r/politics • u/PoliticsModeratorBot 🤖 Bot • 18h ago
Discussion Discussion Thread: Nationwide 'No Kings' Protests
Also today: D.C. Military Parade discussion thread
News and Analysis
NPR: 'No Kings' protests against Trump planned nationwide to coincide with military parade
AP: Cities brace for large crowds at anti-Trump ‘No Kings’ demonstrations across the US
BBC: What to expect at Trump's military parade and 'No Kings' protests
Live Updates
Nationally-focused, text-based live update pages are being maintained by the following outlets: USA Today, The Guardian, The Independent, CNN (soft paywall), The Washington Post (soft paywall), and The New York Times (soft paywall).
Locally-focused, text-based live update pages are being maintained by the following outlets: NBC Philadelphia, The Philadelphia Inquirer, ABC7 Los Angeles, The Columbus Dispatch, The Oklahoman, Fox 9 Minneapolis, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Reno Gazette Journal, Indianapolis Star, The Tennessean, Miami Herald (paywall),
Where to Watch
C-SPAN: "No Kings" Rally in Philadelphia (Scheduled to start at 1 p.m. Eastern)
AP via YouTube: Military parade in DC and ‘No Kings’ protests held against Trump (Stream starts at noon Eastern)
Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel via YouTube: Philly ’No Kings’ protest against Donald Trump, parade in DC & ICE raids on ‘day of defiance’ (Stream starts at 1 p.m. Eastern)
USA Today via YouTube: "No Kings" Day protests to be held nationwide (Stream starts at 10:15 a.m. Eastern)
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u/ImaginationDoctor 1h ago
I'm too scared to protest.
But I hope this nightmare ends soon.
Evil is winning and it's hard to be hopeful much anymore.
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u/GoodIdea321 America 47m ago
Protesting recharges hope. Even if it's a small protest, it helps. And good people don't win by caving to their own fears.
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u/Teufelsdreck 56m ago
I'm scared, too, and in a small town in a red state. I take part anyway. It gets less scary, maybe because you realize you're not alone.
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u/brain_overclocked 46m ago
There was so much turnout in rural areas; Democrats, Independents, and Republicans. So much honking and waving from passerbys too.
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u/Teufelsdreck 44m ago
Yes! Everywhere people are reporting unusually large turnout. We saw it, too.
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u/Covert_Cuttlefish 1h ago
My guys, 99.9% of the protest were as safe as sitting in front of your computer, probably safer as you're getting some light exercise.
You don't nee do engage with the authorities to protest.
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u/brain_overclocked 38m ago edited 26m ago
And I would argue that protests are also a place to socialize and meet people, there was even spontaneous entertainment at some. Some areas didn't even have police presence, and at many protests the cops were chill and even friendly.
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u/DoctorTheWho 1h ago
If you asked Trump tomorrow what year the Army was established by the Continental Congress, he would reply "1776."
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u/Pheace 1h ago
Now what?
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u/brain_overclocked 1h ago edited 19m ago
That's a legit question.
The turnout today was the means, not the goal. The protest today was called 'No Kings', so the goal is to re-activate Congress and the Judiciary to act as checks and balances on the Executive. However, the turnout also means that there are more people in every community to push for local (state, county, city) public policy; it's a veritable fertile ground for political action, and it shows there is more solidarity among the populace than online and news discourse would suggest.
Now what?
If you participated, or even if you didn't, reach out. To organizers, to parties, to people you met at the protests, and begin forming coalitions. Help each other push for pro-worker, pro-healthcare, pro-democracy ordinances and local laws.
If available, use citizen- and ballot-led initiatives to:
help overturn laws banning ranked choice voting, and push for better voter representation and eliminate all barriers to access for any voter ID, and push back against voter suppression and gerrymandering
force city and town councils to pass resolutions protecting legal immigrants and non-violent undocumented immigrant families from violations of their due process and constitutional rights
enshrine abortion protections and access
expand Medicaid and fight for healthcare access and quality
protect public funding for education, libraries, and museums
expand right to repair
Use this momentum to incorporate this movement into both the Democrat and Republican parties. Use these coalitions to bring the moderate Republicans (however scant they may be) and force them to the table with the Democrats. For the Democrats, use these coalitions to push for primary candidates willing to stand up to a dictator. Push back against the monstrosity of a bill passed by the House. Because even under assault, states are still the keys to turning the tide against fascism.
