Zhi Zhu 🕸️
@ZhiZhu@newsie.social  ·  activity timestamp 2 days ago
Text from article: Reason to Show Up No. 1: Bursting the illusion of invincibility Authoritarians worldwide depend on projecting strength and inducing fear. They rarely gain control unless people go along, institutions capitulate in advance, and society fails to put up a fight. But when millions turn out, especially in red states and small towns, it punctures that image and signals that we aren’t intimidated. No Kings 3 has added hundreds of events that even include remote rural regions of Alaska. Wherever Trump looks, he will see opposition. It also shows the world that most Americans now oppose Trump, and that the actions he is taking that harm other nations and their people do not reflect the will of most of us. Millions of protesters at thousands of events across the nation and world shape electoral perceptions, as I’ll discuss below. And the Republicans’ decision to ignore the protests this time shows they know they’re working. They want to deprive them of media oxygen, so we need to counter by showing up anyway. Our anger is now driven by a war Trump has recklessly begun and can’t seem to end; by spiking costs of fuel, food and other necessities; and a cynical, transparent cover-up of the Epstein files to protect billionaire pedophiles, which appear to include Trump himself. We need to voice that anger and keep showing Trump and the world that Americans do not support his criminal actions or their consequences.
Text from article: Reason to Show Up No. 1: Bursting the illusion of invincibility Authoritarians worldwide depend on projecting strength and inducing fear. They rarely gain control unless people go along, institutions capitulate in advance, and society fails to put up a fight. But when millions turn out, especially in red states and small towns, it punctures that image and signals that we aren’t intimidated. No Kings 3 has added hundreds of events that even include remote rural regions of Alaska. Wherever Trump looks, he will see opposition. It also shows the world that most Americans now oppose Trump, and that the actions he is taking that harm other nations and their people do not reflect the will of most of us. Millions of protesters at thousands of events across the nation and world shape electoral perceptions, as I’ll discuss below. And the Republicans’ decision to ignore the protests this time shows they know they’re working. They want to deprive them of media oxygen, so we need to counter by showing up anyway. Our anger is now driven by a war Trump has recklessly begun and can’t seem to end; by spiking costs of fuel, food and other necessities; and a cynical, transparent cover-up of the Epstein files to protect billionaire pedophiles, which appear to include Trump himself. We need to voice that anger and keep showing Trump and the world that Americans do not support his criminal actions or their consequences.
Text from article: Reason to Show Up No. 1: Bursting the illusion of invincibility Authoritarians worldwide depend on projecting strength and inducing fear. They rarely gain control unless people go along, institutions capitulate in advance, and society fails to put up a fight. But when millions turn out, especially in red states and small towns, it punctures that image and signals that we aren’t intimidated. No Kings 3 has added hundreds of events that even include remote rural regions of Alaska. Wherever Trump looks, he will see opposition. It also shows the world that most Americans now oppose Trump, and that the actions he is taking that harm other nations and their people do not reflect the will of most of us. Millions of protesters at thousands of events across the nation and world shape electoral perceptions, as I’ll discuss below. And the Republicans’ decision to ignore the protests this time shows they know they’re working. They want to deprive them of media oxygen, so we need to counter by showing up anyway. Our anger is now driven by a war Trump has recklessly begun and can’t seem to end; by spiking costs of fuel, food and other necessities; and a cynical, transparent cover-up of the Epstein files to protect billionaire pedophiles, which appear to include Trump himself. We need to voice that anger and keep showing Trump and the world that Americans do not support his criminal actions or their consequences.
1
Zhi Zhu 🕸️
@ZhiZhu@newsie.social  ·  activity timestamp 2 days ago
Text from article: Reason to Show Up No. 2: Applying Direct Political Pressure If Minneapolis taught us anything, it’s that not only is the Trump regime far from invincible, it actually retreats when it’s losing the battle for public opinion. That gives protesters a powerful tool to resist federal authorities wherever Trump deploys them. This is an important lesson as we look ahead to his plans to disrupt the November midterms. After the killings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti, Minneapolis mobilized rather than going quiet. Protesters braved below-zero temperatures to turn out by the tens of thousands. Neighborhoods organized to track and record ICE movements and operations, even though federal agents had just shown their willingness to kill peaceful protesters in cold blood. The courage of the people of Minneapolis made Trump’s goons, including Greg Bovino and Kristi Noem, look cruel and weak by comparison. Neither still has a job. Trump was forced to bring in new leadership and end the massive ICE surge in Minneapolis, even if some agents still operate within the city. The takeaway is that Trump backed off in the face of concerted public resistance. No Kings protests can repeat that dynamic on a national scale.
