We need a new protest strategy.

[Plaid Adder]

It occurred to me this morning that before the Democrats have the chance to cave on Alito, it would be nice to have a couple hundred thousand people standing around near the Capitol to make the case against. I thought to myself, is there no demonstration planned for next week? If not, why not? If so, why haven't I heard about it?

And then I had a thought.

The anti-war movement has mobilized some fairly large protests against the Iraq war. Planned Parenthood, NOW, and so on have organized marches to protect choice. The GBLT movement has the pride march. We have all these different groups that have experience organizing large protests around their particular issues.

What we do not have yet, because up to this point we didn't think we needed it, is a group dedicated to protesting the destruction of American democracy.

The anti-war movement has always been focused on protecting the rest of the world from America. And there's certainly a need for that, but the point is, you're not going to get International Answer interested in protecting America from its own government. Similarly, most of the groups that organize protests over domestic policy do it in order to raise awareness about their constituency's particular issues. There is no group, that I know of, specifically dedicated to protesting the executive's abuses of power. That's because nobody ever thought we were going to wind up living in a dictatorship.

The Alito confirmation will be a disaster for choice, absolutely. But mainly the reason it worries me is that I do not want anyone who supports this 'strong executive powers, the state can do whatever it wants in wartime, and from now on it's always wartime' CRAP to have a lifetime position on the one branch of government that the Republicans do not yet completely control. Our elected Democrats, as far as I can tell, do not get this. They seem to be grasping the extent of this crisis only belatedly and with great reluctance. We need to get some feet in the street to help underscore the urgency. But we don't have anyone organizing that, because it's not in any one group's jurisdiction.

Apart from the ACLU, which is more about legal challenges than about marching, we've never thought we needed an organization dedicated specifically to protesting threats to our democracy. Well, now we need one. And the interest group it would be representing would be, well, all of us.

I wonder if it would be possible to form some kind of super-organization that would bring people with a lot of activism experience from all areas of the non-fascist spectrum together to work on this. I don't know how much good it could do, but as things continue to get crazier, I think it will become more and more important for there to be a way to demonstrate to our leaders in Washington that whatever the media and the pollmeisters might be telling them, we the people do not think that one-party rule is acceptable.

It could be too late. But even if it is, we've got to try something. I don't want to live through a fascist takeover and I don't want to live through a civil war or a revolution either. But someone has gotta change something if we're not going to go down one of those paths, and I don't think the Congressional Democrats are gonna do it. Not, at any rate, without a lot of help from us.

Alas,

The Plaid Adder

[babylonsister]

1. worldcantwait might fit the bill, and they are active.

And it's NOT too late, PA!
Forever he eternal optimist, I'm hoping the Dems have something up their collective sleeves.

[Cleita]

2. I think we need to go to the next step, which is civil disobedience.

Cindy Sheehan started something like this in Crawford. The problem is that not everyone can take the risk of civil disobedience, because of family obligations, so we need to identify those who can do it, those who don't have that much to lose. Then we need to pull them together for the protests that will target certain places and people.

Remember the sit-ins of the sixties. This was where a large protest group would enter a public building or a politicians office and disrupt their daily business by sitting in the hallways and doors blocking the flow of traffic. They were usually arrested and removed forcibly, but it got everyone's attention.

Perhaps a sit-in in the Supreme Court or other public building blocking doorways, hallways and elevators could be something that could be done.

[babylonsister]

3. Part of the problem is our country is so big. However, it

didn't stop anyone in the 60s, and there was no internet then.
People have to get mighty pissed off, is the answer. As far as
coordinated, how about in EVERY city?

[me b zola]

4. I agree, peaceful civil disobedience is what is needed

We flew from the West Coast to participate in the Sept. 24 demonstration. It was wonderful, a half of million people gathered peacefully to protest the war, but hardly a mention in the media.

We must begin marching un-permitted. We must be willing to risk arrest and inconvience. If we do this by the thousands across the country, more people will know what we have done and how serious we are about being heard.

Just my .02 cents.

[babylonsister]

5. Your .02 cents is invaluable, and right on!

Maybe enough people in every city will get annoyed enough to do something. Or are they even listening?

[Lone_Wolf]

6. or a general strike...

even if it was just in the Blue States

[omega minimo]

7. Unbefuckinglievable

And all this time I thought that's what an informed citizenry was for!!!!!

"What we do not have yet, because up to this point we didn't think we needed it, is a group dedicated to protesting the destruction of American democracy."

