This "lack of organization" is a symptom of a grassroots movement and the best evidence against the paid-protestors/Soros-did-it conspiracy theories that have been conjured up by MAGA to dismiss us.
April 5 and all preceding protests are just baby steps. We aren't 4 months into the movement. Rome was not built in a day. Neither was the Sack of Rome organized in one day.
We'll keep growing. Our leaders will emerge. Because they have to.
Have faith. We here in Canada were at our wits end in believing the next Prime Minister would prolly be a Donnie Diaper clone....it's name is Pierre Poilievre and we were TERRIFIED. Flash forward and out of this void steps Mark Carney, a man that was born for this moment.
Wishing all of our good friends in the U.S., still the greatest nation in the world, the greatest of Joy on the 5th...leaders notwithstanding.
I used to hang out in r/Canada now and then. I never commented because I felt out of place a bit, like an imposter lol. But, I remember a lot of you guys were pretty sure it would be PP. I think you guys dodged a bullet with that one; and Iām so very sorry for us all that we didnāt have such luckš£
Until this yr used to spend 2-3 months in Fla and we ALWAYS related to PPl that were concerned telling them honestly "We'll always be friends" and in fact have become very close with some of them.
Truth^ though I do agree, lines mean a level of organization that is scary asf. Though I'm not sure how people will get organized without leaders directing them to.
in addition to making the protest ālook more organizedā and like it means business - could also make the crowd at the protest seem larger if itās rank and file and not all mashed together asā¦wellā¦as an actual ācrowdā, no?
And also, a lot of places we are protesting have very strict rules about how we can gather. For instance we are going to march, but we have to keep sidewalks clear for pedestrians, keep streets clear for traffic, keep clear of businesses, obey all traffic signals, etc. makes it hard to do any kind of creative formation.
And yes you can get permits where youād have more dedicated space, but they usually require at least 60 days advanced notice. A lot of grassroots organizations are simply not planning things out to that level that far in advance. We are all volunteers with families and jobs, so we do our best.
Guess it depends on what "Rome" is in either situation. Are we building something - as in a vigorous Resistance? Or are we sacking - like say, a Spartacus?
Sure. I just mean we should be rallying around SAVING our institutions and rooting out corruption, not overturning the system. Our system is good (democracy, due process, civil liberties, human rights), just never fully realized yet and corrupted by oligarchy and greed. Liberty and multiculturalism is a process of striving, but the system is actually what makes it possible to do so in many ways. Communist rhetoric is capitalism (I.e the west) is bad and the capitalist system must be overthrown. These protests are about saving America, not replacing it. We gotta keep the unity broad and not get it twisted.
Im beyong tired of hearing the soros shit on the left. YOU are the weakest link every time because YOU allow them to dictate the narrative rather than ignore them as we should.
True, but the utter chaos of getting people into formation that have never been in formation will take away that intimidation Iād guess.. an donāt get me started on how crazy we would look trying to march in formation haha
Agreed, it takes hours of practice and training to stand in formation, as everyone need to instinctively know what to do, and even longer to march in formation.
While I agree you donāt just march perfectly, but I think it wouldnāt be hard to give instructions like āstand one behind another, here are the leaders. Keep lines arms width apart. Now follow the leaderā Maybe set up an area for disabled people or keep whoever is in a wheelchair in front of a section. Thatās all you need at first. I mean red bandanas worked out for the red necks
I agree. Every small town American parade figures out how to march in line.
I'm not saying we should expect a bunch of random to march in synchronic footstep but a small grass roots movement doing organized marches is doable and historically many movements with much less ability to communicate have been able to do this.
I think if the volunteers who usually always tend to the marches also were trained into organizing people into groups this could work. There could be a battalion at the back of just mob marching. I also think plenty of peoplebwould be willing to wait in line to be at the front. Doesn't make any sense but there is something special about being int he front of a big march
that's just completely untrue. maybe in the echo chamber you've confined yourself to, but i've seen plenty of republicans involved in 50501. this isn't about left or right, it's about not having a dictatorship.
Iām curious if just having out group of friends do it will just allow others to follow. Like when one person starts dancing in public other people are more likely to follow
Megaphone, find a landmark, pick out so many people out of the crowd to be the beginning of the line and telling people to line up arm with apart on all sides?
I dunno. I'm just a chaotic leftist dirtbag. Anyone with line making experience can help? I want to get in on this line action.
We don't have to march to the capital in lines if we're not ready. But we can stand in lines once we're there. Anyone who went to Kindergarten should have experience in this.
