leaders with the most prominent Trump-resistance group organizing “No Kings” answered that complaint Saturday when Indivisible’s Ezra Levin took to the stage in Minneapolis and announced that a nationwide general strike is planned for May 1, modeled after a successful local action that shut down much of that region in January
Ok, so 8 million people went out and publicly proclaimed their hatred of trump. Now what? WTF did that accomplish? Sorry to be negative but these protests are nothing more than a symbolic gesture, they don’t actually accomplish shit. Its not like trump or any member of his cabinet is going to suddenly go “OMG they don’t like me, better resign”
Fortunately, there’s a website called nokings.org and if you were to peruse that “What’s Next” section at https://www.nokings.org/whats-next it will answer some of your questions.
Honestly, you don’t really sound sorry to be negative, and in fact, it’s almost impossible to differentiate your comment from the ones being made by Trump supporters. If you sound just like them and are saying the exact same things, then you’re really no different.
These events are currently in the build-up phase. People have to become familiar and comfortable with protesting. Protests can be scary. It takes a lot of bravery to get past that first step and show up to a massive protest in a city. It takes a lot of bravery to get past that first step and show up to a tiny protest in a small MAGA dominated town. But once people do that, it means they’re more likely to come to the next and bring a friend. And then the next and bring more friends. For there to be a chance of resisting, there needs to be enough people participating. These things, in the USA, just don’t happen by random chance.
Similarly, the people organizing and planning these events – local people who started with little or no experience planning for this type of thing. They have to learn how to do this. That takes time, practice, repetition. They aren’t paid experts who will get everything perfect on the first go.
Why bother? Because to actually pull this country back from the brink, it may very well require rapid response protests, on-going sustained protests. It will definitely require active civilian participation in politics and elections. The groups running these events are getting people signed up to help campaign for local, progressive leaders, to become poll watchers, and so on at record numbers – especially in these rural areas that have, for decades, been overwhelmingly conservative places. If Trump decides to invalidate the November election because he doesn’t like the outcome, who’s got a better chance at resisting and stopping that attack on democracy? Unorganized people who’ve never protested before and local organizations with no ability to mobile people OR an engaged populace of people who know what to do and what to expect and how to make that happen? The outcome isn’t guaranteed either way, but I like the odds of that latter group much better.
Wouldn’t it work better if it happened more than like twice a year on a weekend?
It’s happening more than twice a year. Another good reason to go visit that website I posted above! It’s called NOKINGS.ORG, you can view it in pretty much all the browsers I’ve tested. Lots of great information there for those curious and with questions like these!
But to make it even easier – There are 2 more No Kings events in the works leading up to November this year.
As for week day No Kings – Completely possible for future events, but for now that would never achieve the goal of larger and larger protests leading up to November. No matter what, there will be fewer people on a week day protest.
However, the May 1st event coming up – look at your calendar. That’s a FRIDAY.
They serve to build networks between the participants and skills for organizing and mobilizing.
Organizing for what? Skills to do what?
I’m pretty involved in be anything on the left in my city. Maybe 50 people “signed up” to be in various groups I’m in. 10s of thousands walked around on a nice weathered day.
The Trump administration doesn’t care. They know they are unpopular but if you steal enough power, it doesn’t matter.
That’s the problem with these protests.
So I guess we already lost and should just accept things no matter how bad they get
I’m not saying that. I’m saying we need to do more.
so don’t do this but do more? wouldn’t do more mean you do the basics and more?
Not saying protesting is bad. I’m just saying Trump doesn’t care and we need to do more than have a few large protests.
Making a real change takes a number of things, including realizing that there are enough other people that feel the same way.
These protests will not directly lead to change, but they will help move us in the right direction. They are a necessary part.
What proponents don’t get:
Turning out in the streets with no action doesn’t actually “do” anything. Yes, it gives participants warm fuzzies, but that’s about it.
I really hope organizers used the opportunity to do something productive. Register people to vote, collect volunteers for the upcoming primaries and the general election in the fall, push the red states to reject Republican ideology and candidates that are actively injuring all of us.
8,000,000 / the current US population estimate of 342,400,000 is 2.34% of the US out protesting on Saturday. That’s fantastic, but it’s not enough to move the needle.
Where does it need to be?
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190513-it-only-takes-35-of-people-to-change-the-world
Just short of 12 million. We are getting there.
No Kings June, 2025 - 5 million
No Kings October, 2025 - 7 million
No Kings March, 2026 - 8 millionOn this track, the next one will be close to 10 million. Proponents will argue they are over, detractors will say they missed the target, but 10 million more or less.
We are at least 2-3 more protests of this size away from hitting the 3.5% thresh-hold, but it is do-able before the 2028 elections.
Like the other comment says, the “protests don’t do anything” argument looks like it makes sense, but it really doesn’t. Sure, it alone doesn’t do anything, but it doesn’t happen in a vacuum. It’s a stepping stone. It leads to further organization and action. It’s an easy, relatively risk free, way to get people involved, and it’s easier to get them to go further after that first step is taken.
That’s the thing, without further organization and action the net result was “Well that was fun!”
“Well that was fun” is also an okay feeing to have coming away from the protest. It means it’s more likely for that person to show up again next time.
The one I went to had a food drive and a voter registration booth.
Also protest do something incredibly important that people don’t seem to understand.
They bring people together. People who have ideas.
People who are maybe a bit more impatient, violent, and reckless than the masses.
They motivate those individuals to take more aggressive action.
Protests make such individuals feel like they have the support of the people (and they do).
Like burning down Tesla dealerships.
Like trying to burn down concentration camps.
Because if you study any history, you know that the oppressors NEVER give up their power because someone asks or even demands.
It will have to be taken. At great personal cost to those taking it.
Such people will be inspired to action from the display of protests. They will feel validated in their illegal (almost certainly) actions. And feel like it’s worth the risk.
This is very important.
It’s a sanitized social gathering funded by the Democratic party and a bunch of equally lame affiliates. I’ve been to these. They’re meant for boomers to sing We Shall Overcome together and not much else.
will you strike on May 1?
Absolutely. An economic shutdown would have material effects.
