Where are the protests?

[jgmiller]

This has been driving me crazy for some time. With all the people that hate Trump and the GOP where are the large protests in DC? I'm sure there are always small protests, I'm not talking about that. In the 60's and 70's there were huge protests against the war and Nixon and he had much better poll numbers and most people were still deluded about the war but they had no problem generating massive protests, what's different now?

Protests won't stop Trump but they would scare the GOP if they were big enough and just not one offs. Where are the organizers of this generation?

[lapfog_1]

1. In the sixties and early 70s

The baby boomers were in their teens and twenties... much more likely to protest and march, now that population is busy saving for retirement (or already retired)...

There was a unpopular war that we were fighting...

There was a draft which meant those very kids were being sent against their will to fight in a unpopular war.

Nixon was every bit as bad as Trump... enemies list, LEO was in on his corruption, fascism was a thing, people were worried that Nixon might try to establish a dictatorship.

And we did have some of the largest protests in history right after Trump's "election".

[zaj]

2. As Bill Maher said... It's a slow motion coup.

And each step of the way resistance has been meet with a delay, designed to disperse the attention and sap the emotional energy.

[dewsgirl]

4. Exactly and right now we have reached a critical point.

[Arthur_Frain]

5. Are you protesting?

What is it going to take to get my boots on the ground out in the streets?

I asked myself this question the other day, and I’m asking many of my friends, and not getting a lot of definitive answers. Problem is I generally follow it up with “what difference is my presence in that group going to bring about”? Pretty much nothin’, not where I live.

But what would be the straw that finally pushed me over the edge?

A declaration of martial law?

Refusal to acknowledge the results of the elections?

What will it take to push my “go” button?

[MyMission]

8. They're happening but MSM and internet engines are not reporting them

I was in Asheville NC today. On my way driving out of town I passed a huge sign and large crowd protesting Franklin Graham who was speaking at the US Cellular (formerly Civic) Center. I honked and waved at them!

When I got home I googled to find out about the protest, who arranged it, if there was any coverage or reports. I googled protest in Asheville today, got events info from last spring. I asked what protest was happening against Graham, got more events and info on Graham's tour. Finally found small article on that protest from WLOS, our local TV owned by Sinclair group, and it wouldn't load on my phone.

Even the recent large protests Gretta inspired were virtually unreported.

Indivisible and other groups organize and text when people need to protest. There's just so much to protest. As someone else mentioned, they also encourage protest by contacting reps, which is what many do. But if and when a notice goes out to get folks on the streets people do get out, locally if not in DC. 45 took measures early on to curb protests and label protesters as lawless or terrorists. But still, people are out there protesting!

[Tipperary]

9. They are busy playing video games.

And whining .

[EveHammond13]

10. I personally protest-marched for an hour today. So did many others. Where were you?

[whathehell]

12. Lol..

[stopdiggin]

11. good question

my own take? We're much more diffuse now than we were in the 70s. SO many causes, so much going on. We're all on mailing lists (and fund raisers) for grass roots party politics, social justice movements, environmental causes, reproductive rights, local and national charity efforts ... And the tree just branches out from there.

Another line of thought to pursue might be that we're more divisive, and splintered off, among ourselves. Just as an example, the Womens March organization suffered losses in leadership because of conflicts set up by statements perceived as anti-semitic made by original leaders. Womens March was thrilled to introduce the "new face of feminism" with a caste of women of color and ethnic background. All fine and good, until it turns out that "diverse" background sometimes means points of view, and political stances, that might not exactly conform to mainstream convention and thought. (understand, NO defense of anti-semetic rhetoric intended here. my topic is division.) But ..suffice it to say, maybe we aren't a "big tent" type of society anymore? Also noticed that "going along - to get along" is currently not a real big theme in today's social fabric. Consensus is a darned hard thing to come by these days.

Food for thought. If you're planning to build a movement .. wish you every success.
N' you have a good one

[calimary]

13. We have "Stand On Every Corner" protests across Portland.

They’re small but as I’ve been listing the events for my Indivisible group I’ve noticed there are several more every week now.

Little by little.

Do SOMETHING. How ever small. I want to be able to face my grandchild and my God and say I did everything I could to fight this.

[RandiFan1290]

14. Remember the Iraq invasion protests

and the people that stabbed us in the back and voted for it anyway?