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What naysayers don’t get about ‘No Kings,’ the biggest protest in U.S. history
(share.inquirer.com)
Is it a real protest if there aren't burned out cop cars?
this post was submitted on 30 Mar 2026
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politics
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What proponents don't get:
Turning out in the streets with no action doesn't actually "do" anything. Yes, it gives participants warm fuzzies, but that's about it.
I really hope organizers used the opportunity to do something productive. Register people to vote, collect volunteers for the upcoming primaries and the general election in the fall, push the red states to reject Republican ideology and candidates that are actively injuring all of us.
8,000,000 / the current US population estimate of 342,400,000 is 2.34% of the US out protesting on Saturday. That's fantastic, but it's not enough to move the needle.
Where does it need to be?
https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20190513-it-only-takes-35-of-people-to-change-the-world
Just short of 12 million. We are getting there.
No Kings June, 2025 - 5 million
No Kings October, 2025 - 7 million
No Kings March, 2026 - 8 million
On this track, the next one will be close to 10 million. Proponents will argue they are over, detractors will say they missed the target, but 10 million more or less.
We are at least 2-3 more protests of this size away from hitting the 3.5% thresh-hold, but it is do-able before the 2028 elections.
Save the doomer BS. It's not for hyper online people like yourself. You're a minority in this.
The one I went to had a food drive and a voter registration booth.
Also protest do something incredibly important that people don't seem to understand.
They bring people together. People who have ideas.
People who are maybe a bit more impatient, violent, and reckless than the masses.
They motivate those individuals to take more aggressive action.
Protests make such individuals feel like they have the support of the people (and they do).
Like burning down Tesla dealerships.
Like trying to burn down concentration camps.
Because if you study any history, you know that the oppressors NEVER give up their power because someone asks or even demands.
It will have to be taken. At great personal cost to those taking it.
Such people will be inspired to action from the display of protests. They will feel validated in their illegal (almost certainly) actions. And feel like it's worth the risk.
This is very important.
That's fantastic they were doing a food drive and voter registration! Let's hope they organize "turn out the vote" events leading up to the elections.
Hopefully someone is helping people get the necessary documents for voting eligibility, too.
Like the other comment says, the "protests don't do anything" argument looks like it makes sense, but it really doesn't. Sure, it alone doesn't do anything, but it doesn't happen in a vacuum. It's a stepping stone. It leads to further organization and action. It's an easy, relatively risk free, way to get people involved, and it's easier to get them to go further after that first step is taken.
That's the thing, without further organization and action the net result was "Well that was fun!"
Could you imagine the difference enlisting 10 million people to run a one day registration drive would make?
You wouldn't even necessarily need to travel far. Groups of 10-15 door to door and 10 million people could basically knock practically every door in a day.
I'll shout this from the rooftops indefinitely: American elections aren't about preference, by and large, they are about turnout. There's very little we individuals can do when the party selects (repeatedly) unpopular candidates. But increasing registration would materially impact turnout.
Maybe if those protests did not only happen half a year apart...
6 months to organize. A lot of people have to work on Saturdays.
It will be interesting to see if the general strike on 5/1 has any impact, that's on a Friday.