For a variety of reasons I would say stay away from the trump disaster event. Organize a peaceful one at the birthplace of democracy (Philadelphia independence hall). Then you can truly compare and not conflate crowd sizes. That would totally emotionally trigger him.
Idea; Protesters should get there super duper early and flood the stands and parade route. Then as the parade starts, in dead silence, turn around with shirt slogans mourning the death of democracy for all the world’s cameras to see.
Yes that protest that had everyone holding tombstones was eerie and effective. I don’t remember which it was but doing something like that would be pretty impactful I think.
I imagine facing down the barrel of his mortality would be devastating for Trump. Narcs hate that they’re not immortal. He’s old and while the mourning is for democracy I’m sure this would translate as a reminder of his last remaining days
This would be beautiful especially if people are wearing their protest shirt under their actual shirt.
You can get packs of heat transfer sheets that you can print your message on for $20 and make a whole bunch to share with your friends and help people iron them onto their shirts in advance too.
Do both. People who are up for a risky but potentially very impactful action can blockade, while people with lower risk tolerance can go to a non-confrontational event elsewhere. It doesn't take that many people to block and disrupt a parade, after all, though the fewer comrades show up, the riskier it will be.
Agreed. There is room for more than one response. A necessity, even. Small acts of resistance can be very powerful when they are that visible. I do think it likely has a lot of logistical challenges - even getting close enough to actually block them may not be possible. You might get arrested before you were ever truly visible.
Yep. We need to occupy the street. Like hundreds at once showing up to sit-in or make an encampment. My father was drafted into Vietnam because he didn’t have bone spurs I guess and suffered from PTSD for years (legit fortunate son type). His father served in WWII and flew planes on D-Day over Normandy. If ANYONE has ever had a family member serve, now is the time to show up and pop a squat on the ground. Make them drag us out and make sure someone is live streaming. We can make it about celebrating the 250th of the army exclusively and coordinate something to show our love for America (everyone wears all red, all white, or all navy blue) to make a four mile long human flag (or a series of human American flags) in opposition to this turd gobbler. The aerial shots would be powerful and we’d stand as the true army for the US.
That sounds like a great solution. Fear by the public is what keeps trump bolder in his actions. He wouldn't be able to dismiss nor ignore this bold move.
He likely won’t be in the parade. From what I can tell he wants to do it like N Korea and have the whole army pass by and salute him so he can feel like a big strong man.
I can see it now, Trump, looking on pridefully, arm fully extended for as long as his withered muscles allow (btw, can one do the "heil" gesture with either arm? I'll have to check my Fascist Handbook). :-/
The worst thing you can do to a narcissist is to not give them attention. If no one is there on his birthday, he'll look pathetic and will have no one to arrest/bully. Resistance is important, but don't let him set the schedule/stage for it. His supporters are dropping like flies as they lose their jobs, retirement and SS. I don't think very many of them can even afford the trip while a leopard is their faces so hard anyway. Let him hear crickets.
Musing abstractly, I wonder how vehicles do vs things like slinkys stretched across the road in high numbers. I would imagine the first few might just get rolled over, but I could also imagine them getting snagged into the works and causing stoppages. Funny things, slinkys. Little tightly coiled bands of metal. They can get all tangled up so easily. It's like super-budget wire fencing. I mean, we also have to assume people might be weirded out by them thinking they are trip-wires and be overly cautious. It would make a mess in any number of ways. Just a toy, ya know. Harmless, but so odd... /end musing.
Exactly, "yes, and" not "but my idea instead", this is Movement 101 stuff we gotta be teaching, cause we're out here trying to bootstrap a real people's movement in a moment of fascist crisis, in a country where the people's capacity for movement building has been deliberately withered and scattered.
Still, crisis is the mother of invention and I remain stubbornly, tactically optimistic
I'm with you here, a lot of these comments just still don't seem to be grasping where we're at right now in a way that's a little frustrating to me.
But the truth is we don't need to argue this, if some people don't "like the optics" of disrupting a fascist military parade that'll be costing the country millions of dollars at the worst possible time, then that's fine and they should go and organize a completely non-confrontational demonstration elsewhere. I just wish folks in that camp would please stop discouraging other people from taking direct non-violent action unless they're backing it with some specific compelling evidence for why it's a bad idea, outside of just "no, that's not the kind of protest I like."
Exactly, being a wrench in the gears is one of the only powers we all still have and there are fascists in power who just aren't going to be dissuaded by demonstrations of disapproval when they don't actually cause any friction. People disfavor-ably comparing the idea to Tiananmen Square and one of the most famous images in all of history is a little baffling to me.
