this figures in with how media and government pivoted in response to successful protests; instead of covering the protests in order to smear them and their leaders, the strategy chosen was 'just act like it's not there'. the inches at best for the iraq war protests are a good example.

April 10, 2026 - 16:57 UTC

2
0
33
this has many effects, like:

-denies any real ability for leaders to emerge, because nobody for a protest movement gets to *exist* as a public figure. BLM and defund the police don't lack a figure you can quickly name as a *leader* off the top of your head because it lacked charismatic members.
1
0
20
-which then figures into weakening protest messages spreading and linking up. smothering oxygen works better than smearing; a whole bunch of people never even find out the protest exists, the issue exists, this way.

-and with regards to political figures, it introduces blinders.
1
0
20
this is a big strategic issue with No Kings for me. In small towns a demonstration might have some visibility, but if the media refuses to cover it, what's the point of holding a protest in a big city's downtown on a Saturday? Everyone with money and power wouldn't be caught dead there on a weekend
2
0
8
At least finance bros had to be confronted by Occupy
0
0
1
this is where disruption is important, truly. i think the no kings protests have their own uses for many reasons, even *if* it doesn't budge the party itself at all (further organizing, linking up causes, make people feel like they can actually DO something, etc) - but they lack *disruption*.
1
0
21