Dem
47
GOP
53
Yesterday there were, as expected, nationwide protests against the Trump administration. Because the events were last-minute, and because people were encouraged to stage individual walkouts, if practicable, there's no way to know the scope. It appears the participation reached into the hundreds of thousands, but probably not the millions. Certainly, we were able to find stories about walkouts in every major metropolis we checked.
We got a very nice message on this subject from reader J.S. in Seattle, WA, and we thought this would be a good time to pass it along:
Thank you so much for mentioning the Free America Walkout and including the link for it in Tuesday's post. I had been looking for an event/action nearby for several days and hadn't seen anything, but when I followed your link there was one in my small city just 5 minutes away from me. My husband and I attended, joining an enthusiastic crowd of about 100 people—excellent for something that was organized at the last minute and held on a Tuesday afternoon. There were lots of honking horns and thumbs up from passing cars and trucks. I'm including a photo of part of the crowd:
We are glad to be of service, and thank you for the report!
As long as we are on the general subject, we also got this message from S.Y. in Skokie, IL, as part of a conversation that's been unfolding on this site over the past few days:
I have to disagree with the take from R.O. in Providence on the state of anti-Trump protests. I live in the Chicago area and I constantly see acts of defiance. People holding "honk if you hate ICE" signs at the entrance/exit to Lake Shore Drive, where thousands of drivers pass by every day. At the recent No Kings rally in downtown Grant Park, the crowd was as big as the night Barack Obama won the 2008 election—300,000 plus.
I've written to you before about this, but I think we should be planning giant rallies right before the midterms. Keep the subject fresh in the voters' minds. In 2000, we organized an anti-gun rally across the country that drew more than a million participants. But it was on Mother's Day in May, six months before the election, and the issue faded from collective memory enough that George W. Bush won a squeaker election. Outrage against Trump is increasing. We should be focusing on building this up to a full-bore by November. I think you guys are correct in guessing that much of today's dissent is just under the radar. Let's bring it on when it's most useful.
And how about another, from reader B.S. in Huntington Beach, CA?
In response to those who do not believe there is sufficient pushback against the lawlessness of the Trump administration, I suggest that they are not seeing the trees for the forest. We, each of us, are pushing back in our own ways on a daily basis. This pushback is not a No Kings rally, a Million Man March, or a candlelight vigil around the nation's capital or the Minneapolis City Hall on a daily basis, but it is happening.
We keep ourselves informed. We support organizations with the resources to speak out on a broad-based front. We drive cars with anti-Trump stickers. We support local candidates with progressive views. We talk with our neighbors and friends about our dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs. We attend town halls and city council meetings where we express our dissatisfaction. And, yes, when there is a major event we can be a part of, we participate.
For those nostalgic for Vietnam War types of protests, I remind them of the various small ways we pushed back in addition to some of the large ways they remember. I also remind them that the Vietnam War in various forms began in the Eisenhower administration and did not end formally until the Nixon administration. If the claim is that protests brought the war to a sudden and complete end in a short period of time, that is rewriting history. We had boots on the ground from 1954 until 1973. Yes, the protests made a difference, but the real power rested in the hands of voters who finally decided to stop supporting candidates who believed the war could be won. I was proud to wear my POW bracelet and to attend anti-war rallies, but I believe my vote had a greater impact in the long run.
I would like to see immediate positive change across the board of issues we face as a nation, both domestically and internationally. But change will not happen because I stand on a corner with my No Kings banner, although I am going to continue doing so. True change will come, as it did in Virginia, New Jersey, and Georgia, etc., when we can go to the polls in special elections, primaries, and general elections and we vote emphatically for change. Until then, we should continue to do those little things that matter every day. And most importantly, we must keep the faith and believe that change is possible, and that it is coming.
And one last message, from someone who's in the eye of the storm right now, C.C. in St. Paul, MN:
You've been politely debating with some readers about the amount of resistance occurring. For folks who question if resistance is happening: Speaking as a resident of the Twin Cities, are you reading the news? Or is the news seriously underrepresenting what we're up to here? Uff da!
ICE shot a woman in the face but people are STILL showing up to rallies at the site of ICE actions.
It's been cold (Minnesota cold, not normal person cold) and people are STILL showing up to rallies at the site of ICE actions.
And there are so many people providing support and relief to our neighbors.
I have never been prouder to say I'm from Minnesota. You betcha.
We would like to reiterate that we got plenty of messages like the one from R.O., messages that said the pushback just isn't enough. So, there are definitely two sides to this story, if not more. We're just trying to give folks something to chew on. Remember also that, on Saturday, we'll have suggestions for how people can support Minneapolis in its resistance. (Z)