You have to get louder. It is cold out here. Whose net . Our net whose net . Our net make some noise, yall. [applause] the people connected will never be defeated. The people connected will never be defeated. The people connected will never be defeated. The people connected will never be defeated. The people connected will never be defeated. The people connected will never be defeated. Woo make some noise yall got to get louder. When i say internet, you say freedom. Internet. Freedom. Internet. Freedom. When i say internet, you say freedom. Internet. Freedom. Make some noise for being out here in the cold. We are here to say that we will not let him take away our digital civil rights without showing up, right . Am i right . Internet. Freedom. Internet. Freedom. The people connected will never be defeated. The people connected will never be defeated. The people connected will never be defeated. The people connected will never be defeated. Woo given up. Make some noise. [cheers] my name is erin. Shut up to the center for media justice. Out to the center for media justice. I will pass the mic to the organizing director. Give it up for steven. What is up . Power youhow are you doing . If you are feeling cold, make some noise. You guys are definitely cold. Where is my other emcee . Colette. We have to give a major shout to the bands for all they did. The experience band and show. Give some love. Some quickly just ask, this rally is a wakeup rally being hosted by the voices for Internet Freedom coalition, which is a collation from a handful of organizations, including color of change. It is a popularity contest so cheer loud. Free press. Center for media justice. 18 million rising. The National Hispanic media coalition. Collectively, we are your hosts for today. A couple more of logistics. The for this event is digitalcivilright, netneutrality. My actual cohost here, Colette Watson from free press. What is up, everybody . I have my own mic. You feeling all right . Are you feeling fired up . My name is Colette Watson and i am here from free press. Today is a day that i know a lot of us have dreaded. To sing sadot here songs. Were not here with their heads bowed. We are not here to be sad and down. Were here because our resistance is strong and getting stronger every day. Were here because the internet is power for the people. We are here because our voices cannot be drowned out. We are here because this is the biggest act of resistance and send toest f. U. We can the fcc majority. The people most impacted are people of color, the lgb community, the elderly, the depend on the internet. You will hear from people who are present those communities. Yeah. Hear you say let me hear you say Internet Freedom. When i say internet, you say freedom. Internet. Freedom. When i say internet, you say freedom. Internet. Freedom. We will bring up our first speaker. They had been muted. They wanted to make sure i did not interrupt. Like she said, we will talk about the voices of those most impacted. Looking at off with one of my friends from color of change. She is working on their media re . Ei ms what else is in democracy. Economic justice. You saw how bill oreilly got kicked off of fox news. Let us thank color of change for that. Morning, everyone. How are you all feeling . I am writing a little bit on this magic bubble because last taping a podcast talking about Net Neutrality. One of the things she talked about was she started talking which was the, most looked up word online this year. She said feminism is a question. What truths are missing here . What are we missing , excluding, what stories should be told, and by whom . I started thinking about that and i started thinking of feminism is a question in some ways, the internet has been like our answer because to have an open internet means finding truths and redefining power. The power to create and share our own arts with no filter. The ability to connect to our families and to find our whether they are black lives matter, me too, Net Neutrality. The ability to start our own businesses with fewer barriers. Ownability to find our voting place. In its purest form, the power of the internet is the ability to our humanity, even when Corporate Media and government seeks to take it away from us. Commissionerse have come out to hear our stories and troops. When they voted truths. When they voted for Net Neutrality, they understood that our truths matter. This Administration Seeks to silence our truths. It has been hard to win is that when i am wit here with you i know we will not be silenced. We will not lay down and hand over our truth to corporate gatekeepers. [applause] [cheers] colors of change has been in the field for close to a decade alongside our voices partners and we will be here tomorrow and the day after that and the day after that and the day after that. We will not forge, and we will not let her people forget, who showed up in this critical moment, who sold out democratic principles and who sat on the sidelines. It is our duty to fight. It is our duty to win, not just for ourselves but for so grateful to be here with all of you and to keep fighting. We know the fight goes on no matter what happens today. There is a lot of incredible speakers. To thoseize the mic folks. Thank you again. [cheers and applause] thank you, brandy. Give it up for brandy collins from color of change. Im such a huge fan and stil out. I fan out over this next speaker as well. Many years ago, i first heard her music and followed her and then realized that she was not just an artist, which is great to just be an artist, but she is a person that is not afraid to speak up on what is really happening with the people and speak truth to power. Over the years, she has done so many things. She created web series, use all kinds of digital platforms. And now she is starring on hbos insecure. Who is watching insecure . [cheers] if you are not watching it, youre missing out. She is speaking firebreathing truth regarding Net Neutrality and the power of the internet. Clearance sale for our next speaker, amanda fields. [applause] ok, i am clearly overdressed. He said firebreathing truth and i thought about how that would wormy up right now. Feeling it is just a great thing to see everybody out here and continuously fighting for this concept that i think a lot of people continuously do not know about Net Neutrality and what it is because i think there are not it. Gh people speaking about there were not enough people fighting for it. I know for me, the internet has been able to change my life and allows me to change other peoples lives by having this free forum to be able to speak, and that is supposedly with the century is all about, right . Be able to speak freely and have a place to speak. The problem is when we start putting on that, we are now limiting dollar signs on that, were limiting the ability of people to get and