Text from article: Reason to Show Up No. 2: Applying Direct Political Pressure If Minneapolis taught us anything, it’s that not only is the Trump regime far from invincible, it actually retreats when it’s losing the battle for public opinion. That gives protesters a powerful tool to resist federal authorities wherever Trump deploys them. This is an important lesson as we look ahead to his plans to disrupt the November midterms. After the killings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti, Minneapolis mobilized rather than going quiet. Protesters braved below-zero temperatures to turn out by the tens of thousands. Neighborhoods organized to track and record ICE movements and operations, even though federal agents had just shown their willingness to kill peaceful protesters in cold blood. The courage of the people of Minneapolis made Trump’s goons, including Greg Bovino and Kristi Noem, look cruel and weak by comparison. Neither still has a job. Trump was forced to bring in new leadership and end the massive ICE surge in Minneapolis, even if some agents still operate within the city. The takeaway is that Trump backed off in the face of concerted public resistance. No Kings protests can repeat that dynamic on a national scale.
Text from article: Reason to Show Up No. 2: Applying Direct Political Pressure If Minneapolis taught us anything, it’s that not only is the Trump regime far from invincible, it actually retreats when it’s losing the battle for public opinion. That gives protesters a powerful tool to resist federal authorities wherever Trump deploys them. This is an important lesson as we look ahead to his plans to disrupt the November midterms. After the killings of Renée Good and Alex Pretti, Minneapolis mobilized rather than going quiet. Protesters braved below-zero temperatures to turn out by the tens of thousands. Neighborhoods organized to track and record ICE movements and operations, even though federal agents had just shown their willingness to kill peaceful protesters in cold blood. The courage of the people of Minneapolis made Trump’s goons, including Greg Bovino and Kristi Noem, look cruel and weak by comparison. Neither still has a job. Trump was forced to bring in new leadership and end the massive ICE surge in Minneapolis, even if some agents still operate within the city. The takeaway is that Trump backed off in the face of concerted public resistance. No Kings protests can repeat that dynamic on a national scale.
1
Zhi Zhu 🕸️
@ZhiZhu@newsie.social  ·  activity timestamp 2 days ago
Text from article: Reason to Show Up No. 3: Electoral Organizing Infrastructure No Kings leader Ezra Levin has argued that there’s a direct line between protest turnout and electoral outcomes. He cites three examples. First, the Tea Party, which organized as a white racist response to the election of our nation’s first Black president, preceded the 2010 red wave. While there weren’t mass street protests like Democrats have deployed, the resentment and organizing ran broadly and supercharged turnout for the 2010 midterms. The consequences of that, including brutal gerrymanders at the state level, are still being felt today. Second, the Women’s March that followed Trump’s first inauguration led to organizing and an infrastructure that helped power the 2018 blue wave. In October 2017, leaders of the Women’s Marches formed March On and launched a related Super PAC with the explicit goal of mobilizing for the 2018 midterms. Momentum from the Women’s March fueled Democratic victories in Virginia, New Jersey and Alabama in November 2017. And more than 25,000 women reached out to Emily’s List to ask about running for office. And last November’s big Democratic gains in Virginia and New Jersey followed the October 2025 No Kings 2 rallies that took place across the country. That surge of enthusiasm, paired with images of millions of ordinary Americans showing up to say “No” to Trump, translated into voter enthusiasm and energy. Attendees became organizers—and voters.
Text from article: Reason to Show Up No. 3: Electoral Organizing Infrastructure No Kings leader Ezra Levin has argued that there’s a direct line between protest turnout and electoral outcomes. He cites three examples. First, the Tea Party, which organized as a white racist response to the election of our nation’s first Black president, preceded the 2010 red wave. While there weren’t mass street protests like Democrats have deployed, the resentment and organizing ran broadly and supercharged turnout for the 2010 midterms. The consequences of that, including brutal gerrymanders at the state level, are still being felt today. Second, the Women’s March that followed Trump’s first inauguration led to organizing and an infrastructure that helped power the 2018 blue wave. In October 2017, leaders of the Women’s Marches formed March On and launched a related Super PAC with the explicit goal of mobilizing for the 2018 midterms. Momentum from the Women’s March fueled Democratic victories in Virginia, New Jersey and Alabama in November 2017. And more than 25,000 women reached out to Emily’s List to ask about running for office. And last November’s big Democratic gains in Virginia and New Jersey followed the October 2025 No Kings 2 rallies that took place across the country. That surge of enthusiasm, paired with images of millions of ordinary Americans showing up to say “No” to Trump, translated into voter enthusiasm and energy. Attendees became organizers—and voters.
