I think the most significant factor contributing to the increasing number of Trump/Musk protests around the country is the Congresspersons’ meetings with their constituents in mid-March. From what I hear, the rallies affected both Democratic and Republican Representatives. I remember what Anna used to tell me during the time she worked at Melissa Bean’s campaign, and it looks like Representatives have nothing to lose… I am not implying that the protests are organized by elected officials – I’ve organized enough and participated enough to know. However, I think these townhalls helped people feel they still have power.
When I saw Titanique, I was surprised to hear a political satire with direct references to current events, which I hadn’t heard for a while. Then the messages about the upcoming National Hands Off Day started to arrive from multiple sources. That gave me hope that the April 5 protests will be massive. We have just six days to wait and see.
I will keep making people aware of protests, because I know what a difference in numbers this can make. And yes, there is a little bit of that thought: why did I wait for somebody to start organizing?! Don’t I know how this works? I know well that I didn’t have any organizational capacity in the past two weeks because I was fighting my own battles, but retrospectively, I still feel like I could be more active.
That’s for those who are in Chicago. For those who are not, there are multiple events on the same day and time all over the country – find the closest to you. Things are happening.
Hettie's Reflections 