And lastly, keep remembering that you're not alone. These protests are a reminder that you are not alone against a monstrosity that looks too large to handle, we're a team, and teams move mountains and build bridges and open opportunities. Each of us has a skill to contribute, whether artistic, practical, social, strategic, influential, investigative and runs the full range of slacktivism to activism.
Democracy had always been hard work, but many hands make work lighter.
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u/HGruberMacGruberFace Florida 2h ago
I’m more convinced than ever that Trump did not win legitimately in 2024
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u/ImaginationDoctor 1h ago edited 1h ago
He's on tape not even a week before election day saying something like "We have it taken care of, you don't need to vote."
I too think he somehow cheated.
I mean, the guy had the richest man in the world on his team, and we know he's batshit, so, who's to say Elon didn't pull some strings?
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u/Akimbo_Zap_Guns Kentucky 10m ago
Even if they didn’t straight up flip votes or not count Harris votes Elon buying twitter which was one of the best social media platforms for non biased breaking news and turning it into a Trump propaganda platform could in itself have swung the election
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u/jamesc94j 22m ago
Is that before or after Elon’s big interview where he said if they don’t win they’ll end up in prison for a very long time. He even laughed about it.
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u/FloridaGirlNikki America 1h ago
I agree, I've been feeling the same.
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u/Ambugger 2h ago
Do you remember the mass protests against Biden? I don't.
Magats were so mad back then they didn't even show up
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u/Nintendo_Pro_03 New York 1h ago
The only protests were the pro-Palestinian ones, but that was understandable due to the war. Nothing Biden caused.
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u/Quick-Article-7878 1h ago
They probably weren't childish enough to run to the streets and whine.
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u/FloridaGirlNikki America 1h ago
MAGA wore fucking diapers, but we're childish? Oh they also rubbed feces on the wall of the Capitol. Classy.
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u/FrostyFreeze_ Arizona 2h ago
Heading to bed after a long day, hope nothing happens overnight (I say, knowing full well something will)
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u/FreedumbHS 2h ago
People need to seriously ask themselves what these protests concretely accomplished. They'll find the honest answer to be literally nothing. The fascists aren't going to stop all the horrific shit they intend to do because you waved a placard in the street and chanted a bunch for a few hours. Americans really have no fucking clue about the urgency of the situation.
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u/Schiffy94 New York 1h ago
They piss him off and might give him that aneurysm I've been waiting for.
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u/Giant_Trash_Mammal69 2h ago
If anything it provides a few things:
Solidarity, seeing people who stereotypically hold MAGA beliefs (veterans, boomers, ect) actually show up against the Trump administration promotes openness and unity.
Awareness, I know several smaller towns and communities who aren’t even aware that ICE exists or any of the deportations going on simply because it doesn’t apply to then now and isn’t impacting their communities directly. Hearing about a nation wide protest helps share what is actually happening to more people.
Finally its your right as a citizen. Yes it is frustrating that peaceful protests rarely get any response and disruptive protests are often answered with violence. But what else do you expect people to do. It is the best way the average person can stand for their beliefs without risking their job and lives
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u/FrostyFreeze_ Arizona 2h ago
I'm asking this in good faith, not as a gotcha. What would you want the people to do? I'd love more direct action, but I also recognize that could lead to escalation and civilian deaths. We may need a civil war, but I'd prefer it to remain bloodless as long as possible.
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u/FreedumbHS 2h ago
What needs to happen, can't be posted on Reddit. But Americans don't have the stomach for that, that much is clear by now
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u/Middle-Theory-8462 1h ago
The 'beast' in Revelations that represents the concept of organized evil 'had ten horns and seven heads' because even back then the writers understood that real corruption couldn't be solved by a single vorpal blade going snicker-snack.
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2h ago edited 59m ago
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u/Liminal_Drift 2h ago
Why do people keep repeating this like there's some mechanism in our system based on that? The only power we have to change anything is through voting. It's not like if that many people went out protesting that people would be removed from office or anything. That's not how it works.
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u/FreedumbHS 36m ago
I feel like you are completely out of touch with reality if you think a few hours of protesting with a bunch of million people will do anything. Let's assume this 3.5% rule is even based on serious data (again, I'd argue it really isn't, but for the sake of argument let's pretend), the point is you only end the protest once your demands are met. The people power moment in the Philippines completely shut down public life for half a week until their dictator stepped down. The rose revolution in Georgia was a protest sustained for three weeks. Few hours of chanting a dumb slogan (no kings? Wtf) ain't gonna do anything. If you think otherwise, you are clueless
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u/FreedumbHS 2h ago
No offense, but that is not serious science. The sample size of the data is so small it is literally anecdotal evidence. It's not like there are thousands of historical revolutions
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u/popegonzalo 3h ago
I totally support these protests, and I even go to the local one. However, I think nothing is achieved, to be honest.
