hey look y'all, it's working: keep up the #GoodTrouble

#FuckTrump #ImpeachTrump #EndTrump #ErazeTrump #FUCKmaga
#DestroyOligarchy
#ConstitutionalCrisis

Posting this again because I’m proud of ATL for showing up #goodtrouble #HandsOff #HandsOffAtlanta https://youtu.be/m0bSxm5wEvo?si=BBO8QzdoUYyUJx01

Super exciting and inspiring to see so many people out there yesterday. Truly historic numbers of participants. And in spite of my following comments, I think demos like these are critical. If nothing else, they show the world that we are not sheep, that we oppose the fascist regime. It gives the government a taste of how strong we can be. Large demos like these provide a forum for activists to communicate with each other, share ideas, agitate for more radical changes. And it is empowering to be part of large demos, particularly for those who haven't done it before, instilling some hope in these dark times.

But here are a couple of things to consider:

(1) "Hands Off" is a liberal, not a leftist, slogan, devoid of anti-capitalist critique. Consider that the posters included "Hands Off NATO." That piece suggests that at least some organizers and participants actually support imperialist wars and interventions. NATO is one of the most anti-working-class organizations there is. Its entire purpose (contrary to the propaganda) is to pit working-class soldiers against each other in order to protect existing, and acquire new, territory, markets, and workers for the benefit of capitalists.

(2) "Hands Off Medicare, Social Security, libraries, immigrants, trans folks, etc." are necessary and existential short-term goals. But, at best, success brings us back to the pre-Trump status quo, which wasn't particularly good for most working-class people, nor for members of most marginalized communities. We need to be demanding a lot more (which many activists at yesterday’s demos were calling for).

(3) Some of the posters demanded "Fair Elections." But what does this even mean in a representative democracy? Yes, the Republicans have certainly exploited gerrymandering, the electoral college system, and voter suppression to win elections, sometimes even in spite of losing the popular vote. In fact, there are some who think Texas, with the 7th & 8th largest African American communities in the country (Dallas, Houston), would vote blue if not for gerrymandering and voter suppression. But then what? We'd still just be voting for who gets to rule over us and those rulers would still be primarily rich people, whose interests and policies align much more with the CEOs and corporate bosses than with working-class people. If the past is any indication, Democrats would still be supporting Zionism & Genocide, government suppression of strikes and worker movements (e.g., the recent train strike), imperialist & NATO interventions abroad. We'd still have millions living in the streets and millions dependent on food stamps and food pantries. We'd still have snowballing climate change and a government hamstrung by its subservience to capital. Let’s not forget, under Clinton, a Democrat, we got NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, the anti-worker NAFTA, and an “End to Welfare as We Know It.” And under Obama we got drone assassinations of U.S. citizens living abroad and a continuation of Bush’s mass deportations and imprisonment of immigrant children.

Optimistically, there were many people at yesterday’s demos who ARE thinking about these issues and fighting for far more than just a return to the pre-Trump status quo. There were lots of anti-genocide signs and posters and solidarity with Palestinians. Many demanding bodily autonomy for all, including both access to birth control and abortion, as well as access to gender affirming care. There were many demonstrators calling for a General Strike, which has far more potential to achieve results than do mass demonstrations. (Direct Action gets the Goods!)

So, let’s continue with these large mass demos. But let’s also start organizing direct actions that hurt the rulers’ bottom line. And let’s also remember that the most enduring North American General Strikes (e.g., Saint Louis, 1877; Seattle, 1919; Winnipeg, 1919; Minneapolis, 1934) all involved incredible organization and coordination, including the delivery of free food to residents; worker control of policing and emergency services; shutdown of corporate media and worker control of mass communication; worker control of transport and shipping.

I hope we are out in #protest every day. You can't be counted if you are having trouble fitting protests into your busy schedule. #goodtrouble #committment This isn't good enough.

Full participation counts in today's nationwide (US) Hands Off protests are not yet in, though the numbers are seemingly approaching 2% of the ENTIRE US population.

Nonviolent protest movements engaging a threshold of 3.5% of the population have never failed to bring about change.

We have work to do.

#Resist #antifa #GoodTrouble

https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190513-it-only-takes-35-of-people-to-change-the-world

#NYC #HandsOff March from New York Public Library to Madison Square Park April 5th. Let’s start some #GoodTrouble

Now THAT’S some #GoodTrouble. #HandsOff

Tomorrow would be a good day to protest outside the White House garden! Today’s garden tour was postponed due to protest. And rescheduled for tomorrow!

Raise a glass to freedom! Thank you to everyone who attended and supported today’s nationwide protests. We must keep raising our voices to protect our democracy.

To our President and all his sychophants who willingly erase the humanity of #lgbtqia, #trans, #queer, #intersex, and other marginalized Americans, we say:

HANDS OFF OUR HISTORY!!!

We salute everyone who sought out good trouble today!

We are PROUD of you!!! KEEP FIGHTING!!!

We salute everyone who sought out good trouble today! We are PROUD of you!!! KEEP FIGHTING!!! #HandsOff #HandsOffOurHistory #GoodTrouble

OK y’all, let’s do this. I’m live tooting from #HandsOff #Philly at Independence Mall, representing from #NewJersey’s Cooper River @indivisibleteam.

They’re taking about #publicschools now — AFT President Rando Weingarten is here.

#Education #publiceducation #WhenWeFightWeWin #GoodTrouble #Philadelphia

(I’ll add photos later WiFi is too slow here.)

OK y’all, let’s do this. I’m live tooting from #HandsOff #Philly at Independence Mall, representing from #NewJersey’s Cooper River @indivisibleteam.

They’re taking about public schools now — AFT President Rando Weingarten is here.

#publicschools #schools #Philadelphia #GoodTrouble #handsoff2025

1/x

#handsoff just back from our #GoodTrouble in #Austria #VotefromAbroad #democracy

To everyone out making #GoodTrouble today, I wish you safety where you stand and calm within to #resist those who might provoke.

While we gather and raise voices, signs, and fists in solidarity for causes we wish did not exist, look around you today and see that you aren’t alone.

Just heard Anthony Fauci give an interview (part of a book tour) at the Free Library. When the host (NPR's Dave Davies) was given a hand signal about minutes to go, I was really shocked! could have kept listening to his stories, observation, and deep humanity for another hour easily.

Last month, Rev Dr William Barber and other faith leaders were told they could not pray, or even bow their heads, in the DC Capitol rotunda, because it was an act of protest-- as opposed to smashing windows and attacking Capitol police, which are both apparently fine.

So yesterday for Moral Witness Wednesday, faith leaders went into the Capitol Rotunda on Wednesday to pray together.

#GoodTrouble #Protests #Resistance #Fascism

https://www.instagram.com/p/DH_NiZXsLwI/