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Banner photo credit: Lee Rubin Jacober, 2018
Here's what's happening in DA Austria in February —
Message from a DA Leader
Upcoming Events:
- Young Democrats: Trivia Night
- Kunsthistorisches Museum Tour
- Not Just Politics: Cocktails & Conversation
- Salzburg Monthly Meet-up
- Solidarity Sundays
- Cocktail Class Fundraiser for Minneapolis
- American Comedy Night
- Annual General Meeting
- Post-AGM Dinner Meet Up
- No Tyrants Protest
Event Highlights:
- Young Democrats: Trivia Night
- Kunsthistorisches Museum Tour
- Solidarity Sundays
- “Get ICE Off Our Streets and Into Our Drinks” Cocktail Class Fundraiser for Minneapolis
Inside DA Austria:
- Survey results
- Annual General Meeting
- DA-AT ByLaws Amendments
Issues and Actions:
- March 28 — No Tyrants Demonstration
Review:
- Vigil for Victims of ICE
- Graz Demo
- Young Democrats
- Solidarity Sundays: Reading the Constitution Together
Our next Executive Committee meeting will be on Thursday, February 5, at 7:00 p.m. Members are welcome to join us at the meetings. Please contact Brett Carnito at [email protected] for the location.
DA Austria is committed to keeping you up to date while respecting your inbox. Our monthly newsletter brings together all the important information you need in one place, so you can stay informed without the extra emails. We appreciate you reading and staying connected!
Message from a DA Leader:
What Vigil Does (When Nothing Else Can)
On January 7, ICE agents killed Renee Nicole Good. On January 24, Alex Pretti was murdered by DHS agents while filming ICE operations. Two US Citizens killed in three weeks, in addition to the six detainees who died in ICE custody: Heber Sánchez Domínguez, Luis Beltrán Yáñex-Cruz, Luis Gustavo Núñez Cáceres, Geraldo Lunas Campos, Parady La, and Víctor Manuel Díaz, among others whose names we do not know.
Here’s how bearing witness worked in response to these killings:
One DA member stood outside the US Embassy in Vienna on Friday, January 9. Alone, one hour, one candle. It felt small.
The night before, she’d told friends: “I’m holding a solo vigil tomorrow.” People were moved and started organizing a community action.
Five days later: Fifty-four people gathered at Platz der Menschenrechte. Thirty minutes holding candles in silent witness for Renee Nicole Good.
A week later Alex Pretti was murdered, and on February 1, around 120 people stood to remember Alex, Renee, Geraldo, Luis, Victor, Parady, Luis, Heber, and the many other victims of U.S. law enforcement.
Witness matters when you feel powerless to stop something but refuse complicit silence. It’s standing for truth when you can’t change the outcome. It creates a record when institutions want erasure. And it gives others permission to act.
You can do this wherever you are.
Don’t wait to do something big. Ten minutes with a candle is enough. A sign in your window is enough. Small is not less.
Start with something you can repeat. Tell people you’re doing it.
What practice of witness can you sustain?
Upcoming Events:
Young Democrats: Young Americans Trivia Night
Sunday, February 8, 2026
7:30-10:00 p.m.
Charlie P’s Pub, Währinger Straße 3, 1090 Vienna
RSVP
Kunsthistorisches Museum Guided Tour
Thursday, February 12, 2026
6:30 p.m.
Kunsthistorisches Museum
Maria-Theresien-Platz, 1010 Vienna
RSVP Ticket Donation Required
Not Just Politics: Cocktails & Conversation
Thursday, February 12, 2026
8:00 p.m.
Cafe burg.ring1
Burgring 1, 1010 Vienna
RSVP
Salzburg Monthly Meet-up
Friday, February 27, 2026
5:30–7:30 p.m.
Krimpelstätter Restaurant,
Müllner Hauptstraße 31, Salzburg 5020
RSVP
Solidarity Sundays: Resistance 101 — ICE & Next Steps
Sunday, February 15, 2026
4:00-6:00 p.m.
Amerlinghaus
Stiftgasse 8, 1070 Wien
RSVP
Solidarity Sundays Fundraiser: “Get ICE Off Our Streets and Into Our Drinks”
Cocktail Class Fundraiser for Minneapolis
Saturday, February 28, 2026
7:00-10:00 p.m.
Private residence, Vienna (details upon RSVP)
Tickets & Entry:
- Places are limited (20). You must RSVP and donate to secure your spot.
- $20 donation to DA Austria covers event costs, plus €30 suggested donation to an organization resisting deportation enforcement (donation recipient based on where needs are most urgent — donation link provided after registration).
