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The third No Kings protests are expected to draw millions. Do they need clearer goals?
(www.theguardian.com)
this post was submitted on 27 Mar 2026
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Probably the best thing about these events, for me, is that I've learned that there are hundreds of like-minded people in my rural area and that I'm not alone in this. Living in this area, it feels like I'm surrounded by nothing by MAGA conservatives and there's no room for dissenting opinions. But it's simply not true. They're just the ones who've been loudest all these years, but that's changing.
Sitting in front of a screen and complaining about what's going on while also disparaging those trying to do something about it -- 100% ineffective, 100% counter productive.
When hundreds of people are showing up in public across thousands of small towns around the country, that's people learning they aren't alone. That's people making new friends. That's people actually getting involved and organizing. And that's not to mention, this is happening in all the major cities as well.
In a way, the demands of the movement are on ourselves, the people attending these events. It comes down to making ourselves responsible for learning how to organize, engaging in political speech, and to normalize exercising our constitutional rights. This is all new to large numbers of people attending these events, so it's a learning experience for a lot of us.
And besides, I think of it this way...
Let's say November rolls around and the president decides to interfere with the elections or he tries to invalidate the elections. What's got a better chance of successfully resisting? A scared and disorganized population that's never organized and/or attended a protest and isn't prepared for what that entails? Or a populace that's done this a few times already in recent history, that's built up support, knows how to organize, knows who to contact, and one who is actively engaged? In this life, there are no guarantees, but if I had to put my money on one of those two, I'm choosing the the latter.
They aren't afraid of showing who they are, because they believe (incorrectly) that they are in the majority.
Just had a conversation with someone at the airport who was talking to the people around him about the state of things and how we need to be better as a society, have to push back and overcome the worst of us screaming their way to the top.
I thanked him for saying things that needed saying in public and out loud for all to hear. I old him if we all can keep it up we'll drive these chuds back to the rocks they were hiding under.
Exactly. Doomers need to take a back seat while the grown ups are demonstrating.
People saying saying things like "we need tangible action" are just veiled attempts to damage the movement.
Large-scale nationwide protests are tangible action, for reasons other commenters have already mentioned. Sure, maybe they won't solve all our problems overnight. Nothing will. But they build and sustain the momentum that we need if we're ever going to overcome this. Without that, we have nothing.
💯 and a couple tips:
You can talk to other people at protests. It’s okay to ask political questions, but also just simple stuff like what brought you out here? What are you most upset about? Not everyone is there for the same reason and it is fascinating to listen to answers and you might make connections that will be valuable when shit goes down.
Say you’re in a liberal city. Are your local leaders going to the protest? Ask them! What could be more beneficial than having people with actual political power on your side in attendance?
Some of the best parts is meeting new people and talking. Im sorta ambivalent about political figures. Would prefer if they would just show up in the crowd and march without announcing their prescence.
Yeah I don’t expect or often want a leader to give a stump speech or the like. Just take the time and show face like everyone else there.
Yeah, these are my supposedly the most political people around and yet few feel a compilation to join a flagship gathering of people from their party. There were a couple electeds at the last one that I only found out about after the fact. But only a couple in a very blue area.
yeah the pomp and circumstance in general annoys me. I will say the last one did have some good speakers from grassroots groups. Its like lets skip all the "celebraties" and hear from folk actually doing things on the ground. Our govenor is a good speaker though so sorta like his speech. I remember something being said at the last one and I said "phrasing" and someone close by laughed.