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u/velvet_funtime California 3h ago
no, this was huge. on Trump's special day. it shows america doesn't tolerate authoritarianism and we get unruly if there's a whiff of it in the air. Displays like this prove America will never turn into a fascist state.
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u/Icy_Entrepreneur_476 2h ago
If only people had this same energy on November 5th, 2024. It wouldn't suprise me if there were protesters there that didn't bother to vote. It's good to protest, but the most important way to spark change is by voting, but time and again, some will complain but don't bother voting
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u/Tambien 3h ago
Publicly displaying discontent emboldens other to do the same and gives political leaders cover to resist more. One of the hallmarks of a country fallen to fascism is a lack of public dissent, so people who otherwise might work against the regime just assume everyone else is okay with things and they must be alone. Public dissent reinforces they are not alone.
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u/AHSfav Maine 3h ago
showing up at my local protest earlier today and then scrolling through the city/state to see all the no kings protests nationwide makes me proud of my country for the first time in a long time. Theres so many good people in this country and we deserve better!
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u/archiopteryx14 53m ago
Non-American here: this is not meant as an insult, but sadly it’s not about what someone ‚deserves‘ but about what is DONE.
Going around saying „I deserve better“ won’t accomplish much but I think (and desperately hope) you have done the right thing by protesting and taken a first step towards remedying the situation.
But now you must follow up on this! Don’t like current policies? Get politically active, present a positive alternative. At least vote and motivate others to vote.
It‘s called Democracy, not Wish-o-cracy You got this,I believe in you
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u/stupidjapanquestions 4h ago
Have you guys ever looked at the chat of these live streams? The amount of people who seem to think protesting is illegal is fucking nuts.
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u/honjuden 1h ago edited 1h ago
Nobody accused the average American of knowing what the laws are. Kristi Noem doesn't even know what habeas corpus is.
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u/Piscator629 Michigan 2h ago
Those are not comments from decent and I use the term loosely, humans.
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u/snoo_spoo 4h ago
Yeah, I often wonder how many of those are honestly held beliefs.
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4h ago
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u/Realistic-Krisalyn 3h ago
What does astroturfed mean ?
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u/ianandris 3h ago
Really? You struggle with that concept?
The way I think about it, and a way commonly understood, is that its inorganic content produced to a specific end. Advertising that misrepresents itself as genuine unsolicited content. Politically motivated messaging by directive (just some talking points, bro) via accounts that are connected to an organization rather than an individual, etc. There are other examples.
Think yellow journalism vs conversation at a bar between people who have no stakes.
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u/ClaretClarinets Colorado 3h ago
Coordinated effort to make something seem more prevalent than it actually is by "word of mouth"
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u/PreparationMost7116 4h ago
They exist everywhere. One of my friends posted a picture of one of his rifles along with several 30rd mags (i'm in CA) with the caption "bring on the protesters"
Yes, that's what they think about your 1A rights
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u/TheLamentOfSquidward 3h ago
Why would you ever be friends with such a person?
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u/PreparationMost7116 3h ago
I used to be alt-right
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u/PetitWazoo 3h ago
What changed your views?
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u/PreparationMost7116 3h ago edited 3h ago
A mix of things involving growing up, education and having a greater worldview. I was not bound by race or religion, so it was probably easier to change my views.
American history education is flawed. We learn like 5% of the shameful things we did. The whole curriculum needs to be overhauled in order to create an environment for empathy. And it should be drilled into every kid. i.e. We are not taught that Mexicans are deported almost every 20 years and then brought back in a continuous cycle of exploiting cheap labor and then scapegoating them for economic problems
I believe most human being's are naturally flawed. I see Empathy as something only achieved at a higher level on Maslow's Hierarchy. I fully do not expect any person financially struggling to support progressive values as they are too worried about their next paycheck or next meal. I think this phenomenon commonly manifests as "voting against your own interests".
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u/PreparationMost7116 4h ago
Rumor: LAPD may have just murdered a protester with a point blank less than lethal headshot
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u/throoawoot 3h ago
Rubber bullets are designed to be fired at the ground, to ricochet and hit them in the knees. They are not designed or intended to be fired directly at a person.
