Let's Do This: You Should Consider Attending a Protest This Weekend, but Keep Your Eyes Open
This Saturday, June 14, will be an enormous day of protest in the United States.
In conjunction with protests against increasingly militaristic immigration raids that are spreading around the country, the No Kings protests—which you can read more about here—with over 1,800 rally sites nationwide, will almost certainly be the largest protest of the second Trump administration to date. I admit that I am just spitballing here, but I expect between five and ten million people to attend a rally this weekend, surpassing the three to five million participants in the Hands Off protests of April 5.
Given the huge number of rally sites, there is definitely going to be a protest near where you live. You should consider attending, as Trump is edging us closer to authoritarianism and democracy requires that people continually exercise their democratic rights. You can find a rally near you by clicking here.
Now, with all of that said, I do want to offer some important notes of caution.
Not only is it vitally important that you behave yourself at these protests by not engaging in any violent or intimidating behavior, you also need to keep your eyes open and be prepared to leave quickly if the situation at the rally you attend spirals out of control. Especially if you are at one of the medium or larger sized protests (the small protests should all be fine), make sure that you are not overly burdened with props and signs, that you are not in the middle of the crowd, and that you know how to quickly get back to your transportation.
This is a dangerous moment. Trump is looking for any excuse to crack down on protests as hard as he possibly can. Beating up liberal protesters has been part of Trump's shtick since before he was even president. Back in early 2016, roughing up, tossing out, and then making fun of protesters was actually the main focus of his rallies. This is well depicted in the classic Daily Kos community article, Trump Rally No Joking Matter, that was one of the most read articles of all time during my 14 years at Daily Kos. Sticking it to liberals is, in fact, the whole point of Trump's appeal to his base, much more so than any actual ideas or policy outcomes.
Further, there is a small, but not insignificant, pro-violence element that often shows up at large center left rallies. I write this not as some sort of armchair commentator who has read too much social media, but as someone who has attended over 100 rallies over the past quarter century. This element exists, and it is dangerous. Extreme left-wing revolutionaries who do not believe in democracy, who consider people like Bernie Sanders to be a corporate sellout, and who will flat out not listen to anything you say, come to these gatherings with an aim of agitating the rest of the attendees into more extreme action. This is a real thing, and I've seen it with my own eyes since I started participating in protests back in 2000 during the Republican national convention in Philadelphia. The agitators have the potential to ruin protests for everyone else, and it is not at all clear how they can be stopped without putting yourself in danger.
The combination of these two elements—a Trump administration looking for any excuse to crack down on protesters, and radicals looking to agitate grassroots progressives into violent revolution—makes for a potentially dangerous situation this weekend. As such, even as I am encouraging you to consider attending a rally near you this weekend, please do so with your eyes open. Don't overburden yourself. Don't get stuck in the middle of the crowd. Always know where you are and how you can leave, if need be. In fact, unless you are in a small rally where everything should be fine, it might be best to leave before the end of the rally you attend, as the endings of these things are usually when stuff can turn sour.
It's not fun to post warnings like this about attending rallies in our beautiful country, but, sadly, that is where we are right now. I thought this interview with political scientist Omar Wasow in Politico about the optics of the Los Angeles protests was well worth a read: “Which Party Should Be Worried About the Politics of the LA Protests?” I recommend checking that out before you head out to protest on Saturday.
Please, continue to exercise your democratic rights, but be safe, be good, and keep your eyes open.
I sincerely hope that all protesters remain peaceful and remember that any violence will cause others to react negatively. Violence is what the mainstream media are looking for because it makes a better story. We are better than trump and his associates. We should not stoop to violence.
Thank you for the warning, Chris. I respect the fact that your warnings are based on observation, experience and common sense.
Even at the smaller rallies, (like the one I will be attending in Clarkston, WA) we have been advised that if trouble starts, immediately sit down and turn signs over. That way, police on the scene will be able to identify the agitators. We don’t expect violence, but we must be prepared for it.
To all:
I wish you a loud, energetic and safe, successful rally wherever you may be!
The truth is on our side! 💙