Grassroots groups are surging across Riverside. Here are 3 you should know.

Stand Up Riverside

Stand Up Riverside currently has over 850 members in its Facebook group, and the numbers are only likely to rise. According to its website, the group’s mission “is to protect the American way of life by bravely standing and speaking as patriots in support of our military, law enforcement, our flag, our right to worship, and the integrity of our schools.”

The group appears to have already made a substantial political footprint in the community, having hosted a fundraising event to re-elect Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco on Oct. 16. Other events put on by the group include a “Stop the Mandates” protest outside of the Riverside Unified Board meeting held Oct. 21 and a fire-side chat with The National Pulse reporter Natalie Winters held Nov. 23.

Riversiders for School Equity (RiSE)

RiSE is a “coalition of community organizations and advocacy groups that are fighting for equity, fairness, and quality educational environments for Riverside students.” Groups working with RiSE include the Eastside Think Tank, North High School Alumni Association, and The League of United Latin American Citizens.

Aram Ayra, who ran for a seat in City Council, helps run social media for RiSE. Ayra said the group was “formed in response to a very long and detailed history of neglect and under-resourcing that has occurred in a lot of our schools, particularly are east side schools.”

Ayra also said the group is pressing for North High School to receive direct funding for repairs and renovations to its campus facilities and is pushing to stop the Riverside Unified School District from building at STEM high school on the UC Riverside campus.

Riverside Residents Against Government Excess (RAGE)

RAGE is a group of “non-partisan Riverside residents who want to alert the public to upcoming decisions that have impacts on our city’s finances, environment, and quality of life.”

The group has been a vocal opponent of Measure C, which is on the Nov. 2 ballots. According to RAGE, “[Measure C] allows the city to continue secretly [raise] taxes through your utility bills rather than being fiscally responsible.”

The group has also advocated against City Council vote to approve Phase 1 of the city’s General Plan to comply with California’s Regional Housing Needs Assessment’s (RHNA) 2021-2029 Housing Element Cycle.

“The city of Riverside has not ensured water sustainability, transportation, green spaces, power and community services for the amount of building underway,” the group said of the decision.