements brought down authoritarian regimes by making them impossible to run—through strikes, boycotts, refusal, and millions of ordinary people deciding they wouldn't help harm each other. But they didn't wake up one morning and know how. Showing up to get trained is part of that tradition.

With the 2026 elections approaching, the threat is clear: Trump wants to seize and hold power by keeping people from voting and controlling who counts. This is a moment to get ready—to build skills, expand our networks, and get ready to protect our power at the polls and beyond!

This free, interactive training will leave you with a clearer sense of strategy, a stronger community, and practical ways to take action.

We'll cover:

• The authoritarian playbook (and how to disrupt it)

• Pillars of support: why power depends on everyday participation

• Real-world stories of movements that won

• What’s ahead in 2026, and how we can protect our vote

• Concrete next steps to plug into local organizing

Join the more than 1 million people who have participated in Freedom Trainers trainings nationwide.

This training is is part of the national Protest: Respect It, Defend It, Use It book tour, co-hosted by Vermont PIRG and sponsored by Ben & Jerry's (yes there will be free ice cream!). The training is free and open to everyone ready to build real power to protect our communities and our vote.

Join us for a Protest book talk on the eve of June 5 at the Patagonia Store in Burlingtonto get inspired—then come ready to build skills and take action.

Space is limited. Register to hold your spot and receive venue details.