this post was submitted on 26 Mar 2026

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No Kings March 28 protest expected to be largest in American history: 3,000 events planned in all 50 states (www.fastcompany.com)

submitted 2 days ago by remington@beehaw.org to c/politics@beehaw.org

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[–] Midnitte@beehaw.org 17 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Already got my shirt.

[–] Powderhorn@beehaw.org 2 points 2 days ago

That looks like a tasty TACO.

[–] viking@beehaw.org 1 points 1 day ago

Be careful out there. New COVID strain is about!

[–] Powderhorn@beehaw.org 15 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Fuck with enough people being able to afford life and find out. It's crazy to me that capitalism could have hummed along throwing some crumbs, and instead decided to motivate people against the system.

It's not quite the Streisand effect, but it looks conceptually similar. We're fucking sick of getting no COLA while the boss spends six weeks of the year vacationing in Europe. Oh, and your food stamps? Yeah, you don't need those. Section 8? Why are you so lazy? Just get a third job so that private equity gets your rent.

The system is broken beyond repair.

[–] Quexotic@beehaw.org 3 points 2 days ago (1 children)

So, I've been seeing this new conspiracy theory; they're intentionally making life terrible so that we revolt, making it easy for the "new order" to rule. It's becoming increasingly convincing; it seams more feasible. I don't know how much longer people can take this pressure. Not sure about the new order part though.

[–] Powderhorn@beehaw.org 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Oh, the junta is champing at the bit to be able to invoke the Insurrection Act. Sort of ironic, given they led the only insurrection in modern U.S. history.

[–] Quexotic@beehaw.org 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

No, I wasn't clear enough. The conspiracy theory goes far beyond this. It's this whole concept that the dark money shaddow leaders are just aching for even the Trump regime to be overthrown. So all of it can be completely reset and torn down to nothing, and they can just take over with their AI robots or some crazy shit like that.

The part that I'm starting to believe is that there is actually some force that is actively trying to completely destroy the "democracy" that was built in the US.

Then again with all these radical Christians that are trying to literally bring about armageddon...

https://www.aljazeera.com/video/witness/2024/3/20/praying-for-armageddon-evangelicals-the-us-and-the-middle-east

By all means consider the source, but it's basically what they're hoping for, a lot of them at least.

https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/praying-for-armageddon/

I just can't.

[–] Powderhorn@beehaw.org 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Realistically, what we are dealing with is the rejection of The Enlightenment.

[–] Quexotic@beehaw.org 1 points 1 day ago

Yes. Agreed.

[–] GeeDubHayduke@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 2 days ago

The system is ~~broken beyond repair~~ working exactly as intended.

Ftfy

[+] NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io -9 points 2 days ago (2 children)

Oh they're still doing these. Sigh.

[–] quips@slrpnk.net 13 points 2 days ago (1 children)

Europeans: “Where are all the protests guys do something!!”

Europeans when Americans protest:

[–] NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io 2 points 2 days ago (2 children)

I mean is it too much to ask for these to happen on a weekday? Just because I want Americans to protest doesn't mean any protest will do.

[–] Vodulas@beehaw.org 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

On a basic level, weekends are when the most people can afford to show up. And I mean that monetarily. The sheer number if people living paycheck to paycheck without much PTO would mean fewer showing up.

On a less basic level, why are you against weekend protests? Because they are less disruptive?

[–] NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Because they're not disruptive. At all. These are protests in name only; in essence they're parades (I wouldn't complain as much if they were only less disruptive). Also, despite being not disruptive they make people feel like they've "done their part," effectively acting as a pressure valve against more radical action. I've seen arguments that these protests are a good stepping stone for organizing more effective resistance, but even then do we really need six of those? I'm pretty sure if these were still useful we'd see more of them.

On a basic level, weekends are when the most people can afford to show up.

And that's another thing that ticks me off about this. Americans' pain tolerance is disgustingly low for people staring down fascism while running and manning the world's deadliest, evilest war machine. Like do y'all think this is going to end with signs and parades? Without anyone threatening him in any way, why the hell would Trump give up power? There's a widespread trend of highly underestimating the pain and effort it'd take to drag Trump out of power, in a time where the fascists get stronger the more time is wasted.

[–] Vodulas@beehaw.org 1 points 12 hours ago (1 children)

Because they’re not disruptive. At all.

They disrupt traffic a lot. Especially in the US where we are reliant on cars so much. That is pretty huge. Parades are disruptive in the same way.

despite being not disruptive they make people feel like they’ve “done their part,”

Maybe, but all protests have this issue. That doesn't mean we shouldn't do them

Americans’ pain tolerance is disgustingly low for people staring down fascism while running and manning the world’s deadliest, evilest war machine.

