if you are at a protest and the police are not instructed to intervene, you know that the protest is performative. bring allot of people with guns. a protest is only as effective as the leverage it demands.
Protests are also networking events, where you show the public that opposition exists and is welcome to new members.
We started as five people in a rural coffee shop last year, and now we’re over 100, with the majority of the new members joining at protest events after saying “Oh wow, I’ve been commuting because I didn’t think there would be resistance here!”
Sounds like a great way to depress turnout. If I hear the protest is going to have a lot of people with guns, then I’m not going to that protest. You know the cops have guns, too, right?
that is unfortunate, because otherwise a protest is easily ignored and pushed around, and is only useful in placating the people as a means to think they are making a difference without inconveniencing those who would harm the nation.
especially when the media is adversarial to your cause.
The problem is, a lot of liberals think that criticising democrats for being pro-genocide is “fucked-up shit”. Like, refusing to support a genocidal politician is worse than actually supporting a genocide to some people.
Protest and elect. Emphasis on protest.
All important, but those last two are key to enabling the rest imo
if you are at a protest and the police are not instructed to intervene, you know that the protest is performative. bring allot of people with guns. a protest is only as effective as the leverage it demands.
Protests are an opening offer.
If you aren’t willing to escalate, then they’re meaningless.
Protests are also networking events, where you show the public that opposition exists and is welcome to new members.
We started as five people in a rural coffee shop last year, and now we’re over 100, with the majority of the new members joining at protest events after saying “Oh wow, I’ve been commuting because I didn’t think there would be resistance here!”
Sounds like a great way to depress turnout. If I hear the protest is going to have a lot of people with guns, then I’m not going to that protest. You know the cops have guns, too, right?
that is unfortunate, because otherwise a protest is easily ignored and pushed around, and is only useful in placating the people as a means to think they are making a difference without inconveniencing those who would harm the nation.
especially when the media is adversarial to your cause.
What do you think will happen if you bring guns?
same thing that happened when the black panthers did it
Naw. If there’s somebody on our side doing fucked-up shit, I’m calling it out.
The problem is, a lot of liberals think that criticising democrats for being pro-genocide is “fucked-up shit”. Like, refusing to support a genocidal politician is worse than actually supporting a genocide to some people.
To a lot of centrists, merely criticizing a genocidal politician in any way is worse than genocide.