I wish I could tag this as discussion.
I’m getting little annoyed at people only say “protest are useless” then proceed to suggest nothing and do nothing just to keep us in a state of complacency with the status quo.
Protest do have a function they do show those in power that people are opposed to policy or politician, but more importantly they show that other people the people that live in their city or local area are willing to show their political stance publicly. It can raise awareness and pull people in the margin to your side. from what I experience, it can show the right that they wont act on their violent words.
I get that the opposition to protest say that it never changed anything or trump continues to act crazy, and I’d say that we need to do more in addition to the protest not that we shouldn’t do protest. I’ll need someone that advocate not doing protest to speak in the comment.
I want to see protest “upgrade” from a gathering of people to meet-and-greets and concert. If you are at a protest you should actually enjoy it, show off your signs explain it to other protestors, and talk with other people on what to do locally. I would suggest promoting a business at a protest.
protest are good way to get around social media algorithms
It seems a lot of the people who insist protests are useless do so either because they think the only necessary step is voting, and that since the situation we’re in was enabled by voting it’s just fine they guess, or they think protests are useless because the people now need to rise in armed and violent rebellion, and that only by dying in droves in the face of a militarized police force and the actual military will the blood of martyrs achieve change.
I’m always baffled by the people who are like, “Why is your protest disrupting my life?! I’m just trying to go about my business, get to my job, and pay my bills. What are you trying to accomplish other than making me hate you?”
Yeah, that’s the point. You’re supposed to hate the protest. It’s supposed to disrupt business as usual. The thing that everyone else is upset about, they want you upset about it, too. The point of a protest (among others) is to find the people that say “not my problem” and make it their problem.
A protest without disruption is just shouting.
Every action has a force, the point is society is full of such forces, some push in some direction, some push opposite to others. Protests are not useless, they push in one direction, but when there’s an overwhelming force pushing opposite of them, they get overwhelmed. At that point you either increase the force or find other actions.
The naysayers tend to get pretty quiet when you ask them what they’re personally doing that’s so much more effective. Keep up the fight buddy.
I do some local solo protesting on days that don’t have big organized gatherings, and people stop by sometimes to chat or give me snacks. I usually have a musical instrument with me even though I’m pretty bad at it. It’s been really cool too see how much support I get despite this being a conservative area, makes me have a little hope at least and hopefully others feel that as well when they see me out there. Hope and morale are important.
So far nothing worse than a few people pulling up in their trucks to try and stare me down, or the occasional Nazi salute or shouted slogan as people drive by. Here’s hoping I don’t get disappeared
Same here being in red panhandle of Florida. Got a surprising amount of love wearing the Palestine flag at the first no kings protest.
I’m probably getting used to what support i have been getting or just seeking out hostile people but the hostility from “the opps” is getting to me (it’s actually a long story that I’ll holding onto for a while). the repeated use of the F slur keeps playing in my head.
I have been proactive outside of protest and playing support for the Pensacola DSA and other members project. The more they do the more reasons there are to join the Pensacola DSA.