receive information send out and receive information. We know knowledge is what . Power. So its only a few people have certain access to knowledge, only certain people have access to power. And when these people are trying to keep you disempowered, unempowered, lack of powered, nonpowered, we have to speak up. There are people who always say why bother . Why show up . Why say anything . If that were the case, we would still be drinking from water fountains that they colored and white people, ok . We wouldas the case, not have title ix. There are a number of things that we would still be saying we just have to deal with that. This is the thing about this country. We do not deal with [beep]. We speak up and say what we need to do and i am so glad to be here with you doing that and challenging this ridiculous, absolutely absurd, idea that is now being put into practice. I hope happens is no matter what happens, we do not stop speaking, we do not stop, challenging this and we find ways to challenge it to better not only this individual bar on a bigger scale and eventually shut it all down. All right . I am going to pass the mic to whom . Im am not sure. Were doing a lot of passing the mic today, but i want to thank everybody here who is part of helping this internet be something that is not just a place for internet girls and models and world star hip hop videos. I feel it what we are able to with access to the internet, we are able to have a wide array of information and entertainment and art and creativity and voices. As, a black woman in this country the internet has allowed me to have my own story, to have my own voice, and to no longer simply have to be at the whim of gatekeepers who have no interest in what i have to say and in what my life is representing. We have to continue to have a other individuals who are living nothing like to be able to do that. Whether theyre black women, men, syrian refugees, white women who did not vote for roy there needs toal be a space for those who speak out, for those were different, and for those who are challenging. And that is why we need to protect Net Neutrality, and i hope all of us continue to strike until we get it, and to we get the victory. [applause] i will be on this internet every day. Every day. Talking, saying things some people like and do not like. Im not for everybody but whatever i say is coming from an authentic place i want to continue to have the right to do that. Let us keep this wakeup call going and wake the schools of, yall. Think you so much. I cannot wait for season three. Let us keep it moving. C let little kids think. Internet. Freedom. Internet. Freedom. Internet. Freedom. All right. Next up, my former congressman i used to live in his district. Wonderful, amazing champion not just for Net Neutrality but on a whole host of other issues. Someone that anytime we are talking about justice, his name pops up. Let us give it up for representative keith ellison. [applause] it is about how are what were talking about is power today. Be inhe open Internet Service to the power of the people . Or will the republicans and all those guys turn the power over to the monopolists who want to control us and throttle and block information we need . The question is, will we stand by and let them do this or are we going to raise our voices . Will we raise our voices and demands of the public internet be in service to the public . What about that . [cheers] these are our airwaves. The internet was started on the public dollar and the internet should be open to the public. I am telling you right now if we mobilize ourselves and organize right here and all over this country, if we never stop fighting, we will win this victory. The biggest enemy we have is if we decide those people are powerful, the big Internet Service providers are powerful. The people in the white house are powerful. They derive anything they got based on what we allow them to have. Right now, we are not allowing them to have no power. We demand it, we reclaim it. This, want to say to you that what is going on here is that they allow if they allow big corporations to control and takeize profits they will some of that extra money they made and they might open up some opportunities for people who do not have one. When has that ever happens when does that ever happen . If they say if you give the rich folks more tax cuts, they will use it to make jobs and sprinkle down on the . Rest of us. Does ever happened no. Then they will use the extra money to look after us. Does that ever happened . No. They are doing this so they could have more profit and by more political influence and give themselves more bonuses and create more mergers to get rid of more jobs. It is to screw the American People and we will not stand by for it. We will fight back and we are going to win. Never give up. Keep it up. Open internet, everybody. Thank you. Let us keep it moving. Ago, we were out here three years ago fighting for Net Neutrality. It is before the rules were passed. There was another fight brewing in the country at the time in ferguson. Ferguson became a flash point became thersation birth of a Movement Like black lives matter to go from a two people organizing all over the country. Up next, it is my honor to bring artist and aia streets . Aof whose film about the murder of Michael Brown and the uprisings in ferguson. Definitely check it out. Let us give it up. David davids. [cheers] how are yall doing today . I am from a small place in the middle of the country called st. Louis. I dont not know if you all heard of it. I guess we get considered a flyover place and people rarely Pay Attention to how we live. Do you know what im saying . A couple of years back, a kid was killed and we all went out into the street to get justice for him. We would not have been able to mobilize. We would not have been able to get any attention on and nobody would have known what happened to us after the protests started without a free internet. Known about have uprising in other countries are places like st. Louis, flint flint, it shouldnt and places like that without a free internet. Movie, i camethis here to talk about this specific thing to members of congress. I remember it was a hard concept for me to grasp in the beginning until i realized that it was not just about having to pay a ortle bit more for netflix getting charged to tweak and things of that nature. That is one thing about as bad, but imagine if they just turned the news on our block this out when ferguson was happening. For all of the people who are not on the coast and the people that get forgotten a lot, i just want you all to know that this is a big issue where we come from. Yourstand that i stand with and everybody where i come from is really worried about this and were thinking about it. The real question is, what are we going to do now . Thank you for letting me speak today. I