No King parade planned across the country

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Really poor attendance was quite disappointing.

What's that about not caring? Hmm?

[Anonymous]

I'm from Leesburg. I went to our No Kings protest and was pleasantly surprised that 1700+ people came out (I think it was more like 2k because they also lined the streets). One of the speakers was Michael Fanone, a former Capitol Police officer who was on duty Jan 6 and was attacked. He was a powerful speaker. He had tears in his eyes talking about Jan 20 of this year watching Trump pardon the people who had given him a TBI and heart attack.

What was interesting was the number of Republicans against Trump signs I saw. I also saw a sign that said something like here to right my wrong from November 5. I spoke to the guy and he's a 3-time Trump voter who realized the error he made. So, I guess my takeaway is that people ARE waking up. There are many MAGA who are too far gone, but there are others who can be swayed.

The No Kings protests taught us one thing: there are more of us than them.

[Anonymous]

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Anonymous wrote:LOL.

Clearly the No Kings protests struck a nerve. They sent a message and it appears it was received.

I get the purpose behind the protests...but honestly...aside from making you feel better, what did it really solve? Sure, it proved that you did what you have the right to do...protest. But the protests are over and tomorrow it's back to work. Back to school.

It proved there's a massive, organized resistance. Millions of people are willing to risk standing up to a wanna be dictator. What do you think should happen instead?

No it didn't lol. You got a lot of people to show up and wave some signs. You didn't resist anything. Everything you protested against will continue, unobstructed and entirely unaffected by these peotests. Getting people to show up and wave a sign around on a Saturday is very very different from actively resisting anything.

You guys got a lot of nice pictures and made Trump sad. That's it.

HAHA. Sore loser. Our party was HUGE and everyone, everywhere, in every state wanted to go -- Went! I am sorry people were too embarrassed (or disgusted) to go to Trump's birthday bash.

Not a Trumpty Dump. I just don't see these protests effectuating anything. I want to see actual resistance, not comparisons of crowd size.

In order to build resistance, you have to educate people and get them to feel a part of a community and something bigger than themselves.

Sure, but at some point you also have to *do something* too. Lot of folks seem satisfied to stay at the community building/social media end of things. How many of the millions who showed up to take pictures and wave signs are going to go home and actively organize within their communities? How many are actively working to form mutual aid groups or organize their workplace? How many are actively working toward a general strike? I'll tell you—I'm at the meetings and it's not many.

I'm frankly sick and tired of seeing American resistance start and end at these damn sign parties. And then you all get self congratulatory afterward about crowd sizes, like you actually frickin did something. You didn't do anything. You saw all the people. You waved your signs. You felt good about yourselves. Now go DO something! Don't just sit on your ass until the next sign party or until it's time to vote.

Hi, concern troll. What is it that you want the resistance to do? Take up arms? Start a civil war? Attack the Capitol? Please be specific in what tactics you think will work.

Did you read my comment before you called me a concern troll? Because I literally gave examples of more effective actions people could take instead of focusing on these performances.

- Get involved with local organizing groups, find out what they are working on and how you can help

- Get involved with local mutual aid groups. Help create a safety net for the more vulnerable members of your community directly affected by fascist policies. Donate money, extra clothes, bring food to community fridges, etc.

- Organize your workplace. If you aren't in a union, get in one. If there isn't one, start one. A general strike requires organization and strike funds. We need to increase union membership to realistically make one happen. There are many groups working toward this goal. Find one and join them.

- Get involved in your local community. Get to know your local representatives. Know what they are up to. Know how to contact them, and make sure they'll know who the eff you are when you do. Attend your neighborhood association meetings.

Actual organizing and resistance starts locally and on the ground. Have fun with your little sign parties, but don't for one second tell yourself that you're doing resistance if that's where your active involvement ends.

Uh, the people taking part in the sign parties are the same ones who are doing the things you outlined. The idea is to raise awareness and recruit more to take an active part in the cause. That is how ogianizing and catalyzing works.

