Many have observed that Trump . . . is looking to create a pretext for a much harsher crackdown. This makes Saturday’s No Kings protests even more consequential. In the event of any violence, whether from protesters or agent provocateurs, the president will doubtless seize on it to expand his power.

  • Septimaeus@infosec.pub
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    3
    ·
    21 hours ago

    Since a bunch of dubious comments here are arguing for a general strike instead of tomorrow’s protest, I’m addressing them all together.

    While theory generally supports the idea that general strikes, executed successfully, are the greatest explicit power, the huge caveat is that their effectiveness is directly proportional to organized participation among the rank and file. This leads directly to a few historically important corollaries:

    0. A premature general strike is worse than no general strike.
    Unlike protest events the general strike has no end date. It tests the reliability of mutual support networks and reserves of collective trust. When a general strike fails, the next attempt is twice as difficult.

    1. Public protests express implicit power.
    They are a threat, demonstrating to those in power the magnitude of what is to come.

    2. Public protests increase participation.
    They express a promise to current and future participants that they have comrades who will show up, stand beside them, hold the line, and expect the same in return.

    3. Public protests increase organization.
    Onsite and post-event recruitment is not only the primary means of increasing participation, it remains the most organic and hard-to-digitally-replicate method of expanding organizational efforts on account of network effects.

    4. Public protests are grounded.
    They represent a ground truth condition that anyone can see for themselves. There are numerous effective strategies for obscuring, sandbagging, or sabotaging public campaigns conducted exclusively on digital networks and platforms, but it is next to impossible to conceal public displays of flesh-and-blood human beings collecting en masse.

    5. Public protests invite public demonstrations of authoritarian violence.
    Note that I don’t mean incite an increase of violence, but that the violence which would be used regardless, must instead be executed in the cold light of day, out in the open, likely on camera. The recent photo of the pastor, mid-prayer, being shot in the face by laughing federal ICE troops would not exist if no one showed up that day.

    federal ICE agent shoots Rev. David Black, of the First Presbyterian Church of Chicago, with a pepperball as he and other protesters demonstrate outside an ICE facility in Broadview, Ill, Sept. 19, 2025

  • KaChilde@sh.itjust.works
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    16
    ·
    1 day ago

    These articles really sound like they are written by people who want to suck on the toes of fascists.

    They are already invading American cities and disappearing innocent people.

    Could they use the protests as a reason to kick off more horror? Sure.

    Are they going to kick off more horrors regardless of this protest? Absolutely.

    Staying home and toeing the nazi line isn’t going to stop them from seizing more and more power, so why not get out there and let your fellow man know that you stand with them against tyranny?

  • IninewCrow@lemmy.ca
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    21
    arrow-down
    3
    ·
    1 day ago

    Instead of these public protests where government can take an opportunity to just go after people in a very public display of power … the country should just employ a general strike in as many places and areas as possible.

    The government and the corporations won’t care about how many protests you hold … it even works to their benefit because it allows them an excuse to escalate violent reaction to everything.

    Hit them where it hurts them the most … money, economics and finance. If you shut down the system in as many places as possible to force them to lose money, it will be the only way that they’ll ever listen.

    Otherwise, hold as many protests as you want and they’ll beat you into submission and it gives them an easy excuse for them to do so.

  • gmtom@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    1
    arrow-down
    1
    ·
    edit-2
    15 hours ago

    Hope of what?

    A peaceful protest isn’t going to do shit. No protest, no matter how big and how widespread is going to make fascists not be fascists.

    Anything that isn’t direct action is just an excuse so people can say they “did something” then go back to doing absolutely nothing whike Trump and his cronies do whatever they want to The US and those people can say “well I went to protest, so it’s not my fault, I did something

  • aesthelete@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    arrow-up
    4
    ·
    1 day ago

    Invoke whatever you want you fat, sloppy bitch

    Do your worst, and the joke’s on you… You already are doing your worst

  • Sunflier@lemmy.worldOP
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    7
    ·
    edit-2
    1 day ago

    Doubt this is mush-for-brains’s origional idea. Probably Miller whispering in his ear.