Protests aren’t about sending a message to the government. The government doesn’t give a shit and will not listen. Protests are about sending a message to the people, about signaling what should be accepted and what should not. Protests are about spreading an idea, about leading by example, about signalling to others “hey, you’re not alone in your discontent!”
I think the very word “protest” is wrong. They aren’t protests. They’re demonstrations.
The anti-ICE demonstrations will not convince an evil government to stop abducting people. But they do send the message to everyone else that we don’t have to and in fact should not let ICE abduct our neighbors. The anti-genocide demonstrations were never going to stop genocidal western governments from helping Israel slaughter civilians, but they did help spread a message around the world that people need to do something to try to stop it.
I feel like I should have known this already.
You’re not wrong, but it depends on the situation as well. Causing chaos disrupts business. Disrupt enough of it, and you just might get what you wanted. Everybody knows that pig Chauvin wouldn’t have been convicted without it.
The point of the ICE demonstrations are two fold.
In LA, many of the organizations organizing these demonstrations also do ICE patrols in their communities, and these patrols have been effective at actually preventing deportations.
The other benefit is like what you said, it’s to show people that they’re not alone in this struggle, to build community. Community is necessary in order to win a prolonged struggle.
These demonstrations both fulfill a need (not getting deported) and it also raises morale. Without fulfilling some sort of need, demonstrations can very quickly be viewed as “useless” which will lead to the very people we’re trying to save to lose faith and be politically deactivated.
We need these people to stay politically activated and in the struggle because their active material interest (not being deported) grants them the potential to be active and high quality organizers… a vanguard in formation.
If only so many people saying to wave US flags or make sure to be extra extra peaceful and be good compliant citizens so the fascists treat us nicely could understand that. This shit is wrong so we have to stand up and say we see it and we have the numbers to stop it. It’s a step on the path, it’s not the solution itself.
I remember an older mom saying to me in 2020 something like, “it’s making me cry seeing all you people out here, it gives me hope that someone will stand up for my children if they’re in trouble, that there are people who can see that this is wrong.” It’s people like that who it’s for to me. I don’t want the victims of imperialism, racism and other forms of violence to feel alone or like the masses of the world are ignorant to what’s going on. And maybe some pigs will recognize the sincerity and strength of the people and doubt their mission. It builds solidarity, hope, and activates something indescribable when you are marching with crowds of people ready to stand firm against state violence.
Different protests are for different things. Often several at once. Sometimes they are a petition (protests in China often are an appeal to the central government against corrupt local actions)
Some are for awareness as you said. Others to build a movement or test organisational capacity. Some are a threat, if you can get a million people to show up every day for a week you can get 10% to show with a rifle.
Finally some are deliberate attempts at escalation. To force the state to expend moral and physical energy against it, to push it to the point of having to show that it’s ultimate justification for existing is violence against the working classes. These are the ones that Andor mentions as “breaking the banks” of the state.
And that’s the primary purpose of these protest, to force the state to act against a wide swathe of those it nominally protects. LA will burn, but it will burn very brightly.
A protest is what an individual does, “I PROTEST THIS OUTRAGE!”
A demonstration is what a group does, “We are demonstrating that we will not sit idly by.”
This is correct. Also lost on Americans due to rampant liberal/individualist brainworms is that the “demonstration” ought to be a demonstration of the will, courage, and discipline of your organized group or movement.
I don’t particularly care about the property destruction, it’s great energy, but what would be more threatening is if it were performed in an organized manner, in a way that demonstrates clarity of intent. It is a level up to have “approved targets” and to only have those ones hit. Or possibly none at all, if the situation calls for it.
I don’t say this out of a particular sympathy for a small business tyrant, or because it is a necessity to be nonviolent. It is because it would be a demonstration that the group means business and you can’t stop us. Maybe today we’re going to bust up the bank of America’s windows. Maybe next time we are gonna go in there and try and rob the place, or if there’s a small business that is known for harming it’s workers or the community they could be a target. Maybe next time we go full non-violent to demonstrate that we are perfectly capable of a liberal “peaceful protest” if we want to be, but when we do other actions it is for a reason, and we are happy to explain why.
I prefer uprising.
It’s always been about networking. When I was a teenager going to protests, I used to think it was a show of force against the government, but you’re right. It’s about signaling to the rest of the people where the line is. Some people are just there to generate content for their own ego, but there are always people there looking to get those types involved.
I’ve been to a bunch of different protests with a bunch of different kinds of people.
There are demonstrators, performance artists trying to make some weird point, there are organizers, aging liberal hippie types who don’t have anything better to do, and there are people trying to goad the government or police into reacting.
It is cool when people figure out techniques that make the jackbooted thugs look like they don’t know what they’re doing. “De-Arresting” people is great. Mob some cops who are trying to cuff someone and disappear them into the crowd. Throw their tear gas back at them. Paint their cars up and smash the windows
One time I accidently went to what turned out to be a Tea Party protest. It was early days, and they hadn’t found their “thing” yet. It kind of started as a libertarian lite thing before libertarians were what they are now. Don’t get me wrong, libertarians have always been misguided. The vibes were weird. There were people complaining about how their taxes were spent (valid) and a bunch of racists. I heard a guy on the phone with someone at the protest after I’d been there for ten minutes saying something really racist about Obama and realized I was in the wrong place. Got out of there quick.
Protests where I’m from are mostly retired hippies getting permits. It was a good path toward radicalization for me when I realized how performative and toothless it all was.
I’m not saying all protests are bad, but I wouldnt recommend going without a goal, like making connections. The worst protests are when a bunch of people get together with no purpose or leadership.
They also allow the government to show their ass on full display to the world, eroding trust in them and gaining sympathy for the cause. Pigs are helping the cause when they fire tear gas, shoot us with bullets, and directly attack the press.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kenmure_Street_protests
Protests can also be direct action to save people from immigration raids