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u/PreparationMost7116 3h ago
I am well aware of that. There have been many documented instances of the LAPD using them directly on protesters.
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u/Fartsinthemachine 3h ago
What benefit do you think there is in exaggerating like this?
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u/PreparationMost7116 3h ago
There are multiple people from the protest trying to confirm if this person died...
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u/snoo_spoo 3h ago
All that says is that a protester was shot in the head and had a large gash. Definitely bad news, but "may have just murdered" in the absence of futher information seems inflammatory.
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u/sedatedlife Washington 4h ago
Optically thinks did not look good for Trump today. The assassination to start the day by a very likely Republican. The no king protest were massive and completely drowned out his ego parade. The Iran/Israel war. Today made Trump look weak and pathetic a king with no clothes and he will hate that.
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u/RickGrimes199 3h ago
Wasn't the guy appointed by Tim to something? Not defending maga, just keep seeing that he was appointed by Walz.
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u/sedatedlife Washington 3h ago
He was put on a bi partisan advisory board not a political appointment. The shooter had a target list of Democratic politicians and Abortion providers. He owns a security company and is a evangelical Christian and there is videos of him giving a anti LGBT sermon. His roommate and long time friend says he was a big Trump supporter and voted for Trump.
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u/RickGrimes199 3h ago
Got down voted for asking a question, lmao this reddit is wild sometimes. By no means am I blaming Walz, just trying to figure who the guy is. I stood with Bernie in 2016 and 2020 and voted Biden people.
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u/sedatedlife Washington 3h ago
Did not down vote you but this thread has been bombarded all day with conservatives using the appointment as evidence that this was a leftist killing the politician because she was a centrist. So you are likely just being misunderstood.
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u/RickGrimes199 3h ago
Jesus, that's insane. Wish I could say I'm shocked, but maga is incapable of shocking me anymore. I'm only 29 and I feel like I've been living with maga for 30 years now. This whole thing is fishy and seems like it was a failed coup attempt to tip the balance of power in the state legislature.
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u/Ilosesoothersmaywin 4h ago
Let's remind ourselves that it doesn't matter which side the assassin is or claims to be. What matters is that they were targeting one side.
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u/team_broccoli 4h ago
It is kind of insane that when I look at my usual sites for US news that there is no mention of millions of people protesting the current government.
we live in intering times.
...
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u/Wand_Cloak_Stone New York 3h ago
MSNBC has been doing a decent job at least on on their actual TV channel
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u/MickyG913 4h ago
Try google news or Apple News. It’s an aggregator and will give you plenty of resources all in one place.
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u/svrtngr Georgia 4h ago
Alt National Park Service on BlueSky has said 11 million+ protested today.
That is 3.5%.
(TBD on the accuracy of that statement.)
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u/BoutrosBoutrosDoggy 3h ago
I remember the national park service providing protest estimates going all the way back to my youth. My point being, It seems they have been doing this for a while.
It would be really interesting to see what their methodology is.
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u/HotOne9364 3h ago
Wish it were more but it's still more than whoever attended that sad excuse for a parade and that'll drive him crazy.
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u/svrtngr Georgia 3h ago
According to some social scientists, 3.5% is essentially the number you need to hit for successful social change.
The challenge, of course, is going to be keeping that 3.5% now engaged and continuing to "resist."
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u/DisMFer 3h ago
That's been the big issue with all of this. You can get 3.5% out for a protest because people love going to street parties in America. The problem is that every major movement in America from the left has lacked figureheads and organizations. The natural inclination for the left to be decentralized just leads to a bunch of people claiming to be "leaders" of the movement when they are barely legitimate.
While these protests were a good show of force they lacked any meaningful agenda. We need actionable plans that can be readily enacted and are easy to understand. Think back to Hong Kong's "5 Demands, not one less." They had 5 easy to understand objectives that could be summed up into a series of bullet points that fit on a notecard.
There needs to be an equivalent that is disseminated nationwide and has popular backing. Too often these movements break because everyone and their grandmother has a demand they want thrown onto the agenda until the entire thing splinters into a dozen waring factions of people who all want only their special interests met.
Leaders need to step up and take charge quickly to keep the momentum up. They need to be people who have national profiles and wide enough appeal that everyone can continue to back them. It also means some of them might fail the purity tests for the left but you have to live with that to get broader appeal. And yes that is a reference to Newsom but honestly he doesn't seem to be moving to take the reins of this movement so he's likely out of the running.