Except they aren't. Like I said, I'm at the meetings. We had about 3k at our local demonstration. Wanna know how many people attended the last neighborhood meeting? 11. I've been part of an organization working toward a general strike for years. Wanna know how many folks attended our last meeting? 23. Because people think these demonstrations ARE resistance. They waved their sign, they vote, so they've resisted, the end. And the people with actual boots on the ground doing work in your local community continue to work, essentially alone.

They are resistance (NP) and it refueled my energy for sure. But people work. They have kids. They have parents to care for. Dogs to feed. Etc. It's MUCH easier to come for a few hours on a Saturday then consistently after work to do the hard stuff. This is the reason many don't vote, as well.

So don't excuse not coming to the community meanings as meaning no support. Some people, a LOT of people, simply can't and choose to express resistance in another manner. For example, when my child was in school, I did a lot of donations, raising money with things I was already doing (i.e., 5ks), sending postcards from home, etc. i simply did not have time to do what you are suggesting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

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Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LOL.

Clearly the No Kings protests struck a nerve. They sent a message and it appears it was received.

I get the purpose behind the protests...but honestly...aside from making you feel better, what did it really solve? Sure, it proved that you did what you have the right to do...protest. But the protests are over and tomorrow it's back to work. Back to school.

It reminded Trump and his sycophants that many many Americans are paying attention and are angry. This is a democracy so it matters what the people think.

Np here. I hate being so cynical, but we no longer live in a country where it matters what the people think. In normal times, leaders would see massive protests and offer some semblance of compromise or reassurance. If for no other reason, fear of not being re-elected. But the gop somehow does not seem concerned about future elections. The protests were great, but we need to follow that up with lasting changes. Get off of meta, X, Amazon. Don’t give money to red states, etc. Protesters need to be persistent. We need to fill McPherson Square with 500 protesters at all times, for starters. The press needs to stop giving them the coverage/attention they want and call them out on every lie, every time. The protests are a good start, but it should be a catalyst for resistance - not a one and done.

There were 5 million Americans at 6 protest this weekend, 2% of the population. And almost double the protest numbers of May.

If our government refuses to listen, imagine what the July protests will look like. Or August.

THEY DO NOT CARE. Why don't you people get this?

Because I'm not a nihilist.

Yes, they see. They are not blind. And they really really care.

Then we fundamentally disagree. On my end, it looks like y'all had fun, but it didn’t move the people with actual power one millimeter. Nothing changed because effective protest requires certain ingredients that this kind of protest very specifically and intentionally does not have. If they actually threatened power in any way, they would not be allowed to happen.

This is a really strange view of the country that you have.

This weekend, a crazy conservative assassinated attempted to assassinate another Democrat state legislator. This weekend, 4-6 million Americans peacefully protested (with some violence done to them in Utah and Virginia and California) the unlawful and unconstitutional and unAmerican things that our president and government are doing.

You think our president and government could have stopped them?

How?

You have a naive understanding of the way power works on this country, who has it, and for what causes they are allowed to wield it.

Okay.

I have some understanding of how large this country is, population and square footage. I have some understanding of how fundamental the ideals of this country are, in our culture, of freedom, individuality, and respect for the law. There are criminals, but they are not respected. By anyone.

If you think this weekend was meaningless, you might be right. I think you're wrong. We'll see.

There's a reason the Jan 6th protesters made it inside the Capitol and only one of them was shot, while the BLM protests elicited a very different response from law enforcement.

There's a reason my local protest happened at a park, not in front of the ICE building or even downtown.

There's a reason these protests were largely white and thus were allowed to remain largely peaceful.

There's a reason the LA protests in particular have been spicier than all the others.

Stop being naive. We can't fight what most of y'all won't even be honest with yourselves is happening.

When a mob of hundreds forcefully breaches security at our nation's Capitol Building, The White House, or The Pentagon, it isn't a "protest" or a riot. That situation is an attack on our nation's sovereignty and the attack should be met with immediate deadly force. Jan 6th was a law enforcement and security failure.

Rioters and looters taking advantage of large protests in major cities should be met with an immediate response from law enforcement and arrests but not immediate deadly force. Most city riots involving looting and vandalism also involve failures of law enforcement to act swiftly and dutifully.

These two situations aren't comparable other than the failures of law enforcement part. Try again.