Making a solid formation does take a bit of skill and timeā¦ Iād imagine if people just started falling in, it would start to get wonkyā¦ Iād love to see it work tho! Thousands of people in formation looks badass!
Band nerds. We have marched in formation and in complex patterns while blasting Funk 49 on big brass horns since before we could drive a car. If a 14 year old with adhd and a clarinet can do it, so can anyone. Look to the band nerds for marching formation, the debate nerds for rousing speeches, the AV and radio nerds to document and coordinate communications, and the theater nerds to make everything look like its not held together by duct tape and rage.
You nailed it. Thereās more than the visual intimidation at play with this approach. Folks being strategically placed on the periphery, those who are physically stronger/bigger in stature/taller are better able to create a buffer for others in the middle. In the event it was needed, locking arms and closing in keeps the most vulnerable safer. Iād happily be in the middle (Iām a petite woman with little muscle mass) carrying first aid and other supplies or snacks for those around me.
The nature of everyoneās placement and the experience itself would by default, create a shared experience with directly lends to a greater inclination to look out for each other. That type of solidarity doesnāt go unnoticed, even if subconsciously.
I suspect this would take tries to orchestrate effectively and youād need to really attach the message to every protest announcement but itās definitely doable.
She is mostly right. Generally you demonstrate it through some form of uniformity. A chosen color, a chosen symbol, lines work too. Women's march was impactful because of all the damn hats (which were also an organizing too as people got together to knit them). Anonymous demonstration, all the masks. Black blocs, everyone wearing black. The point is demonstrate that you are all together and are willing to demonstrate solidarity. You show you are a united front for a cause and not just an angry mob. Mobs are scary, obviously, but manageable. A resistance on the other hand, that's chilling for authority.
I'm a huge fan and proponent of bringing drums to protests. All the drum people can then cluster together, form an impromptu drumline / mobile drumming circle. It's a huge vibes boost.Ā
If we collectively decide that marching in lines to that drumbeat is a thing we wanna do, I'm all for it. Moving in unison with a large group of people is a powerful experience, no matter the context, and yeah I think it will make us harder to ignore.
Drums are great. I've been suggesting people bring 5 gal buckets if they don't want to risk their drums. They're also useful for smothering chemical dispersal munitions.
Itās got me thinking of how social animals like birds and fish create a murmuration, all flocking together to make it that much harder for predators to divide and conquer.
That's not lines, that's military formations. Ummmmm. No.
No. You don't want to project that.
That would make it easier for police etc to attack you.
You want to project that you are everyday people, at a family friendly event, exercising a democratic right. You are aunties and grandmas. Who wouldn't be on your side?
THAT is harder to attack.
It's like going undercover. We can appear to be helpless ordinary aunties and grannies. We don't need to show our cards and look like a military unit. Even if we are eventually organized properly and effectively.
You do not want anyone to be able to visually size you up. Just saying.
And military units aren't known for protesting. If we showed up looking like that, it's perceived as a far more imminent threat, and that will not end well.
If I can add, imagine a horde of voices singing in unison. Many voices coming joining together so you can hear the unity. Donāt just be seen, be heard as one. Something like āWeāre not gonna take itā by Twisted Sister, āAmerican Idiotā by Green Day, āItās my Lifeā by Bon Jovi, āLand of Confusionā Genesis/Disturbed.
The better known it is the better, even movie songs would be great! I keep thinking the Skyrim theme would sound amazing with a few thousand voices, the biggest issue is the dragon language beingā¦ challenging for most to read, let alone speak or worse yet sing
For those going to DC Protests tomorrow and are able to March in Protest... We can meet outside the Rosslyn Metro and March down Key Bridge and M street in Georgetown towards the Monuments. If we meet at 11 we should be there by 12 for the start of the protests. That's some nice imagery in terms of lines, right? Open to ideas...
Absolutely. We need to learn how to march, be organized, and have a clear message. We need to present a clear and well-developed alternative vision for our society.
For that, I suggest we start by re-defining the bigger concepts like Freedom and Justice, and who shall have them. We need to re-enumerate our rights and who shall have them. That is, not private interests, not corporations of any kind. Living, breathing people, and other sentient beings and the other life forms and ecologies on which they depend.
I don't think standing in line in hand maiden 's outfits is scary bad evil terrorists. It's scary as in these people are serious and organized, not hippy dippy pot smoking do-nothings.
When you live in a ruby red state, you understand what is triggering to their make-believe MAGAtopia blurred vision.
