Resistance 2.0 protests get louder and more organized
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Protests against the Trump administration’s policies have built up to a focused, organized movement.
Why it matters: After a quiet stretch in the months following President Trump’s election victory, the streets are buzzing again. Demonstrations are growing in size, in frequency, and in coordination.
- "The idea of protest as an effective tool regained its footing," says Gloria J. Browne-Marshall, a professor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
Protests against Trump administration policies and allies have attracted millions in the last few months: Tesla Takedown in March, Hands Off! and 50501 in April, May Day, No Kings in June, and Free America on Independence Day.
- Protests also broke out in Los Angeles last month in response to the administration's immigration enforcement, inspiring others across the country.
- "Good Trouble Lives On" protests are scheduled on July 17, commemorating the fifth anniversary of the death of civil rights leader and former Rep. John Lewis. More than 56,000 people RSVP'd to 1,500 events as of Friday.
The other side: "Nearly 80 million Americans gave President Trump a historic mandate to Make America Great Again and he is delivering on that promise in record time," White House spokesperson Liz Huston said in a statement.
Flashback: Historically, U.S. protest movements have been focused on a specific issue, says William Hall, an adjunct professor of political science at Webster University, Washington University and Maryville University.
- In recent years, those included the Women's March, March for Our Lives and Black Lives Matter movements.
- The protests of the past several months, however, reflect broader opposition to Trump-era policies and the MAGA movement.
Zoom out: Protests last year came to a fever pitch over widespread opposition to Israel's war in Gaza following the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attack.
- "It took the imagination again of young people and others to say this is the way," said Browne-Marshall, who published a book this year on U.S. protest history.
Zoom in: The Indivisible Project, a leading organizer group, describes its mission: "We will not yield to fascism. We will stand together and we'll fight back in defense of our rights, our communities and our values."
- "There's extraordinary damage being sustained across every front that we care about, and because of that, I think the way in which people are processing individual outrages or specific moments has shifted a little bit," says Leah Greenberg, Indivisible co-founder and co-director.
- On July 16, Indivisible is launching "One Million Rising," a national project to train a million people in the basics of community organizing and campaign design.
The intrigue: Effective protesting often starts with an emotional response to policy or an event, swiftly followed by strategy, per Browne-Marshall. The current movement is reaching that second stage, she said.
- "That outrage is still there, but now it's going to be funneled and channeled into strategies and tactics on how we actually make change in the government," she said.
- "As more and more protests happen," Browne-Marshall added, "local, state and federal elected officials will feel uncomfortable maintaining the stance they have."
Go deeper: What to know about "Good Trouble Lives On" protests
