Last night thousands took to Portland’s streets, in addition to the thousands more across the country, to protest our electoral system’s selection of Donald Trump as president-elect. All of the frustration and disgust is an instinctual, reflexive response for those who didn’t vote for him; the past 18 months were tough, and the brutal ending on Tuesday night was even tougher. But as the crowds grew in Portland and elsewhere last night and the media grew more attentive, the importance of these voices of dissent became glaringly obvious.
Every protestor, every sign, every able body that is physically demonstrating its disapproval of Trump’s 60 million votes is being watched across the globe. On Tuesday, the world witnessed America elect a candidate who stood for sexual assault, xenophobia, racism, and isolationism. On Wednesday, the world saw thousands of Americans reject those values.
I imagine many—if not most—protestors are, perhaps on a gut, non-analytical level, wishing that there was some way to overturn the election results. “Not my president!” many are saying; and, more precisely, “Fuck Trump!” That’s an emotional, knee-jerk response, and is a perfectly acceptable retort as we recover from this week’s shock. But as much as I hate to say it, changing the results of the election is probably just wishful thinking.
That’s not why these protests are so crucial. That’s not why these protests, as temporarily inconvenient as they are for a handful of citizens going about their day-to-day lives, are the most important thing Americans can be doing right now. These protests matter because they show the world, both our allies and our enemies, that America, despite who it’s just elected to the presidency, can be a country of compassion and progressivism, that its inhabitants are not all cut from the same bigoted cloth, that those impassioned thousands who took to their feet last night—and who will continue to do so today, and perhaps in the days after—reject the hatred and the cowardice that buttressed Donald Trump’s voting coalition and pushed him into the presidency. They matter because the rest of the world needs to be dissuaded of the horrible idea that all Americans are just like the 60 million who voted against black lives, against women’s rights, against the nation’s growing minority populations, against a rejection of nationalism and despotism, and against the ideals of global unity that are the only way society can properly move forward in the digital age. That’s why these protests must continue, as peacefully but as loudly as possible, and why the media coverage of them must not let up.
The world is watching.
Related: Portland’s Resistance & Solidarity Calendar
Protest are so important because if the noise is loud enough the electors might, just might, change their vote. We should be unified on this as this is a concrete action that we all want to see. So often the question is asked, “what can protesting actually change?” This time we have an answer.
What is Brexit?
What can this actually change again?
this is complete bullshit. yes, you are protesting in the definition of the term, but what is being unsafe and walking on freeways doing for your cause? this isn’t a movement- the deed is done, your signs and obscenities are fucking up traffic for all those people WHO AGREE WITH YOU. they look like a bunch of entitled white millennials that are angry and don’t know what to do with their feelings. this is not productive. its the same as what we were/are against- its hate and anger and action without solution, and that won’t solve the problem. you want to do something for the cause? take that energy and find an organization that can help us actually move forward.
They’re changing the pace and direction of traffic, that’s about it.
But if they keep this up, they may annoy all the people who supported Hillary to the point they become Trump supporters.
The key word in your headline is “Now”.
The time to do any of this was some date and time before last Tuesday. Walking around yelling now makes you look like anti-democratic dimwits. ‘Tempermentally unfit’, to borrow a phrase, for citizenship in a democracy.
I need my latte! Somebody tell all these baristas to get back to work.
A lot of people on the highways are working-class employees on their way to low-wage jobs who’ll be penalized if they show up late, or who have to pay more for child care if they’re late returning from work. (Or they’re truckers spewing pollutants while they idle in traffic.) Blocking the highways is selfish and dangerous and counter-productive.
Trump is different in so many ways starting with a world climate that is in peril. His inexperience is staggering. His appeals to racism, misogyny, and anti-semitism are more overt. His bullying tactics in the face of opposition more draconian. Just looking at the circle of advisors he’s selected and I know I have to engage in active opposition starting now.
To date, the protests have demonstrated neither compassion, nor progressiveness.
Is the fourth night the night they turn it around. Don’t make me laugh.
Sore losers.
Do you think the Republican felt any different when Obama won?
The Electorate College doesn’t vote until Dec 19th.. So these protests could influence them. They may have had an affect on making Trump change his stance, too. I just read that he put forth 3 Progressive agenda items!!!
1. Re-instate Glass-Steagall banking regulations,
2. Propose an alternative to Obamacare, which almost is like Universal Healthcare (Medicare for all),
3. Maintain detente with Iran and keep the nuclear peace treaty in place!
#ProtestsMatter
No, you won’t force the electors to change their minds. But protesting is still a constitutionally protected right. However, this non-sense is NOT protesting. This is just spoiled little brats throwing a temper tantrum because they didn’t get a participation trophy for voting in the election. They prove true each and every stereotype used against them. They are hellbent on destroying their own local economies and will eventually pay the price for their stupidity, their reckless behavior, and the wanton destruction they are visiting on the hard working people of their city and state.
And, one more thing, insurance policies do NOT cover damage due to civil unrest. The local business owners will have to pay for ALL of this damage.
BTW – you haven’t seen “civil unrest” such as will be visited opon this country by well-armed Trump supporters if the Electoral College resists the will of the voters and tries to install Hillary instead.
It won’t be “civil unrest,” it will be civil war. And these petulant little white kids with baseball bats are not prepared for that.
“They may have had an affect on making Trump change his stance, too. I just read that he put forth 3 Progressive agenda items!!!”
Did you not realize that, overall, Trump was further left than Clinton?
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Have you considered the fact that the world’s takeaway might be that the protesters REALLY wanted to invade Syria and make sure the pipeline gets built?