this post was submitted on 17 Oct 2025
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politics

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founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
 
  • They help individuals channel their frustration, isolation and desperation
  • They are a show of strength
  • They typically lead to more political involvement
  • They have already produced wins
  • They must remain nonviolent to be effective
  • They must be in small towns in the heartland, not just big coastal cities

Find one near you at nokings.org

This post uses a gift link, but some people do seem to be prompted to register. I can't change SF Chronicle policy about that. They also have a history of sending lawyers after people who post archive.today links to their articles, so whatever you do, don't plug the URL into that site.

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[–] jjjalljs@ttrpg.network 7 points 3 hours ago (1 children)

Some months ago I was giving a coworker shit for not doing much of anything. No protests. No volunteering. No donations. Just works his mid six figure job, plays video games, and dates his works-at-google girlfriend. He admitted maybe he could do more. I said I could nag him the next time a big protest happened. He said sure.

Well, I messaged him with a quote from that conversation. He was like "oh it's Saturday?" And then no further responses until I followed up a day later. He's not going to do anything.

The other guys from that group also don't do anything.

Something about rich white straight (-passing) men comfortably just keeping their heads down and not even doing a half assed minimum bothers me.

But I guess there's nothing to be done. I'll be doing my best.

[–] silence7@slrpnk.net 6 points 3 hours ago

Get a woman in the group to invite spouses and girlfriends. The men will mostly follow.

A handful will decide they like cybertrucks more than sex

[–] ClassStruggle@lemmy.ml 5 points 4 hours ago (1 children)

They are empty vessels/pressure release valves provided by the oligarchy to prevent organic protest from rising that would actually threaten their existence.

[–] agamemnonymous@sh.itjust.works 1 points 3 hours ago

Actually, they are extremely effective methods to put flyers in hands. It's where people sign up for mutual aid groups or find union advocates

It's a networking event. The protest aspect is just to pump up the energy and set the theme for the event. This is how you turn liberals into leftists, and connect them with local organizations.

[–] shaggyb@lemmy.world 6 points 4 hours ago (1 children)
[–] Wiz@midwest.social 1 points 4 hours ago

I'll be there tomorrow with the frog guys!

[–] ruuster13@lemmy.zip 3 points 7 hours ago

Wasn't that long ago in the evolutionary timeline that humans diverged from sheep. For safety reasons we still want to be part of the biggest flock. Seeing huge numbers of people at protests stirs something in our DNA.

[–] TheJesusaurus@sh.itjust.works 60 points 16 hours ago (10 children)

How come one side apparently MUST remain nonviolent but not the other

Just look how stupid the administration is sending troops to Portland because all of the "violence". If Portland was more violent then they could carry the narrative rather than people dressed up in costumes. People will remember the frogs and the absurdity of the situation.

[–] takeda@lemmy.dbzer0.com 31 points 14 hours ago* (last edited 12 hours ago) (1 children)

They don't have to, but data shows over and over that non violent ones more often end to being more successful at regime change.

Benefits for the non violent:

  • more people are willing to join protests
  • much harder to use force to squash protesters (they can still try, but that often motivates more people to join, that is what for example happened in Euromaidan)
  • it is much harder to frame that those protesters are there to hurt ordinary people
  • sends signal for good people in power to do the right thing and that we have their back
  • validates people that they aren't alone and that it is a lot of us

We actually have more power than them, they only succeed if we get scared and think there's nothing we can do. It becomes a self fulfilling prophecy.

[–] solarvector@lemmy.dbzer0.com 9 points 12 hours ago (3 children)

I've seen many statements to that effect. I have not seen political science studies that support it though.

[–] ClassStruggle@lemmy.ml 6 points 4 hours ago

Because there is none. The state always preaches nonviolence to keep us passive and not a threat to the status quo. They want peaceful from us but subject the working class to violence with every action.

[–] emeralddawn45@lemmy.dbzer0.com 3 points 3 hours ago

Not much history to support it either.

[–] takeda@lemmy.dbzer0.com 1 points 4 hours ago

Solidarity movement in Poland was a peaceful protest and last to end of the communism there.

Color revolution (including orange revolution in Ukraine)

Euromaidan (it was peaceful, although the government wasn't).

Statistically peaceful protests succeed 53% of the violent ones succeed 26%

Note though it isn't just showing up one day and be done, it's about having a sustained protest with at least 3.5% of population involved.

[–] LibertyLizard@slrpnk.net 43 points 15 hours ago* (last edited 15 hours ago) (1 children)

Because of propaganda and state power. It’s not a symmetrical conflict.

[–] TheJesusaurus@sh.itjust.works 8 points 12 hours ago

It certainly isn't

[–] silence7@slrpnk.net 19 points 15 hours ago (10 children)

Basically, if we start shooting, that will result in a military response, and the US military is really good at massacres.

[–] TheOctonaut@mander.xyz 8 points 11 hours ago

"Give me liberty or give me 40 more years of wage slaving consumerism and hoping my demographic isn't next"

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[–] RonniePickering@lemmy.world 8 points 12 hours ago

Fuck yeah they do, see you there comrades

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