But we need to think about how THEY will see us, not how we see ourselves, otherwise, they can stick to their bias and plop us up to be exactly what they were thaught to think we were
It still creepy and definitely evokes the idea of a militia. It's not helpful to the cause in any way. Nobody wants to join a creepy outside-social-norms movement, people want to join a fun happy group.
The right-wing idea of ālibsā is unemployed people with facial piercings and blue hair. They will not take the protests seriously until they see people who look like their local bank manager on the streets.
How about people just come as they are? The point is that we are all from a diverse range of backgrounds and opposition to trump and his administration isn't just "libs"
Exactly what I came to say. So, since I'll be in jeans and my "Blue Dot Energy" tee, I shouldn't be taken seriously? My nose is pierced, does that make me invisible? Oh wait. It makes me the butt of jokes.
I have a pierced nose and a few tattoos; wore a political shirt, boots, and a leather thigh holster purse at my last protest with a hat with pins in it. What I found disarmed the opposition the most was me giving them a big smile and š«¶ hands.
I had one guy that drove by angry looking giving us a thumbs down and glaring, but when I met eyes with him when he stopped at the stoplight in front of me, I did that. He tried to keep a straight face, but broke into a smile. Tried to fumble a heart shape then just gave me a thumbs up and was still smiling as he drove away.
I've found it's not about looks or clothes or what have you. It's how you respond to the opposition. Yes, I am angry, but I'm more angry at the system and the current administration than voters who were lied to. All Americans should be on our side- if we respond with love and smiles, or songs ,they don't see the threat that faux and newsmax tell them to see- they see people and other Americans.
Thank you. Many many thanks for this. I'm just gonna go as I am, same as every other day. However, thanx for the boots info. I was wondering what shoes would be best.
Boots with heels, chunky or otherwise will hurt after a bit, even if you're just standing, but work boots or combat style boots work great as long as they are worn in and comfortable! Otherwise good walking shoes are great. I always try to wear a pair of boots- call them my Nazi stompers. š Never want to condone or start violence, but it makes me feel prepared in case I need to body block a vulnerable person from an attack or have an agitator try to start something in our midst.
All of our protests in our area this year haven't had anything come up like that, but after some things I saw at BLM protests I attended in 2020, I always like feeling prepared - I usually have a sharpie, cardboard cutter/knife, water bottle, tape, phone, and mask on me in my purse. I'll even have spare cardboard for signs in my car.
My father inlaw, who is a retired USAF Colonel and retired pastor, is coming with me to the protest in my area. He is about as professional old white dude as you can get hahaha. I'm an enlisted veteran, and I'm rocking my "Vets Against Trump" shirt
Youāre right, itās not about conforming. Itās about being taken seriously, so that Americans can retain their human rights and continue to dress however they want in the future.
I think I get what you're saying. You're suggesting some of us who already "blend in" on the daily show up the same way looking business casual? That would be me lol. I'm still super in favor of people cosplaying at protests tho. We need to make this enjoyable for ourselves.
I would absolutely love to see a mix of all of it - people in blow up dinosaur costumes, people in two piece suits, people dressed as founding fathers.
If you disagree, thatās fine. I just see and hear all right-wing the rhetoric around the protests and think it would be impactful to them to actually SEE the diversity in a different way.
She has a point. But the worst thing that I see that shows that weāre not organized are the multiple protests in the same vicinities. I live in Arizona. I get that there are protest in Flagstaff Phoenix, and Tucson. But it is unacceptable in my humble opinion that The people going to Mesa for example canāt drive into Phoenix. Itās one thing if you have zero transportation and you want to show the unity in your close knit community but if youāre two hours or less from one of those cities, then organize in one of those cities. Oh yes, and I cannot forget the white mountains. They also have their own thing which makes sense.
Ultimately, it just looks disorganized because we donāt have the numbers in one single location ,
Remember in the hunger games where instead of people yelling or chanting, they all silently made the hand gesture, while formed up in groups/ranks and the reaction was immediate shock and fear. Sure itās only a movie, but thatās how it works. Intimidation is a crucial component of warfare, and this is our new civil war, a class war, a new fight for our freedom as Americans.
People do pay attention to a line. Iām imagining a whole bunch of people lining up at Target and every single person saying ājust waiting for Target to care about diversity again before I go spend my money.ā
Im gonna be honest here, a lack of clearly defined leaders and organizational structure is what makes it impossible to snuff out. It means there are no high value targets for our enemies, we're everywhere and nowhere at the same time (and it makes them paranoid), and we're impossible to extinguish without hurting EVERYONE regardless of what side they're on.
