Why Go To A Protest?
Does it matter? YESYESYES. The media is watching. The world is watching.
Sometimes it’s hard to see progress when you’re right up close to things. But our protests—calling Congress, writing letters, showing up to marches, boycotts—it’s working.
So say you’re planning on going to the June 14 No Kings event and your brother-in-law or colleague or helpful uncle rolls their eyes and says oh for heaven’s sake, you bleeding-heart liberal, why bother? What can you say? It’s a valid question—why bother, indeed?
One big reason is the media. The public perception that Trump’s policies are unpopular is being formed by reports on TV, photos in newspapers, and increasingly by social media. Politics is perception, right? Every photo in the local gazette of a person holding a sign or waving an upside-down flag adds to that perception, across the country—indeed, across the world—that most Americans do not approve of this incompetence and corruption and cruelty. Vulnerable Republicans in House seats are taking notice.
Every time I go to a protest, I take photos. I’m careful to avoid people’s faces—you’ll notice I have a lot of photos featuring the backs of heads. If it’s a particularly good sign, I ask permission to post the sign-holders’ image, and so far people have enthusiastically agreed. And then I put a bunch of them on my social media, Facebook, Bluesky, Instagram.
By the way, if we’re hoping to be seen by the media, think about the impression your sign might make in a red part of your town. If your sign is risque or has a four-letter-word, it won’t be on the cover of the local paper. F*CK TRUMP (much as I might agree with the sentiment) will not make the front page. HANDS OFF SOCIAL SECURITY might. Personally, I bring a large American flag and have some neighbors help me hold it upside down. Makes for a good photo op, I think
Also, one of the purposes of protesting is to convince other Americans, the ones who voted for Trump but are having some buyer’s remorse now that they see the results. Signs and events that make Trump voters feel mocked won’t get us anywhere. That’s why I avoid protests that feature the Trump Baby Blimp or cartoons of him in diapers or things like that. I was disturbed by the nastiness of some of the signs protesting Elise Stefanik at a recent event. Much as I disagree with her politics and despise her morals, I don’t like to see a woman’s face with a pig nose on a sign. That kind of thing won’t change hearts and minds. Signs that say PROTECT OUR NATIONAL PARKS or FEED HUNGRY KIDS might.
So I keep going to protests. Sometimes, on my way to yet another honk-and-wave, I get depressed as I drive past all the people who are minding their own business, completely oblivious to what’s going on. For every one of us showing up, a huge percentage of the population walks by, rolling their eyes and shaking their heads. Why bother? If 95 percent of citizens can’t be bothered to show up, why should I?
I just read some fascinating research that shows it takes only a tiny fraction of the population to make a difference. A researcher from (irony alert) Havard, Erica Chenoweth, has crunched the numbers.
The '3.5% rule': How a small minority can change the world
“Looking at hundreds of campaigns over the last century, Chenoweth found that nonviolent campaigns are twice as likely to achieve their goals as violent campaigns. And although the exact dynamics will depend on many factors, she has shown it takes around 3.5% of the population actively participating in the protests to ensure serious political change.”
3.5 percent. Like the tiny pebbles that trigger a gigantic avalanche. And we’re the pebbles. It’s working.
I remember—seems like eons ago—the first protest I went to in 2025. It was in the dead of winter. Trump had been in office for a matter of days and already there was so much to protest. It was freezing, the sidewalks were icy, and the crowd was sparse. But we marched around the Capitol building, shivering, and chanted Hey hey ho ho Elon Musk has got to go, and I remember thinking how feeble it was, a few dozen people out here, and there’s Musk, the richest man in the world, chain-sawing our government to shreds. How could we hope to get rid of him?
Then just a few days ago I saw this on Facebook. (Ezra Levin, by the way, is the co-founder of the organization Indivisible.)
It’s working.
Dear Friends,
Are you furious about the state of the world and wondering what to do about it? I hope you’ll continue to check out The Optimistic Activist.
Every now and then I post some ideas for doing something. How to get out the vote, spread the word, and support progressive candidates. Ideas for simple but effective activism. As easy, as practical, as do-able as I can make them.
Together, I think, we can really make a difference.
“Optimism is a strategy for making a better future.”
--Noam Chomsky