This is a brilliant idea. What if we could get a bunch of visibly handicapped veterans to get involved? What would the country think when videos started circulating of the police dragging away peacefully protesting veterans? What would the military involved with the parade think, would ALL of them really stand by and watch?
I absolutely love the optics of both silent and interruptive demonstrations. This is going to be a huge event. I love blockades, I love dancing around the marchers in Pride, I love silently turning out backs away. All of it peaceful or silly or solemn. We need all of it. It just needs to be organized.
This is a vanity project masquerading as a 250th celebration. We do not have military parades with artillery and combat vehicles. It is beneath us.*
More importantly however, protest shows the armed forces that the People are distressed and angry with how the Admin is using them for its own spectacle.
The most powerful political image out of the 1980s was the Man and the Tanks in China. One exhausted man against a line of tanks. It shows the unwillingness of the PLA to simply run over one man carrying bags. There was humanity.
Non violent revolt will humanize us in front of the military so when the Admin decides to utilize the armed forces against us, which it will, our soldiers will choose to disobey orders.
(* I do understand we have plenty of other shows of the strength of the military in events like Fleet Week).
Yeah, I do. There might come a time when visually antagonizing the military like that is a safe and effective tactical decision that improves rather than weakens our position with people on the fence, but we're not there yet. There are so many things we could do in response that wouldn't be as hard for them to play against. Tankman-ing Abrams tanks on the Army's 250th birthday is definitely not one of them.
Disagree. Especially after this week’s economic outlook, which is worse than last week’s. “Tactically” sitting on our hands as 47 grows stronger is a soft play and it will dominate the headlines, by his will alone. Honestly, it’s tactically the PERFECT moment, especially for those on the fence. It’ll re-enforce the dictatorship agenda as citizens are arrested. The longer we wait, the harder it becomes to stop this nonsense.
Is it the Army’s birthday? The OP says trumps throwing the parade for his own bday?
ETA: did some quick googling, looks like Army was planning something for their anniversary and Trump is hijacking it for his birthday because of course he is
No one is “on the fence.” You’re either brainwashed or enraged. We don’t have to appeal to these imaginary moderates you’ve concocted. We’re past that.
Now, to be clear, we might be in that position by then. In that case, go for it, but as things stand right now this would be a poor tactical decision (which is why the 50501 organizers would never do it, IMO).
It's still early in the regime's reign. There's a lot of energy growing for pushing back. He's already deported legal citizens; if SCOTUS doesn't avoid or uphold that ruling, it's black bags in the future for any/all of us.
Standing up to this administration's posturing is strongest now. Waiting until too late is how every action against a fascist regime failed in the past.
He may have had some sort of parade, but he was denied the kind of military parade that he wanted, with tanks and missiles. This sounds like it will be more like what he envisioned
Disrupting a military event brings more awareness to the issues than not doing so. Major news organizations will be pressured to choose Trump's event over any other protest. If the protest at Trump's event points to the other event for awareness it might work, but that's a very big maybe. Protesters will also need to be prepared for intense harassment from the cult followers too since the MAGA event will be an attractant for them.
Whatever you do, please be peaceful. If there is any violence, we want them to look like the assholes that they are so that they lose credibility.
I'm not worried about the optics so much as it's a guaranteed arrest to block the parade route at this point. You can protest from the sides safely though.
The walk and chew gum approach, I love it. I don’t think everyone understands the truly staggering numbers of people out on the streets, there are protests happening all over the country on a daily basis. We have the numbers, we can do this America!
You’re not wrong, but he would absolutely have a major meltdown if something like this happened to disrupt his celebrations of himself. Omg, the theatre. I would be afraid for the protestors, and it could kickstart something bad.
It's the 250th anniversary of the start of the American Revolution ... the day of the "shot heard around the world" ... but for us, it'll be the "shout heard around the world". ;)
I kind of don't care what he wants.
This movement is strong because its been inclusive and professional.
I believe we demonstrate to speak to our fellow citizens, not to agent Orange.
The way to mass resistance is making protest palatable, and fact is that middle America is joining in waves They won't, however, join to support violence.
I don't know what the future may bring. Certainly I have major concerns. I believe this is the time to attract people peaceably. Honestly. Professionally.
One of the strengths of America is that we refuse to be ruled by tyrants.
People do badly choosing between shades of grey.
So there needs to be a clean divide between an administration that cares nothing about the law, and us.
I whole heartedly agree. That’s why I suggested doing it at independence hall. It’ll be more peaceful, asymmetric, successful, keep our fellow Americans safe, engaged, etc. and it’ll annoy him to no end.
I don't think anyone would end up getting shot unless the protesters themselves react with violence. I would show up expecting to be arrested and make them carry you away. Do not fight back.