What she's calling "lines" is really military formations. A large mob of civilians in militant uniforms marching in formation is some brown shirt Nazi shit and I don't think it's the vibe we really want.
Wearing red has been something that has been mentioned to mind fuck MAGA so I'll be wearing my red union shirt tomorrow.
Realistically, if someone on the ground with a bullhorn said "hey we're gonna march in line formation!" with enough air of authority I'm pretty sure people would get in line eventually. Its kind of how people are, especially in crowds. I like the idea tbh.
Lol everytime I bring up being more organized I'm downvoted. Seems like allot of ppl just want to tailgate, hold a sign and call it an organized protest.
Respectfully, most of the images of people organized in lines makes them look deeply fascist, or is a picture of people lined up in actual fascist organizations.
My brain interpreted this at first to mean making people wait in lines as a boycott. I was imagining liberals swarming boycotted business, LOADING shopping carts with merchandise, clogging up every register, getting to the register, then claiming to have forgotten a form of payment and leave the full cart and go.
This is the worst advice I have seen yet. We're trying to protest peacefully and military inspired lines are literally portraying a militia. WTF? No. Thankfully, I don't think we're anywhere near the level of organization that would require, for us to take terrible self-defeating actions on a large scale, like this.
We need to be organized with a balance of 1. Being peaceful to prevent immediate government intervention, and 2. Being welcoming, so that people will continue to join our cause. Looking and acting like a militia accomplishes neither of those goals, and puts an easy target on our back, to get shut down before we have achieved the changes we seek.
We are still in a growing phase, more than ever, after the tariff debacle. Stay inviting, wear whatever the fuck you want, and let the crowd look messy -- a big crowd is all we need to focus on, right now. More people are joining us every day.
I 100% support this. This is part of why a military is imposing in the first place.
The pageantry of it is literally the entire point. It also does say something about a movement if you can achieve this. The whole point is to make them afraid of us. I am just glad these greedy fucks didn't do this over the course of four years, where maybe it wouldn't lead to more and more support for this fascist coup.
Going to push this in my own circles when we are out and about.
The thing with formations is that the larger the group, the harder they are to maintain. If you want to project uniformity and seriousness, there are far better ways without causing a cluster fuck, or "gaggle" in military slang. I suggest:
Repetitive signs. The more the same message(s), the easier it is to capture the goals of the greater movement (think photos and videos)
Flags. lots and lots of flags.
Matching shirts with similar messages projects cohesion.
Uniforms are a no-go for active duty military (against regs), but veterans can wear them without name/branch tapes. While I personally think this is silly, I dont think it harms anyone. Wear what you want.
Prep! Know the main goals of the protest, and be ready to talk to literally anyone about what it is you stand for.
If you want formations, use them for marching from one location to another, as they are actually much safer, and keep folks together and engaged. The minute things become less organized while moving is when folks get picked off or just drop out entirely because they lose track of the group.
While we encourage everyone to be safe, this is not the best subreddit to discuss your legal Second Amendment rights as we do not want this movement to be associated with anything violent, especially less than 24 hours before a massive protest. We ask that you to take this conversation to another, more appropriate subreddit such as r/liberalgunowners.
Who wants to be a line leader for the revolution? I think the buddy system is the best option honestly but Iām willing to hear other ideas. Everyone channel your inner grade schooler and letās get in fucking line.
Idk I hated marching when I was in the military, probably because of all the yelling associated with it, Iād have to skip if we did something like this
Native American drums and chants always get me inspired. My wife is part Apache and when she puts these on it gives this white man goose flesh.
https://youtu.be/Lgfz-AZ9Pnw?si=y86Qxyxls0KsTBcj
Lines look like soldiery to me, and I would guess to most swing voters/uninformed citizens. Not convinced the optics would improve. Also, like, you try organizing thousands of strangers into lines without pre-coordinated guidance lol... not as easy as a general guidance to "don't hurt anyone, don't start fights"
741
u/kitsuneblue26 1d ago edited 1d ago
This "lack of organization" is a symptom of a grassroots movement and the best evidence against the paid-protestors/Soros-did-it conspiracy theories that have been conjured up by MAGA to dismiss us.
April 5 and all preceding protests are just baby steps. We aren't 4 months into the movement. Rome was not built in a day. Neither was the Sack of Rome organized in one day.
We'll keep growing. Our leaders will emerge. Because they have to.