really appreciate it. Just keep up the good fight. [cheers] thank you, david. This is the fight right here. Coming up next, we have some more congressional champions coming up here. A failure ofe have leadership going on inside the fcc, we do have people we can count on. Next up is representative jose serrano from new york. He has been a longtime Net Neutrality champion fighting in the trenches with us since day one. Congressman jose serrano. [cheers] good morning. That theell congressman from minnesota came up with just a jacket and a tie. Im used to new york, and even though he claims he gets called out there, i know that when the wind blows, it is as cold as minnesota on its worst day. Remember, i can do this in two sentences, but i will not because you will be disappointed i did not say a few more words. It is the internet, not the elite net. Fors not supposed to be some people. It is supposed to be for all people. People get their information from there. It has to be open to everyone. I represent a community mostly of latinos and africanamericans and folks from africa and other countries like that. And other continents like africa. Noticed is things i that every day, more and more and more and more people at senior centers, and hospitals, and areas of recreation are using the internet to get information and yes, at times, to entertain because they can find movies and information that they have not seen for years. And they remember from their youth. Remember what youre fighting for here. You are just not fighting a fight against corporations, youre fighting against corporations for the people who do not have a voice. You are their voice. This is what you are here today for. I want you to say after me. It is the internet. It is the internet. Not the elite net. Not the elite net. It is not for some people. When i was on the appropriation of many subcommittees that i made surefcc, every year that we put language in the bill allowing this not to in moving toward where we are today at this point. Last year, of course, things changed and a new mayor came to the white house and a new group came in. And so, when we put an amendment to do the same thing, we were defeated. But we are not defeated yet, my friends. One thing i learned in all may years in Public Office is that whatever this puts out in law, whatever puts out in regulations , can hear enough cry from the people and there is a turnaround. This is what we need to do. We need to educate our community. We need to let them know of the importance of the internet belonging to everyone. I will close with this. When it was created, and it began to take off, it was understood that it would serve and service all people. It is not for the big money grabbers now to determine who is going to have access, who is going to have information, who is going to have knowledge, who is going to have education. No, it belongs to you, just like this country belongs to you. Just like the flag belongs to you. Do not let anybody take any of those things away from you because they belong to all of you. [cheers] so this congressman from the south bronx stands with you. Wow. I have never been hit the hard in the south bronx. But i will speak from here. With a pulled muscle on my leg. A tough guy. Last week. It is not just the incident or Net Neutrality. There is a lot in this country where theyre saying, that plug his mind, it is not yours. This country is mine, it is not yours. This policy is mine, it is not yours. That is not true. , andlongs to all of us make sure that you stand up for even if you have to get pushed off the stage. Dont worry about it. Oligopoly that my friends, and i leave you with this, is a wish to go further and i found out that when you push me off the stage, i still have speak afterwards. Inc. You so much. One last comment. In spanish we have a saying, tell me who you walk with, and i will tell you who you are. I walk with you, you walk with me, we walk with Net Neutrality. Together, we are one. We shall not be defeated. Thank you. [cheers] thank you so much. We have to get you to stretch later. Stretch that out. Will keep it rolling to the next congressional champion to the great state of washington. Shut up to seattle. If youre on the livestream, you can shout too. Whispered her up. [cheers] let us bring her up. [cheers] hello, good morning fighters for justice. I represent the seventh Congressional District in the state of washington. Had a lot worse than clocks falling over on us on the stage. The internet is not just the internet. The internet is about our democracy. Is about justice and ensuring access for people across this andtry to be able to work organize and fight for justice if you think about the need to move network likewise ladder or any social movement that has been able to use the internet, think about what they are trying to do to silence our voices. There is one answer and it is no. No. Were not hell we will not let you change this role. If they need to bring out dead people to submit comment on this rule, then you know they are nervous about the power we have. Let us be very clear about what this rule would mean for communities of color across the country. We already know that the lack of access to the internet and communities of color is substantial. We know that black and brown communities that low income communities, Rural Communities across this country are to get access to the information. All this will do, because i am on the judiciary committee, because we had a hearing on this and there is not one argument that was made boat for why we need to change these rules. Why would we give all of the power to a cause im monopoly of Internet Services who can throttle and block content . There is only one reason for that, and it is because they want to make more money. That is all that this is about. And it is not right and we are going to fight and we need you in this fight. I want to say thank you because they think this might be over if they vote on it today. Let me ask you, is it going to be over . No. Are you going to go home and be quiet . No. Ifare we going to force them they take this boat first of all, they should not take this boat. Even republicans are saying that this is the wrong vote to take. Delay they should vote. But even if they think they are going to steamroll us today, we are going to fight and were going to win because this is the era of the people. We, the people, are going to the internetotect and Net Neutrality. Im going to say we are going to win. Just like we did in alabama. Just like we did in virginia. We are going to win. Thank you all, so much. Make some noise. [cheers] if youre feeling cold, make some noise. All right. Ere is what were going to do we will take a three minute musical break to get your body moving. Experience band and show. They will play more for us. They are not. They are gone. Oh no. Ou will take the music here