By John Pickard
In hundreds of towns and cities in the USA on Saturday, millions of Americans protested against the creeping authoritiarianism and the policies of Donald Trump. The President kept a dignified silence on the proceedings, if, that is, “dignified” can be stretched to include an AI-generated video showing him shitting on the crowds.
It is impossible to keep count of the social media posts, pictures and commentaries from all over the United States. The mood of the No Kings protests was vibrant, positive, loud and, despite the foaming mouths of Republican policians, they were also overwhelmingly peaceful. The last time there were ‘No Kings’ demonstrations, last June, there were over 1,600 demonstrations recorded but the total number for last Saturday has topped that figure.
The Washington Post reported that demonstrators, “filled much of Times Square in New York, lined Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington and poured into Grant Park in Chicago. They also gathered in smaller venues, with organizers arranging events in some 2,600 locations”.
Richard Mellor, a socialist blogger in California, described the mood of the “spirited” rally he attended in San Leandro, a relatively small town where he lives: “…the mood was very lively and many different people there. I think there were perhaps more young people than last time. One other person who I asked what she hoped would come from these events, she said “peace“.
“A commendable goal without doubt. There is a desperate mood in the country to rid ourselves of the gangster capitalists in the national body politic. One woman made it clear that the once quite unpopular governor, Gavin Newsom was beginning to grow on her, but seemed to agree when that’s not such a big deal when the alternative is the felon and serial sexual predator Trump. I guess it’s the old lesser of two evils approach that’s what happens every four years here in the US usually.
“But while a considerable majority of the attendees would be Democratic Party voters or at least sympathisers I think, others are simply appalled at the present Administration and its more blatant assault on democratic rights, unions, free speech, and voters rights not to mention abortion and a woman’s right to choose whether she has children or not.
“There was a tabling to get people to vote in November as there is a measure on the ballot that would give the politicians in the state legislature the power to redraw voting district boundaries that would favour Democrats over Republicans. At the moment, changing voting district boundaries is in the hands of a non-party citizen committee, so it is a controversial issue returning that decision to politicians in the legislature.
“This has been introduced so quickly as a result of the Republicans doing the same thing in Texas that would increase their slim majority in the US Congress. Californian governor Gavin Newsom was able to get it on the ballot even though measures like these need thousands of signatures because the Democrats basically control the state legislature and were able to get the two thirds majority need in the absence of a signature campaign.
“It was probably one of the biggest rallies I have seen in my small town. One thing I regret was not taking the time to ask the young girl’s views on the situation a little more”
Samples of some of the photographs and placards on the rallies are shown here, all of them from social media.
While these rallies were going on, what was the august President Donald J Trump doing? He was commissioning an AI programme to create a video showing himself wearing a crown and piloting a jet fighter.
And what was the jet fighter doing? It was literally shitting on demonstrators far below. Really. This is what he did and the video was posted on his social media platform, so-called Truth Social. This is the only level of political debate of which Trump is capable.
The US gay and trans community are already suffering a level of persecution unprecedented in modern times and the Hispanic community is under seige from ICE. But it is clear from these demonstrations that a serious and tangible threat of authoritarian goverment is understood by millions and they are beginning to fight back. If only the trade union leaders would follow.