I don't think this is the case, but this makes it sound like you don't know what it means to live paycheck to paycheck, which is pretty bad anywhere but very bad in the US. You can't necessarily afford to take time off, and if you call out you could loose your job and subsequently your health insurance. That could be life or death for a lot of folks The US is fucked in a lot of ways, but especially this one.

here’s a widespread trend of highly underestimating the pain and effort it’d take to drag Trump out of power

This is never going to happen short of prolonged and bloody civil war. I think we may see that unless Trump dies in office (of natural causes, assassination will just make him a martyr). The best we can hope for outside of full empire collapse is pushing out the shitty dems and getting actual progressives/leftists in office.

Ultimately I don't think these protests are doing a lot, but they are not doing nothing either. And they certainly aren't hurting anything. The normies that go to these were not going to organize outside of them, and maybe (very maybe) these protest help them see what collective action can do.

[–] NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io 1 points 2 hours ago

They disrupt traffic a lot.

I mean sure, but that does little to nothing to affect the people in power, hence it's not disruptive in the sense intended here.

Maybe, but all protests have this issue. That doesn't mean we shouldn't do them

It does when they've outlived their usefulness.

The US is fucked in a lot of ways, but especially this one.

Do you think the US is more or less fucked than it was coal wars? Americans do have a history of getting off their asses and doing shit when it actually affected them, and the people taking part in the early 20th century labor movement risked not just their jobs, but their lives. The fact that you didn't even entertain this possibility shows exactly what I mean. That aside if enough people participate they can't all be fired, but that's not the point I'm making here. Hearing "this admin wants to ethnically cleanse the US of brown people" and responding with "but I might lose my job" is my definition of a disgustingly low pain tolerance. Figure something out; people in worse situations than you did. You would not be talking like this if you had family being actively threatened with deportation.

The best we can hope for outside of full empire collapse is pushing out the shitty dems and getting actual progressives/leftists in office.

Not gonna happen. Trump is not going to allow his power to be threatened in his last shot at power. He'll try disenfranchisement, and if that doesn't work he'll launch a coup. You're not voting your way out of this; the current state of the American empire is incompatible with democracy.

but they are not doing nothing either.

Then what are they doing?

and maybe (very maybe) these protest help them see what collective action can do.

The opposite; they convince them that this is all that collective action can do. Historically movements this popular based on collective action spread like wildfire, because people can see them actually getting things done. It takes bravery and risk to do anything with collective action; neither is present in No Kings.

[–] quips@slrpnk.net 5 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago) (1 children)

You can’t win, when they’ve done it on a weekday you get everyone complaining its not on a weekend

[–] NoneOfUrBusiness@fedia.io 0 points 2 days ago (1 children)

What? I have literally never seen someone complain about this.

[–] quips@slrpnk.net 6 points 2 days ago* (last edited 2 days ago)

Well your experience is not representative of the whole

[–] canthangmightstain@lemmy.today 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

I always wonder… what’s sort of big ideas do you have for mobilizing a nation of disparate people?

I doubt you’ve ever successfully wrangled 3 mates to get a pizza order together, much less a nationwide protest.

[–] MBech@feddit.dk 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

My question is "then what". I have yet to see anyone actually set a goal and terms of victory. How many people will be needed and what is the end goal? If we make an arbitrary threshold at say 50 million, what then? Are they just still going to protest a couple times per year, or are they supposed to start burning factories down and lobbing heads off of the ruling class? How, and who, is going to make the people do that?

I wholeheartedly support the american people doing something, but as long as there isn't an actual plan I can't see it having any chance of success.

[–] TehPers@beehaw.org 1 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

The "then what" seems to be to show people that the current administration isn't working, at least from what I can see. And, weirdly enough, it has sort of worked so far. Democrats have flipped a lot of Republican-held seats in special elections up until now, and they even have a real chance of flipping a senate seat in Texas, of all states.

Assuming we have a fair election (or as fair of one as we can) in November, there is an opportunity to at least severely limit Trump's power. This, of course, is predicated on a lot, including Schumer giving two shits about the people for once (which is a stretch), but it's not nothing.

Worst case? You've already mobilized millions. Getting them to start rioting doesn't take much once there's a spark.

How else do you plan to mobilize millions of people? Telling them "ok we'll protest for two years then start guillotining the bourgeoisie" is going to turn away most people. Saying "show up here and chant your lungs out" is much more palatable, and at least has a chance to accomplish something, even if relatively small.

[–] Powderhorn@beehaw.org 2 points 1 day ago

Talarico is a possibility, but I can't vote. One needs a fixed address in Texas. I'm working on that. But it's fucking infuriating that the people who run our state from our own city hate us and wish us to die.