Acornbaden

joined 2 weeks ago

My local group (in Vancouver, WA), was asked about 1-2 months in advance to join another group's May Day event where we've had 2 of our other events. It's okay to join other groups. It doesn't have to be your own event.

There is a difference between a protest and a demonstration. Protest = A crowd gathering in public to express disagreement with, or disapproval or anger or frustration toward, a specific individual or organization that is at or near the crowd’s gathering point (e.g., a politician giving a speech, a corporate headquarters, a bank branch, a construction site, a city hall), or in negative reaction to a recent or current event (e.g., the killing of George Floyd, the reversal of Roe v. Wade).

Demonstration = A crowd gathering to demonstrate their support for a set of political demands or claims to an external audience, typically with things like signs and banners and flags displayed to passers-by in a public space. This is probably the most common type of action.

Demonstrations are mostly symbolic. "Contemporary movements seem to rely more on street demonstrations than other methods of nonviolent action, such as mass noncooperation, like work stoppages, walkouts, rolling strikes, boycotts, or general strikes. Symbolic displays of resistance do not necessarily weaken the opponent’s sources of power." ~ Erica Chenoweth

May Day has been a day for working class people since the 1880's. Workers have often taken this day off to demand better for the working class. My local 50501 group was invited to join a May Day action from a working class immigrant!

On the weekend, who exactly are we protesting and where or are you suggesting recruitment rallies?

June 14 date for a National Event. [I'm posting this on behalf of someone else] Just throwing out thought for name…Reign in his parade. Theme ..no fraud, waste & abuse on our backs.

6/14 [I'm posting this on behalf of someone else] Since Trump will likely try to celebrate what he sees as his accomplishments so far, we focus on all the ways he has harmed everyday Americans — tanking the economy, devastating cuts to federal services, deportations without due process, etc.

6/14 [I'm posting this on behalf of someone else] I was thinking about something like, since Trump appears to want to celebrate war and power on that day, maybe we celebrate peace and justice.

[–] Acornbaden@lemmy.fiftyfifty.one 3 points 6 days ago* (last edited 5 days ago)

In the future you may want to make separate comments for each item so people can up/down vote them separately;

Did you see my suggestion of "Trump's Bigly Bad Birthday Bash" with a theme of the "Emperor Has No Clothes"?

[–] Acornbaden@lemmy.fiftyfifty.one 4 points 6 days ago (1 children)

One concern I have with Saturdays is there aren't a lot of "points of interventions" on Saturdays. Law makers out in decision making places on Saturdays. Trump loyalists aren't likely at work on Saturdays. So, Saturdays become more symbolic days of action rather than strategic days of actions outside places where people we want to influence are located. I would like to see 50501 move away from symbolic demonstrations and towards more strategic protests.

Separate it into its own comment right now it's nested under the original comment and not sure it will raise the same way but again, I'm not 100% sure because this is new to me.

[–] Acornbaden@lemmy.fiftyfifty.one 12 points 1 week ago* (last edited 5 days ago) (1 children)

June 14

Title: Trump's Bigly Bad Birthday Bash

Theme: The Emperor Has No Clothes

A nationwide day of satirical street theater. Organizers everywhere will stage public birthday parties for Trump that expose his corruption, incompetence, and vanity with humor, creativity, and ridicule, but without touching anything military. We’ll dress up, create absurd floats and props, and show the country that Trump isn’t a strongman; he’s a joke.

Trump wants to be celebrated as a powerful emperor. We’ll “celebrate” him but as a naked, crumbling fraud whose empire is a sham.

Themes and Visual Ideas:

  • The Emperor Wears No Clothes: Bodysuit costumes, gold crowns, oversized fake jewels.
  • Fake Awards Ceremony: Giant trophies labeled “Biggest Liar” or “Best Coup Attempt.”
  • Birthday Party Gone Wrong: Sloppy cakes, melting candles, sad “Happy Birthday, Loser” banners.
  • Golden Toilet Thrones: Celebrate his real legacy!
  • Made America Gag Again: Red caps, but they say GAG instead of MAGA.
  • Broken Promises Balloons: Helium balloons with slogans like “Mexico Paid for It!” “It’ll Be Over By Easter!” “Total Exoneration!” that deflate as the event goes on.
  • Fake Billionaires’ Club: Parade of people in tuxedos and tiaras, throwing fake money.
  • Carry giant fake birthday gifts labeled “Another Indictment,” “More Lawsuits,” “Bankruptcy.”

Here's a link with more details: https://drive.proton.me/urls/AG4G43N7HR#WHxubIFXZCqr

[–] Acornbaden@lemmy.fiftyfifty.one 2 points 1 week ago* (last edited 6 days ago) (1 children)

In the future, I think you may want to separate these 2 different topics. People are upvoting and downvoting comments right now and by putting 2 dates and ideas in one comment it might not get as much support because some people might agree with one and not the other. I could be wrong though. I'm still learning.

I'm making a comment based on feedback from 50501 PDX: They want to do TWO dates. If we can do two in April I don’t see why we can’t do two in June because they would be spaced farther apart than the April ones were.

view more: next ›