This.
While I recognize the MAGA playbook is to conflate protest (first amendment rights to speech and assemble) with violence in order to intimidate and shame people who are profoundly angry about Trump’s violations of our norms and the Constitution, I am tired of it. But, not so tired that I will stop protecting the values of my country.

- independent/former R

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I'm from Leesburg. I went to our No Kings protest and was pleasantly surprised that 1700+ people came out (I think it was more like 2k because they also lined the streets). One of the speakers was Michael Fanone, a former Capitol Police officer who was on duty Jan 6 and was attacked. He was a powerful speaker. He had tears in his eyes talking about Jan 20 of this year watching Trump pardon the people who had given him a TBI and heart attack.

What was interesting was the number of Republicans against Trump signs I saw. I also saw a sign that said something like here to right my wrong from November 5. I spoke to the guy and he's a 3-time Trump voter who realized the error he made. So, I guess my takeaway is that people ARE waking up. There are many MAGA who are too far gone, but there are others who can be swayed.

The No Kings protests taught us one thing: there are more of us than them.

Thank you for this. It's heartening to hear.

[Anonymous]

Democrats are old. Both rank and file, and leadership.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Democrats are old. Both rank and file, and leadership.

The innocent bystander protestor who was killed in Utah was 39. Not old. That's the only age of a confirmed peaceful protestor that I know. Besides all of my friends and neighbors, that is, who are not old.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I hope the House members are paying attention. Let Trump threaten to primary you all he wants, you don't need him. The people in your districts will support you standing up for them against the wanna be dictator.

They should have learned this from the businesses that capitulated. Sales when up at companies that stood up to him and went down at companies that caved. White Shoe law firms lost big $$$$$ clients over it.

I take comfort in knowing that other countries are seeing the streets full of protestors. It’s important for the rest of the world to know we’re not all crazy fascists excited to allow criminals to loot our government.

[Anonymous]

Does the No Kings slogan carry the same meaning as the Don't Tread on Me slogan?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LOL.

Clearly the No Kings protests struck a nerve. They sent a message and it appears it was received.

I get the purpose behind the protests...but honestly...aside from making you feel better, what did it really solve? Sure, it proved that you did what you have the right to do...protest. But the protests are over and tomorrow it's back to work. Back to school.

It proved there's a massive, organized resistance. Millions of people are willing to risk standing up to a wanna be dictator. What do you think should happen instead?

No it didn't lol. You got a lot of people to show up and wave some signs. You didn't resist anything. Everything you protested against will continue, unobstructed and entirely unaffected by these peotests. Getting people to show up and wave a sign around on a Saturday is very very different from actively resisting anything.

You guys got a lot of nice pictures and made Trump sad. That's it.

HAHA. Sore loser. Our party was HUGE and everyone, everywhere, in every state wanted to go -- Went! I am sorry people were too embarrassed (or disgusted) to go to Trump's birthday bash.

Not a Trumpty Dump. I just don't see these protests effectuating anything. I want to see actual resistance, not comparisons of crowd size.

In order to build resistance, you have to educate people and get them to feel a part of a community and something bigger than themselves.

Sure, but at some point you also have to *do something* too. Lot of folks seem satisfied to stay at the community building/social media end of things. How many of the millions who showed up to take pictures and wave signs are going to go home and actively organize within their communities? How many are actively working to form mutual aid groups or organize their workplace? How many are actively working toward a general strike? I'll tell you—I'm at the meetings and it's not many.

I'm frankly sick and tired of seeing American resistance start and end at these damn sign parties. And then you all get self congratulatory afterward about crowd sizes, like you actually frickin did something. You didn't do anything. You saw all the people. You waved your signs. You felt good about yourselves. Now go DO something! Don't just sit on your ass until the next sign party or until it's time to vote.

Hi, concern troll. What is it that you want the resistance to do? Take up arms? Start a civil war? Attack the Capitol? Please be specific in what tactics you think will work.

Did you read my comment before you called me a concern troll? Because I literally gave examples of more effective actions people could take instead of focusing on these performances.