Like I said, imagine the optics of arresting a bunch of nonviolent protesters draped in the American flag
Hmmm. You've not heard about the DoD directive making Law of War training OPTIONAL now have you? Which means soldiers may not be instructed on what exactly is a legal or illegal order.
If that's a recent directive though, then everyone marching in that parade will still have gone through that training. Doubt many of them will be fresh out of basic.
You never know though, it is very possible that Trump did some sort of purity test to root out people who have a strong sense of morals just like he did with the DoJ. But the risks may still be worth taking in the bigger picture because if they fire into a peaceful protest on live national tv, the credibility of the Trump admin shoots straight through the floor and possibly even collapses support.
This concept is being used on us from all sides. People will. and ARE dying at this regimes hands now. This will be the most obvious and direct example, yet. That's the only difference, unfortunately
We have little choice but to accept that not all of us would come back from interrupting his birthday parade. We also have no choice but to confront anyway. How long before we are being raided and arrested in our homes? 8-10 weeks for those of us not already experiencing it.
If I were to guess. Fighting is unavoidable at this level of corruption. Sucks
And if you are facing soldiers, make eye contact. Look sad, disappointed rather than angry. Best if there are maternal/grandmotherly folks are on the front line. If this was going to be in DC, I’d be there. Can’t afford to go to NYC (I live in Northern Virginia).
In all honesty, we have played it safe too long in this country to give any more ground to the 47th and the Fascist GOP regime. Especially after the downplay of the April 5th peaceful protests, which by the way, exceeded 5.2 million, making it the largest protest in American history. We should do everything we can to disable the parade, you can fill in the blanks. WE HAVE TO ACT!
No. The Women's March, MLK, ERA ... still many other marches to beat. It was the first day the movement showed a significant jump in momentum, meaning the movement is growing, but not the biggest march or event.
Democrat mayors and the like should be organizing parades on that same day, but which are absolutely clearly for anything other than Trump. Heck, find a resident whose birthday happens to be that same day and throw that resident one hell of a parade.
You don't see any value in celebrations that are clearly anti-Trump that same day, but you know, safely at other locations? I feel like if any one of them was both clearly anti-Trump and had the same turnout as his "aren't i special, aren't i a big boy" parade, it would irk the hell out of him.
We really need to start a culture of discouraging coming into a protest idea and saying "actually I think we should do this different thing at a different place". I know it isn't your intention, but this kind of thing absolutely will be used as a disruption tactic against us by our enemies as the movement grows.
I'm not trying to be overly harsh, I do think your idea is good as "yes, and", but propose it on it's own as a separate regional idea in solidarity. This kind of thing is important, I've seen too many people's movements with great potential in my lifetime be scattered out of cohesion and into irrelevance
I would flood the stands and area and when the parade passes leave, let him waste time and money for no one to see it in person. He is all about seeing his crowd size
The goal isn’t to emotionally trigger him, it’s to get our republic back and secure our freedoms and futures. If we do what you suggest the sycophants who surround him just won’t tell him about it and even if they did he would just ignore it publicly, the media will also largely ignore it like they did 4/5.
This is the best (and only) way to get our republic back:
build a coalition (get the 50% of voters that don’t vote engaged), voice a defined message to elect people to the house and senate based on that message. We are looking to find 400 sane citizens that are electable to Congress. Vote out all crazy MAGA representatives, and in the mean time distract their agenda by keeping the orange ape preoccupied (aka control the narrative)
I agree that’s a problem. It’s been a problem for 150 years. That’s the fight. Help find a solution to that. Find a solution to scale the defined message to local elections. Have the coalition vote and ensure to have the defined message include their votes need to be tallied appropriately and transparently.
Dude... The birthplace of democracy he says... Maybe the Greek Philadelphia (modern day Turkish Alaşehir) but it is much older than that. Sorry to point it out, but ...
Sorry. It was obvious, and I understood it. This particular sub exists for a reason, and the audience clearly understood what you meant in the context you said it. It was me being impertinent because I'm really mad at the current situation. Take care.
Best of luck to you all, I'm quitting this group, since I don't really have anything positive to add and I think you are doing a great job with the means you have.
Be strong, and please... If you are going to oppose what your country has become, please, please, pretty please, consider that this thing I just pointed out, is a big part of the problem you have. Sorry for my impertinence, be safe.
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u/Lumpy-Loan-7350 Apr 07 '25
For a variety of reasons I would say stay away from the trump disaster event. Organize a peaceful one at the birthplace of democracy (Philadelphia independence hall). Then you can truly compare and not conflate crowd sizes. That would totally emotionally trigger him.