Demonstrations feel powerful. You are out in the streets, marching, chanting, waving a big sign, and surrounded by others doing that.
Or maybe it's just a few of you, resolute, standing against the forces of evil, even if you stand alone.
Demonstrations can raise energy, give you the strength to keep fighting. Often, they build lasting relationships with other like-minded people or create new organizations or community groups.
Demonstrations that protest mistreatment can show the people suffering that there are people who care.
They can help turn the tide of public opinion, and sometimes they can even break entrenched beliefs or overcome group mind.
But in and of themselves, they don't usually change things. Only if someone with the power responds. Or if someone uses the demonstrations as leverage. Like Trump's followers and the January 6th insurrection attempt. Trump won the support of the Republican party leadership and most of the oligarchs because he has those violent followers- not because he was their choice.
The nature of a demonstration- of any protest really- is child against parent, powerless against powerful. The protester doesn't have the power to change things on their own. The protester is already at a disadvantage.
And whoever is in power, the parent, will usually first respond by ignoring it. Then trying to either shush it with force or placate with an easy give or a distraction.
Sometimes, the parent will become afraid of the child's violence and give in, as is the case with Trump or widespread riots. But again, it is not a peaceful demonstration or march that creates the change.
And often these changes are short-lived. Once business as usual has resumed, those in power will begin to reverse the changes.
Only a national strike of union and non-union employees, and a shutdown of everything else that can be shutdown (like schools, restaurants, anything discretionary) will stop this.
This is a powerful, offensive move. Fewer than 30% of people voted for Trump, and that is if you believe the count. He has lost followers but not gained any new ones. They want to shut us down, little by little, choosing whom they don't like. We can and should turn the tables on them.
A shutdown would use the government shutdowns as leverage. They would no longer work against us, but for us. It would not enrich the courts, because you can't arrest people for staying at home or going to a park. They could potentially arrest people picketing, but we don't have to have a picket line to strike.
If we are going to keep demonstrating, then we need to start talking about a shutdown. Activists, labor leaders, business owners, landlords, schools- anyone against this regime needs to support a strike fund and encourage people to strike and shutdown.
This regime isn't going to stop unless we stop it. They don't care about demonstrations or protests or boycotts.
Also see this post https://lettersfromanoldactivist.blogspot.com/2025/02/thoughts-on-strategy-from-old-activist.html