- Get involved with local organizing groups, find out what they are working on and how you can help

- Get involved with local mutual aid groups. Help create a safety net for the more vulnerable members of your community directly affected by fascist policies. Donate money, extra clothes, bring food to community fridges, etc.

- Organize your workplace. If you aren't in a union, get in one. If there isn't one, start one. A general strike requires organization and strike funds. We need to increase union membership to realistically make one happen. There are many groups working toward this goal. Find one and join them.

- Get involved in your local community. Get to know your local representatives. Know what they are up to. Know how to contact them, and make sure they'll know who the eff you are when you do. Attend your neighborhood association meetings.

Actual organizing and resistance starts locally and on the ground. Have fun with your little sign parties, but don't for one second tell yourself that you're doing resistance if that's where your active involvement ends.

Uh, the people taking part in the sign parties are the same ones who are doing the things you outlined. The idea is to raise awareness and recruit more to take an active part in the cause. That is how ogianizing and catalyzing works.

Except they aren't. Like I said, I'm at the meetings. We had about 3k at our local demonstration. Wanna know how many people attended the last neighborhood meeting? 11. I've been part of an organization working toward a general strike for years. Wanna know how many folks attended our last meeting? 23. Because people think these demonstrations ARE resistance. They waved their sign, they vote, so they've resisted, the end. And the people with actual boots on the ground doing work in your local community continue to work, essentially alone.

They are resistance (NP) and it refueled my energy for sure. But people work. They have kids. They have parents to care for. Dogs to feed. Etc. It's MUCH easier to come for a few hours on a Saturday then consistently after work to do the hard stuff. This is the reason many don't vote, as well.

So don't excuse not coming to the community meanings as meaning no support. Some people, a LOT of people, simply can't and choose to express resistance in another manner. For example, when my child was in school, I did a lot of donations, raising money with things I was already doing (i.e., 5ks), sending postcards from home, etc. i simply did not have time to do what you are suggesting.

You're exactly who I'm talking about. The people who think going out to these and waving a sign is in and of itself resistance. It's not. You accomplished nothing. Hopefully you'll find time to for actually doing something before it's too late. But, like most people, I'm sure you'll just be too busy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does the No Kings slogan carry the same meaning as the Don't Tread on Me slogan?

Which century?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Democrats are old. Both rank and file, and leadership.

Positively geriatric.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does the No Kings slogan carry the same meaning as the Don't Tread on Me slogan?

Hey. Now that you mention it . . .

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The person saying protests don’t accomplish anything is both right and wrong. In the short term, no, nothing external changes. Not immediately.

At this point, the changes are more internal to those who attend. If you’ve never actually been to a big protest about something that matters to you, you won’t understand. You can’t. But it means something to be a part of something so big. It solidifies your own values and gives you courage and clarity and determination — which is exactly what powerful forces *don’t* want the people to have. It also normalizes resistance as a shared, ordinary value. It takes the movement from a sense of being “fringe” to something common, even widespread.

And from there, new things emerge. What precisely? No one can say. It’s like an invisible shift of an invisible current; it is happening below the surface, yet is still significant. If you don’t understand, and you care about democracy, try going to one. Just show up, look at the people who are there: veterans and doctors and coaches and teachers, young people and old people and in between. People who look the part, and people who very much do not. People who are standing there even knowing that at any moment some vehicle might drive into the crowd, or that someone might open fire. They are standing there anyway, determined to say what they have to say, refusing to just roll over and comply with whatever happens to be most convenient for the powerful.

Is it enough? No. Is the world tangibly, conspicuously changed when you get back in your car and drive home? No. But it does change something. If you don’t know, you don’t know. But if you know, you know.

Very nicely worded. I've been to 3 protests since April and this is exactly how I feel.

I love seeing all the different people who feel just like me. It helps with my anger and frustration for my MAGA relatives who aren't even informed of 80% of what is actually happening.

And yes, I attend Democratic meetings and canvassed neighborhoods last fall. I've offered my help in analyzing data in spreadsheets. I'm attending by Zoom the monthly meeting tomorrow night. I'm newly retired and have time now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Democrats are old. Both rank and file, and leadership.

Positively geriatric.

So? Why is that significant?