- Total: €50
RSVP (deadline Feb 21) Ticket Donation Required
American Comedy Night: This Still Ain’t No Joke
Friday, March 13, 2026
Doors open at 6:30 p.m., show begins at 6:45
The Comedy Pub at the Black Sheep Vienna (basement venue)
Kettenbrückengasse 7, 1050 Vienna
Ticket Donation Required. Starting at 15 euros
RSVP
Save the Date! Democrats Abroad Austria Annual General Meeting
Sunday, March 15, 2026
2:00-5:00 p.m.
SPÖ Neubau
Lindengasse 64
1070 Vienna
RSVP
Post-AGM Dinner Meet Up
Sunday, March 15, 2026
5:30-8:30 p.m.
Makom
Schottenfeldgasse 18, 1070 Vienna
RSVP
NO TYRANTS Demonstration
March 28, 2026
Time to be announced
Event Highlights:
Young Democrats: Young Americans Trivia Night
Sunday, February 8, 2026
Join your fellow young Americans living in Vienna for a monthly trivia night! Whether you are new to the city, studying here, or a long-time resident, everyone is welcome to join us for a night of trivia, good company, and conversation. Come and be a part of our vibrant community and make new friends in Vienna. RSVP
We'll be meeting at 7:30 p.m., and trivia goes from 8-10 p.m. No problem if you can only join later or need to leave early — see you there! (See details under EVENTS above.)
Kunsthistorisches Museum Tour
Thursday, February 12, 2026
Join us for an exclusive guided tour of Michaelina Wautier with a greeting from Jonathan Fine, museum director of the Kunsthistorisches Museum (KHM) and a tour by an exhibit curator. This comprehensive exhibition offers for the first time an opportunity to discover the nearly complete oeuvre of this extraordinary painter—one of the most fascinating artists of the seventeenth century. (See details under EVENTS above.)
RSVP Ticket Donation Required.
Solidarity Sundays: Resistance 101 — ICE & Next Steps
Monthly Meet-up, February 15, 2026
Understanding what we’re up against, deciding where our money goes. We’ll cover ICE’s origins, expanded mandate, and what constrains them — then vote on which organizations receive our Feb 28 fundraiser proceeds. Final half: nail down cocktail event logistics and task assignments.
This is a working meeting — come ready to make decisions and sign up for jobs. (See details under EVENTS above.)
Learn more about us —> solidaritysundays.at
Solidarity Sundays: Get ICE Off Our Streets and Into Our Drinks
Cocktail Class Fundraiser, February 28, 2026
ICE belongs in cocktails, not terrorizing communities.
Join Solidarity Sundays Vienna for an evening where we learn to make three craft cocktails (each with its own ICE-themed name and story), share toasts to resistance, and raise funds for an organization fighting deportation enforcement.
Master bartender Oscar Heatherman designed the drinks, and we’ll teach them to you. You’ll leave knowing how to make a proper cocktail and having supported strategic action. No mixology experience needed. (See details under EVENTS above.)
Curious about Solidarity Sundays? —> What we do.
RSVP by February 21. Ticket Donation Required
Inside Democrats Abroad Austria:
We're calling our members!
If you see a call from +43 670 308 2170, we hope you'll pick up and say hi!"
Want to join the team? Get in touch at [email protected]
— Caitlin Ahern, Phonebanking Coordinator
The Trump Administration Is Killing Independent Military Journalism
A recent announcement by the Pentagon stated it would be taking over the editorial content of Stars and Stripes, a staple of military life which focuses on news affecting the Armed Services and our nation's veterans to eliminate what it calls "woke distractions" and inject Trump administration generated content. Job applicants for the paper are being asked to confirm their commitment to Trump's policy agenda.
— Bill La Violette and George Botroff, Veterans Military Families Caucus
Survey result
Thanks to everyone who responded to our Newsletter survey The survey covered: Reading Habits, Content, Design/Accessibility, Social Media Usage, and Respondent Info.
The DA-AT monthly Newsletter is sent to approximately 1500 members who receive local emails and has a 40%–50% open rate. Of the respondents, 80% read the newsletter monthly with half reading it on a computer and 40% on a mobile phone. The only accessibility issue was the color of the links, which has now been corrected. Despite half our membership being under the age of 35, all of the respondents were older. This information reinforces our intention to do even more event outreach through MeetUp and social media.
2026 Annual General Meeting
DA Austria’s Annual General Meeting (AGM) will be held in person and online on Sunday, March 15, 2026, at 2 p.m. All DA Austria members are welcome to join the meeting. We especially hope to see many of our members who live outside of Vienna and may not normally attend the AGM! Any American 18 or older by the next federal election and residing in Austria may also join the meeting and vote.