"There is no group, that I know of, specifically dedicated to protesting the executive's abuses of power. That's because nobody ever thought we were going to wind up living in a dictatorship."

Nobody?

"...we've never thought we needed an organization dedicated specifically to protesting threats to our democracy. Well, now we need one. And the interest group it would be representing would be, well, all of us."

All of us, indeed.

[rucky]

8. OK, Here's my crazy idea:

I'm just brainstorming as I write, so be gentle:

Big problem with protesting is that our country is so darn BIG & it's hard to get people mobilized. And no matter how many people march in DC, the media will ignore it. How many of us had said "I'd like to be there, but I have family/work obligation / no way to get there / simply no time?"

What if we set up a website called "protestmercs.org" or something like that. Here's how it works. People can arrange protests in their area - by announcing a protest, you become the protest coordinator. Say, "let's picket Wal-Mart in Cleveland Heights on Saturday 2/6" and post it on the site w/ details and reasons for the demonstration. With me so far?

THEN, you have a pool of ProtestMercs in every metro area of the US: These are people who CAN afford to attend protests, and will be willing to go in your place, at your expense. (Stay with me, here). The ProtestMercs make themselves available in a certain area to attend protests - they are people who do have the time, proximity, motive, means & opprotunity to attend a protest. They sign up on the site and become part of the Merc Pool.

So For this Wal-Mart protest in Cleveland - someone in Cincinnati wants to attend, but can't. They pay $10 bucks (number pulled out of ass), to have someone from the local ProtestMerc Pool to go in their place. The surrogate is matched with the sponsor, and payment is arranged through PayPal or something like that. The site can take a portion of that to pay for their expenses. The protest coordinator sets up check-in list for the Mercs to sign in & that's how they get paid. The mercs always have the option to donate their fee, if they don't like the idea of taking money.

This might actually get people who normally wouldn't protest into and aware of grassroots issues and actions.

:shrug:

[mcscajun]

9. I'm going to say these two words as gently as I can....

"Professional Protestors"

Just recall how many times that epithet has been thrown at committed activists who weren't paid to march or speak out. This would make it real and impossible to shake off.

[shadowknows69]

10. Why shouldn't we have professional protestors

every special interest group with any sway can lobby congress and the president. this would be the people's lobby. the constitutional crisis lobby. i think it's a great idea rucky.

[mcscajun]

11. Lobbyists and professional protestors are two completely different

animals.

A People's Lobby acting in the People's interest and quietly (or not so quietly) haranguing our Senators and Representatives would be on the same footing, if not the same league, as other special interest lobbyists.

A cadre of progressive professional protestors will never be taken as seriously as determined unaffiliated, nonpaid, passionate protestors. Professional protestors will be dismissed as not relevant and not truly speaking for anything but their paycheck.

[rucky]

12. follow the money

from the grassroots, to the grassroots. if you'd attend the protest anyways, sign on, take the money and donate it back to the organization that supports your cause.

When you make a donation to, say MoveOn, where does your money go? Some to recruit new membership, some to keep membership informed, some to create awareness campaigns. In other words, most of the money stays within the organization and the rest goes to the media. This way we skip all of the organizational crap and take it straight into direct action.

Committed activists can't do all of this alone. They're good at speaking truth to power, and will always do this no matter how what attempts are made to discredit them, but they have failed in increasing their numbers. The SPONSORSHIP would still be coming from committed activists: even if the people on the street are not, necessarily.

As for the detractors to all grassroots movements, I don't care what "they" think. If we don't do something because of what they may think, then they're controlling what we do. They'll always find some kind of whiny label to place on people.


Again, I did say it was a crazy idea, but consider it beyond those two words.

[roseBudd]

13. Here's my crazy idea....

The easier it is to do something the larger the participation. In Cincinnati there is a monthly antiwar protest on the median of Central Pkwy. but only people who happen to drive by in the 15 minutes or so the protest last are even aware that this happens and the protetors really don't have much opportunity to inform or persuade.

$4.00 at Kinkos buys 100 8.5x11" flyers. Anyone, anywhere can flyer. If enough people do this it will get noticed and it won't take CSPAN. Here are some examples for download

right click and choose Save Target As:

IMPEACH BUSH
http://bushcheated04.com/impeach.pdf

IRAQ WAR: WHAT IS IT GOOD FOR?
http://bushcheated04.com/war.pdf

[rucky]

14. That's just crazy!

my small-minded, small town won't know what hit 'em!

:yourock:

[roseBudd]

15. It;s lots of fun because you just know their heads explode n/t