Mother BonesLooking forward to seeing everyone's #NoKings photos and placards
I am so tired of hearing "It does nothing" YES IT DOES. It's not the be-all end-all but it's ONE of the things that gets more and more people involved. AND it influences elected officials. Social attitudes are a big part of what has to change.
The momentum fed IN PART by these demonstrations has led to an absolute avalanche of flipped Republican officials in special elections across the country even in very red areas.
The increased visibility of opposition (especially dramatically in rural areas) has kept a lot of queer American kids and youths alive for another month, week, or day.
These events HAVE led to a GREAT DEAL of grassroots organizing & local caregiving.
Rebecca Solnit:
"You can be thrilled by the things that are happening and horrified by the things that should be happening but aren’t. Everything we can save is worth saving. Everything we can do is worth doing. We’ve already lost a lot, but we don’t have to lose everything."
"Changing the world is more like caregiving than like war. Too many people still expect it to look like war."
Dr. Lisa Corrigan, social movement scholar 🧵 11:08 AM · Mar 28, 2026:
"These protests are important b/c:
...as sustained image events, they offer evidence of continued disapproval of the direction the country is going and disavowal of the country's leadership.
...provides political pressure for the country to change directions on ICE, war with Iran, tariffs, SAVE Act, public health, public education, public corruption
1/4
...provides political cover for a) GOP electeds to take oppositional stances within their party and b) corporations to oppose the administration.
...Successful movements are sustained across time and consistent messaging, while building community connections.
...Recurring protests provide access points for normies to increase their threshold for public risk while also focusing country's attention to SIZE and SCOPE of resistance to policies
2/4
...GOP electeds are declining to run for re-election because protests are successfully SHIFTING PUBLIC OPINION AWAY FROM the GOP in undeniable ways.
...protests help steel the public for fights ahead when the admin attempts another coup (even via executive orders) to prevent total washout in Nov
...Sustained protests also offer UNDENIABLE EVIDENCE of public's disgust for the admin, echoed in international protests against US imperialism also fascist & corrupt right wing in other countries
3/4
...We know the protests are working as we watch DHS officials crack under pressure of enforcing unpopular & unethical immigration roundups of minors.
...Minimizing the impact of consistent episodic community-centered protests only serves interests of ruling elite and undermines efforts to build political pressure esp. on elected Dems
SUCCESSFUL CHANGE REQUIRES BOTH POLITICAL PRESSURE & COVER. WHICH CAN ONLY BE DONE AT THE SCALE OF MASS PROTESTS.
4/4
#Via Adam Gurri
@adamgurri
8:58 PM · Mar 28, 2026
"Maxing crowd numbers also imposes constraints. 3.5% of the population willing to turn out is not gonna be the exact kind of socialist you are aiming for the exact policy menu you’re going for. It being vague, scheduled, and easy, is a plus when the goal is getting as close to that 3.5% as you can
Also: every time some fraction of those who turn out become further involved beyond it."
#Via Puff the Magic Hater
@MsKellyMHayes
6:59 PM · Mar 28, 2026
"I’m just not here for any demobilizing or disorganizing talk right now. If you have alternate paths and plans, issue those invitations. We need them. But demobilizing and disorganizing won’t make us stronger or better.
And like it or not, in this incredibly fascist moment, this imagery does matter."
#Via ceej / ceej.online
6:56 PM · Mar 28, 2026
"I hate when people join my mass popular movement. I hate when they add to the mass and the popularity. goes against the whole spirit of the thing."
Timo@_L1vY_ I noticed that the 'it doesn't matter' line is the current billionaire attack on the protests. What alarms me is how many people on the left picked that up too. It raises my suspicions, let's say. Protesting clearly matters.
@timo21 I know people are discouraged and also fed up with incrementalism. But progress is progress and it builds on itself.
@_L1vY_ It was the same as with candidate Harris, the left talking points mirrored the billionaire talking points. What do they call that, the horseshoe effect.
@timo21 There's just a difference between criticizing the enabling passivity of centrism, and criticizing every actual step people are making towards progress. (But I mostly hear the phrase "horseshoe effect" from right-wingers undermining left-wingers)
@_L1vY_ OK. Regardless, what I heard today is left-wingers that have audiences bashing the protests. I know they don't represent everyone, but they have big platforms. That negativity is not appreciated. How are we supposedto have a coherent opposition with that going on. (It's actually a circle, not a horshoe, but when left wingers use the exact same words as billionaire reps, whats a person to think?)
Tattie