At the meeting we'll present reports on 2025, discuss and vote on amendments to the DA Austria Bylaws (see below), and discuss get out the vote and outreach plans for the upcoming midterms.
DA Austria is required in our Bylaws to hold an AGM prior to March 31 of each year. We also have a quorum requirement to make the meeting valid.
Please help us meet these challenges by joining the AGM in person or online!
Your participation, activism, and donations have made DA Austria a strong and vital organization for more than twenty years. In 2026, we’ll continue working to strengthen the voice and vote of all our members.
Please RSVP for the meeting here.
DA Austria ByLaws Amendments
During the 2025 DA Global Annual General Meeting, a number of amendments were adopted to simplify the way Country Committees (such as DA Austria) are able to elect and replace voting members of the global body formally known as the Democratic Party Committee Abroad (DPCA). See the DPCA Charter Report.
At our DA Austria Annual General Meeting on March 15, our members will have the opportunity to learn more about the amendments and the proposed changes to our bylaws and vote to adopt the current draft. The DA Austria Excom reviewed and adopted the proposed amendments for submission to the DA Austria bylaws at the January ExCom meeting on January 15, 2026. See the DAAT 2026 Update Comparison.
Amendments to the Charter for a Vote by the Membership
during the 2026 Annual General Meeting:
DAAT 2026 Bylaws for Approval
A copy of these amendments to DA Austria’s bylaws as well as a detailed timeline of the committee’s work will be emailed to all members in February. It will arrive in your inbox at least 30 days before the Annual General Meeting — no later than Friday, February 13, 2026, with the subject line: Amendments to the Charter for a Vote by the Membership during the 2026 Annual General Meeting.
—Jen Rakow-Stepper, DAAT 2026 Bylaws Committee Chair
Issues and Actions:
March 28 — NO TYRANTS Demonstration
The next large demonstration will be held on March 28 in solidarity with a mass call by Indivisible. Please contact Hilary ([email protected]) if you can help with planning here in Vienna and/or in the provinces.
We need your energy! We especially need support with press and social media outreach, if you have experience in those fields.
— DA Austria Protest Action Committee
Review:
Candlelight Vigil in Remembrance of Alex Pretti and All ICE Victims
Sunday, February 1, more than 100 people gathered in Vienna on a frigid winter evening, candles lit, to remember eight people who have died in dealings with U.S. federal enforcement since the start of 2026. Volunteers stepped forward to read the stories of lives cut tragically short, underscoring the human cost of federal enforcement and refusing to let these deaths disappear into statistics. The vigil was not only about mourning but about transforming grief into action, echoing bell hooks’ call to turn anger into a force for change, as Colleen McCracken led the crowd in “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “Rise Up,” alongside new songs emerging from the streets of a resistant Minnesota. The vigil concluded with a shared commitment to democratic action—voting, organizing, and sustained solidarity—to demand accountability, dignity, and justice.
Graz Dems Share Frustrations with U.S. Ambassador to Austria
On January 29, 2026, U.S. Ambassador to Austria Arthur Fisher visited Graz for a series of events. A group of DA Austria members and several other Americans (as well as supportive Austrians!) in Graz took the opportunity to organize a small demonstration outside Hotel Weitzer during a reception for the Ambassador. Roughly 25 people attended to show their frustration at numerous Trump Administration policies — some of which, such as tariffs and the SAVE Act, are harming us directly here in Austria, while others — such as the violent and unlawful actions of ICE terrorizing our family, friends, and fellow humans back home. We prepared a written statement listing several of these grievances that was handed to the Ambassador.
Though we intentionally kept the event small, we were moved by how much interest there was, and how many passersby stopped to acknowledge our messages.
Young Democrats: Young Americans Trivia Night
Young Democrats kicked off 2026 at our very first trivia night at Charlie P’s! We had a great turnout with two enthusiastic teams landing solidly in the middle of the rankings. Huge thanks to everyone who came out and brought the energy.
Solidarity Sundays: Want to Read the Constitution Together?
Solidarity Sundays just tried this in Vienna — 15+ people crammed into a living room, and we went two hours over because nobody wanted to stop.
Here’s the setup:
- Pick a date, invite people
- Download the Constitution, choose 3-5 sections
- Read aloud together, pause to discuss
- Having a historian or lawyer helps, but collective reading works on its own
Takes about an hour to organize. Costs nothing. Works in living rooms or cafés.
Reading the actual text — not just referencing it — changes everything. People had questions about interpretation, how meanings evolved, connections to current politics. The discussion kept going because we were working through the document together instead of talking around it.
Email [email protected] for the sections we used, sample invitation, and discussion questions. Copy-paste and adapt for your city.
Thank you for reading our February Newsletter!
Go to VoteFromAbroad.org today!
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