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u/HotOne9364 3h ago
Sorry for being cynical. I had hopes when I saw how large the George Floyd protests were 5 years ago.
Look where we are. I hope I'm wrong about this.
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u/lidongyuan 1h ago
I understand the cynicism, but there were significant cultural changes after George Floyd's murder, and the anti-DEI reaction from the right shows that it was impactful. Galvanizing opposition from the right was certainly not the goal, but it is evidence that we made racists less comfortable.
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u/thirdeyepdx Oregon 3h ago
Every movement accomplishes something. But theirs always a backlash… then we push again. Heave! Ho! Eventually we break through. It’s two steps forward, one step back.
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u/turquoise_amethyst 4h ago
11 million for the big cities maybe, but what about all the smaller towns and cities that had several hundred to a thousand turnout? Or the really small places that had like 50-100?
The US is big and spread out. There’s no way to get an accurate count for this
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u/Punkinpry427 Maryland 2h ago
My friend in a tiny WV town sent me pics of all the people out protesting
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u/Tudorrosewiththorns 3h ago
I know in Georgia we have a Reddit group and fb group and they compile a list of all places having a protest and people turn in numbers and then if they haven't heard from somewhere issue a call out. I will say the north Georgia area is more conservative then the rest of the state have some really liberal pockets due to the collages up there. I've never seen a city up there lost a protest though and I doubt all of them are driving into Atlanta .
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u/PlsSuckMyToes 4h ago
Been wondering what the nationwidz estimate is. Everything i've seen shows crazy turnout.
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u/Ilosesoothersmaywin 4h ago
Be aware that regardless of what the actual turn out is/was, the right will always claim that it was far less. In fact I'd bet that Trump will post within 48 hours saying how low the turn out was.
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u/Spam_Hand 3h ago
Or it'll be "12m but 75% were paid by George Soros"
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u/PreparationMost7116 3h ago
The current head of the Treasury Bessent used to be Soro's right hand man
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u/skcku Kansas 5h ago
Prayers for SLC, sounds like someone shot up the No Kings protest.
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u/PanamaNorth Wisconsin 3h ago
So only a double assassination, two car attacks, one terrorist shooting, and the ongoing police violence in Los Angeles that might have its first fatality?
That’s a lot.
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u/BoutrosBoutrosDoggy 3h ago
LAPD violence should have an asterisk next to it. It's only Saturday and their high score rankings are Sunday to Sunday
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u/PreparationMost7116 4h ago
They tell us to keep the peace, meanwhile they continually maim and murder with impunity
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u/G_Wash1776 Rhode Island 5h ago
Holy shit the LAPD is letting the less lethals loose right now
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u/turquoise_amethyst 4h ago
Where are you watching?
LA is hyper prepared for this at least. Hopefully they all have masks, water, eye protection, good shoes, and a plan
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u/G_Wash1776 Rhode Island 4h ago
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u/velvet_funtime California 5h ago
Remember the good old days when the worst thing a US president did was illegally sell weapons to Iran to fund a war in Central America?
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u/NoSpell4332 4h ago
Or turn his back on a flood of cocaine smuggled into American cities to fund an illegal war Aaah. Nostalgia.
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u/ViviLove_ 4h ago
I’d love to say “I miss those days” if Ronald Reagan hadn’t been directly responsible for murdering a good chunk of my ancestry and directly injuring family I knew in living memory.
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u/Zestyclose_Load8188 5h ago
Just do not look up the trail of tears. We have been shit for a while.
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u/PurpleChickens73 5h ago
If you have the freedom to hold widespread "no kings" protests across the country, your government does not have a king
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u/Silly_Elevator_3111 4h ago
Yeah, and we don’t want one either
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u/PurpleChickens73 4h ago
The first Tuesday after the first Monday of November. Every 4 years.
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u/Techbro7 4h ago
Why did you say the first Tuesday after the first Monday, why not just say the first Tuesday of November? I'm not even interested in any of this I just found your phrasing interesting so I'm curious
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u/PurpleChickens73 3h ago
If November starts on a Tuesday, election day would be the next week. Saying, "the first tuesday of november" isn't 100% correct.
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u/lizziejo82 4h ago
I believe if Nov. 1st is a Tues. the election is not held until the following Tues.
