The Importance of Protest
When fear becomes endemic, resistance becomes critical.
In the face of the overwhelming corruption plaguing our nation and in the face of the unmitigated authoritarianism of the current administration, it can feel as though our nation is going down a path with no way out. That feeling, while understandable, especially after the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, must never overtake us. This is why protests against the Trump administration matter.
Background
On Saturday, I attended a weekly protest outside a Tesla dealership, calling for the end of the ICE raids, Elon Musk’s right-wing agenda, and, of course, the end of Trump’s horrendously corrupt and racist presidency. I have previously attended such protests and was at the ‘No Kings’ Rally in my hometown last year.
However, while most of the responses we received at today’s protest were largely positive, my hometown is increasingly opposed to the administration, and some gave the usual responses to peaceful protest. Phrases like “get a job” were yelled at us, along with the expected middle fingers, while the perpetrators ignored the importance of civil disobedience and the fact that it was a Saturday.
That response and the fact that some continue to feel the protests are pointless annoyances are precisely why I went.
Protest is a right and a resource
As I mentioned before, many Americans feel they have no means to make their voices heard or to organize, but while I was outside, I met numerous people who not only shared their experiences and motivations for opposing the administration, but also organized within their local community. One gentleman even handed me a series of cards with useful responses for dealing with ICE in the event of a confrontation. These ‘know your rights’ cards are part of a larger movement in my area called Immigrant Solidarity DuPage, which seeks to “Educate, organize, and mobilize DuPage County around the rights and collective struggles of the Latino community.”
It is through these kinds of connections that people can help protect themselves, should they ever need to, but also to protect their community. Learning about new resources by networking within your local community is not only necessary but central to being able to assist others who may need help in turn.
It is one thing to look for a big, national movement —and those pushes are important—but it is also important to look for the smaller, more personal elements of resistance. Helping spread information, ensuring everyone knows their rights, and making sure the attention on threats to the local scene are critical to ensuring that this administration doesn’t get away with its current policies.
Staying connected
I started this article focusing on the danger of fear and apathy, the feeling of helplessness that can consume us in the face of the horrors of this administration, but protesting, especially with people who are just as angry and frustrated as you are, serves as a reminder that we are not alone in this fight. We are not fighting this administration as singular, isolated individuals. We are fighting this as a community and as a nation.
More Americans oppose this administration than support it, and that matters not only for our nation’s conscience but also for the long-term trajectory of this fight. Come November, the Trump administration will likely be forced into lame duck status, and there will almost certainly be investigations into the crimes committed by ICE. However, that requires each of us to get involved and make our voices heard before they can silence us.
If you want to get involved, please consider joining your local Indivisible group and finding new events in your area. You can find out if you have an Indivisible chapter here. The American experiment isn’t going anywhere so long as there are Americans willing to fight for it.
Good column.