Text from article: Reason to Show Up No. 3: Electoral Organizing Infrastructure No Kings leader Ezra Levin has argued that there’s a direct line between protest turnout and electoral outcomes. He cites three examples. First, the Tea Party, which organized as a white racist response to the election of our nation’s first Black president, preceded the 2010 red wave. While there weren’t mass street protests like Democrats have deployed, the resentment and organizing ran broadly and supercharged turnout for the 2010 midterms. The consequences of that, including brutal gerrymanders at the state level, are still being felt today. Second, the Women’s March that followed Trump’s first inauguration led to organizing and an infrastructure that helped power the 2018 blue wave. In October 2017, leaders of the Women’s Marches formed March On and launched a related Super PAC with the explicit goal of mobilizing for the 2018 midterms. Momentum from the Women’s March fueled Democratic victories in Virginia, New Jersey and Alabama in November 2017. And more than 25,000 women reached out to Emily’s List to ask about running for office. And last November’s big Democratic gains in Virginia and New Jersey followed the October 2025 No Kings 2 rallies that took place across the country. That surge of enthusiasm, paired with images of millions of ordinary Americans showing up to say “No” to Trump, translated into voter enthusiasm and energy. Attendees became organizers—and voters.
1
Zhi Zhu 🕸️
@ZhiZhu@newsie.social  ·  activity timestamp 2 days ago
Text from article(edited for length): Reason to Show Up No. 4: Building toward a Tipping Point Fascism expert professor Erica Chenoweth found that 3.5 percent of the populace actively organizing is historically sufficient to stop authoritarian consolidation of power. She based her findings on a study of over 300 anti-regime campaigns between 1900 and 2006, both successful and unsuccessful. A sustained resistance, Chenoweth concluded, creates shifting loyalties within a regime’s own national security or political base. If that base believes the despot’s time is up, it won’t want to be on the losing side. The number is not a hard and fast rule, just a descriptive trend. But it matters here because No Kings protests build the raw numbers of resisters while training them in organized, peaceful action. We may need that training come November, if and when Trump challenges the midterm results. Just this week, his top deputy at the Justice Department, Todd Blanche, once Trump’s personal criminal attorney, endorsed sending ICE agents to polling places. Should that happen, as appears possible, nonviolent mass resistance will be needed to preserve the actual outcome of the election and to compel a handover of power to the Democrats in Congress. It’s time to start building that muscle memory now. I hope these reasons help convince you to join us tomorrow. It’s an all hands-on-deck moment.... Go to NoKings.org to find a protest near you.
Text from article(edited for length): Reason to Show Up No. 4: Building toward a Tipping Point Fascism expert professor Erica Chenoweth found that 3.5 percent of the populace actively organizing is historically sufficient to stop authoritarian consolidation of power. She based her findings on a study of over 300 anti-regime campaigns between 1900 and 2006, both successful and unsuccessful. A sustained resistance, Chenoweth concluded, creates shifting loyalties within a regime’s own national security or political base. If that base believes the despot’s time is up, it won’t want to be on the losing side. The number is not a hard and fast rule, just a descriptive trend. But it matters here because No Kings protests build the raw numbers of resisters while training them in organized, peaceful action. We may need that training come November, if and when Trump challenges the midterm results. Just this week, his top deputy at the Justice Department, Todd Blanche, once Trump’s personal criminal attorney, endorsed sending ICE agents to polling places. Should that happen, as appears possible, nonviolent mass resistance will be needed to preserve the actual outcome of the election and to compel a handover of power to the Democrats in Congress. It’s time to start building that muscle memory now. I hope these reasons help convince you to join us tomorrow. It’s an all hands-on-deck moment.... Go to NoKings.org to find a protest near you.
Text from article(edited for length): Reason to Show Up No. 4: Building toward a Tipping Point Fascism expert professor Erica Chenoweth found that 3.5 percent of the populace actively organizing is historically sufficient to stop authoritarian consolidation of power. She based her findings on a study of over 300 anti-regime campaigns between 1900 and 2006, both successful and unsuccessful. A sustained resistance, Chenoweth concluded, creates shifting loyalties within a regime’s own national security or political base. If that base believes the despot’s time is up, it won’t want to be on the losing side. The number is not a hard and fast rule, just a descriptive trend. But it matters here because No Kings protests build the raw numbers of resisters while training them in organized, peaceful action. We may need that training come November, if and when Trump challenges the midterm results. Just this week, his top deputy at the Justice Department, Todd Blanche, once Trump’s personal criminal attorney, endorsed sending ICE agents to polling places. Should that happen, as appears possible, nonviolent mass resistance will be needed to preserve the actual outcome of the election and to compel a handover of power to the Democrats in Congress. It’s time to start building that muscle memory now. I hope these reasons help convince you to join us tomorrow. It’s an all hands-on-deck moment.... Go to NoKings.org to find a protest near you.
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