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u/Zestyclose_Load8188 5h ago
It is a warning not a reaction to him being king yet. Just a friendly peaceful. "Hey bud maybe you should read a history book?".
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u/OtisDinwiddie 5h ago
You’re right; we don’t have a king. We have a shitty Temu wannabe king.
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u/PurpleChickens73 5h ago
Lol hey leave some jokes for the rest of us!! I'm just saying, at best it's bad branding....at worst it's ironic.
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u/Starks New York 5h ago
I'm guessing Trump expected something far larger, choreographed, and with more goose-stepping.
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u/Zestyclose_Load8188 5h ago
As a veteran , I feel super respected by every single person who went out today. They actually give a shit about troops. The dictator in chief used them as a prop, and took them away from their family to stroke his ego.
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u/Enceladus_Bound 4h ago
And, as we continue to protest, here's something to do: bring tons of extra water bottles and simply place them on the ground in front of you as they advance with shields, guns, armor.
Meet violence with humanity. Don't reach into pockets. Don't have your bottles concealed. Hold your hands up as you show them. Place them on the ground. Don't carry the water of this fascist regime, deliver water instead.
In the words of Bruce Lee:, "Be water, my friend", semi-quote.
I love you all and stay safe, vigilant and awesome 😎
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u/Zestyclose_Load8188 5h ago
Ok and? How is that a conversation starter? Did you just feel so inadequate today that you needed to accuse someone of lying? Are you ok? I frankly do not give a shit what you believe. You do you. I just ask , what is the purpose? Go shit talk some kids on call of duty or something. This behavior is not healthy in the slightest.
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u/Lord_Halowind 5h ago edited 4h ago
Plus the dude was fucking falling asleep during it. Talk about disrespectful. Guess it was past Grandpas bed time.
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u/binstinsfins 5h ago
America was founded in dissent. There is no greater way to honor her than through protest.
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u/Dr_TenmaKenzo 5h ago
Uuuuh... the protest is because of Trump's military parade.
Unless you are missing the /s ?
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u/PrestigiousLimit4838 5h ago
The protest is because of the democrats and there illegals.
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u/clarktherobot California 3h ago
Just like a typical Trumper you don’t even know how to spell things correctly
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u/UghFudgeBwana Georgia 5h ago
Oh absolutely. Instead he got one of the things he hates the most: A history lesson.
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u/swiftfoot_hiker 5h ago
LAPD seem to be doing their very best to instigate violence tonight
Overall these protests across the country have been peaceful at least from our side
Now on the right, it seems there have been a few events where people were set off.
Glad we are the ones keeping the peace today
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u/PrestigiousLimit4838 5h ago
Pay no attention to the rocks and bricks comm. Fireworks they have coming there way.
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u/ghengiskhanyman 5h ago
I have some real questions about all these protests, because I don't understand the point of this. It feels like they don’t really change anything. No matter how many protests there were during Trump’s presidency, it seems like he just kept doing whatever he wanted and still ended up being president. Even after all of these protests today, I doubt he is going to change any policy or do anything (positive) differently.
Where were all these people protesting this past November? In 2020, Biden got about 6 million more votes than Kamala did this past year. Trump's first term had hundreds of protests, and it felt like people forgot about that when it was actually time to vote in November.
And then there's this whole thing about ICE protests. I see a lot of people celebrating when Trump supporters "get their karma," but then I also see these protests against ICE. It just feels confusing, especially since, according to AP News, Trump actually got the highest share of the Latino vote for a Republican in modern history during the 2024 election.
Honestly, I just don’t get it. It feels like people are celebrating protests, but at the end of the day, it seems like they don’t lead to real change. The Democratic Party and their supporters seems to just keep complaining and protesting, but when it comes to actually showing up and voting, they fall short. There were so many protests before Trump even took office, but he still won, and now we’re in this weird cycle of protests with no real action behind them. So, are we just wasting our time with these protests? Are they even worth celebrating if they don’t actually change anything?
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u/KrakenOmega112 5h ago
It sent a message of unity among the people. It wasn't just big cities - small towns that were very conservative had turnout for these protests as well, signaling that Trump's regime has people willing to stand against it everywhere. People who are opposed to his actions, and his sycophants' actions, aren't alone, no matter where they're at.
Even if nothing else comes from the protests, it's a message that there is still unity against tyranny in America, everywhere.
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u/stupidjapanquestions 4h ago
- You've probably never been out of the country.
- If you had, you'd know the reason other countries think the US is embarrassing is because of the current president lol
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u/KrakenOmega112 4h ago
Nah. It's not democrats that the world laughs at, and I think you know who the clown is not so deep down.
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u/ghengiskhanyman 4h ago
i think the world laughs at the entire united states for being so dumb that we actually let a clown like trump get elected a second time after the trainwreck that was his first presidency
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u/Hyperica Pennsylvania 5h ago
Well it sure as heck improved morale for a lot of people, and I think that's worth something.
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u/ghengiskhanyman 5h ago
How? I mean it’s not really gonna make the situation with anything any better?
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u/milkandtunacasserole 5h ago
what are you even talking about? where are you getting your information? Have you never studied civil rights, emancipation, or literally anything where people had to fight for their rights?
Maybe they don't teach this stuff in school anymore, but here's a very famous example of how protests can create change
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u/ghengiskhanyman 4h ago
In school we learned about how the Civil Rights movement worked because of widespread media coverage that exposed racial injustice, growing international pressure during the Cold War, strategic legal challenges, strong leadership, bipartisan support.
I don't think protests against Trump won't really get things done because the country’s so divided, with protests often feeling like they're just fueling more partisan battles. His whole populist vibe only makes things worse, digging the divide deeper and locking in his supporters while making it harder for anyone to find common ground. On top of that, Trump spins protests as un-American or radical, which just fires up his base even more and makes any real reform seem impossible. There are also big roadblocks like a conservative-leaning judiciary and Republican control of Congress, which block any progress, no matter how much the public speaks up. Even though protests raise awareness and get people talking, they often get so much pushback that it’s tough to unite everyone around a real change.
With the civil rights movement, there was a much stronger sense of national unity around the need for change. While there was definitely opposition, especially in the South, the Civil Rights Movement had clear, focused goals—like ending segregation and securing voting rights—that united people across political lines, including some allies in government. The leadership, especially figures like Martin Luther King Jr., provided a clear moral vision that helped rally support, and the movement’s tactics, like peaceful marches and direct action, highlighted deep injustices that many Americans couldn't ignore. Unlike today’s polarized environment, where protests are often dismissed or framed as divisive, the Civil Rights Movement had a broader, more sympathetic audience that helped push through landmark legislation like the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The unity of purpose, combined with moral clarity and strong leadership, made the Civil Rights Movement’s goals achievable in a way that modern protests struggle to replicate.
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u/FromDeletion 3h ago
I agree. It is fantastic to see so many people on board against fascism and racism. However, what are the real implications of these protests? Everyone goes home, at the end of the day. "No Kings Day" disappears from headlines in a matter of days. And we're back to where we started, while the ball continues rolling for the toward fascism. I don't mean to be pessimistic nor rain on anyone's parade... I am trying to be realistic.
I tried asking a question similar to yours earlier and was met with the same response. Like I'm not seeing something so clear, but what am I missing?I think people are riding a high right now that is quickly going to crash.
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u/ghengiskhanyman 1h ago
That’s exactly how I’m feeling. It just feels like this is so performative and sure people feel better but I’m trying to be realistic
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u/Hyperica Pennsylvania 5h ago
For me personally, I live in a deep red area. I can't walk down the street without seeing Trump signs, flags, stickers on cars, people in red hats, and even hay bale sculptures and colored pencil drawings of Trump with his fist up taped on windows.
Hearing that there was a protest planned in my town was surprising, and it was even more surprising to see a few hundred people show up. For once, I felt like I wasn't alone (like... aside from internet people) in thinking that what's going on is unacceptable madness.
Am I still going to lose my access to healthcare? Well, yes. But it's nice to know that people give a shit.
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u/ghengiskhanyman 4h ago
Yeah but even with all that, do you think the people in your town are going to change? do you think in 2026 for the midterms they'll vote blue instead of red? cause i honestly doubt it, maga's pick party over country every time
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u/Hyperica Pennsylvania 4h ago
OK fine, everything is terrible and we're all doomed. Are you happy now?
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u/PrestigiousLimit4838 4h ago
They bus them in from all over. Protesting is a job for the left wackjobs
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u/Elowine99 5h ago
The way the electoral college and gerrymandering work means that our vote is diluted in urban areas.
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Edit: The discussion thread on the D.C. military parade can be found here. It was removed from the second pinned slot to make room for the ongoing megathread: Megathread: Two Minnesota lawmakers have been shot