From a discussion with a friend yesterday, it seems the goal (to the extent there was any) of the April 5 protests was to throw everything at the wall and hope something sticks. I don't see any sign that it worked. #April5
Recent searches
Search options
#april5
2 posts2 participants0 posts today
I don't always agree with Sherry Wolf (or with anyone always, of course) but the comments below seem to me about right. In Portland, there were, by at least one count, 50,000 (so, proportionately a better turnout than NYC). Many were masked, and I appreciate all those protecting everyone's health in the crowd.
I've heard that there are nationwide calls for further marches April 19 & May 1, but have not seen anything definite for PDX. There is, however, an upcoming meeting April 12 dedicated to building long-term alliances--not just mobilizing people to protest but organizing to gain positive changes. Portland Rising: The Power of Coalition from Jobs with Justice & others: Saturday, April 12, 2025 10:00 AM-12:00PM at P.A.T. Hall, 345 NE 8th Ave., Portland, OR 97232. Wheelchair accessible; Masks required and provided. https://actionnetwork.org/events/portland-rising-the-power-of-coalition
Important to remember also that in discussing 'nonviolent' protests, the violence generally comes from the police, so the peacefulness, some have suggested, comes from police having underestimated turnout (and thus being unprepared for encountering the crowd) or indifference to the actions of old white people likely to go home after the march.
Sherry Wolf posts:
5 takeaways from April 5th in NYC:
- 100,000 came out—mostly as individuals and not organized in groups, folks who don’t usually or ever protest on a day the city’s far left leadership was in DC for the massive Palestine protest there. Notably, thousands in NYC wore keffiyehs & carried signs about Gaza, it’s too intertwined with our national disaster to be scrubbed from an NYC protest
- Multigenerational, but skewed whiter and a bit older than NYC overall, indicating both the silos we’re in and that it was disproportionately citizens who don’t fear deportation but loss of careers, social security, Medicare, etc. these were downwardly mobile middle- and working-class people with something to lose
- The politically broad but hollow call to action—“Hands Off”— meant that the momentary vacuum could be filled by individuals or small groups putting forward chants and slogans for others, which is what I did on the march from the subway and later with union comrades for more than an hour outside the library raising explicitly anti-fascist, pro-trans and immigrant and unite and fight type chants and got tens of thousands to vigorously take them up while marching past; others did this along the way, too!
- Leftists need to learn what a united front means in practice—the denunciations online of the vacuousness of a “Hands Off” call are unhelpful; possibly 1 million people nationally turned out because they’re scared and want to find a way to fight—we need to put forward and fight for political positions inside these formations, not denounce them
- Mass actions raise the prospect of mass strikes; union leaders need to start organizing strike calls with Black, queer and immigrant groups—days of action, walk-ins, walkouts, rolling strikes—which can’t be summoned the same way as a call to action in a moment of extreme fear rage.
ANONYMOUS Speaks on the Protests #April5 #anonymous #april5th
https://www.reddit.com/r/50501/comments/1jst1uc/comment/mlp0e68/
Protesters denounced Trump’s fascist attacks on workers, immigrants, social benefits, and democratic rights.
The political meaning of the April 5 mass protests against Trump - World Socialist Web Site
World Socialist Web SiteThe political meaning of the April 5 mass protests against TrumpMass opposition is developing to the fascist in the White House, but the movement can only go forward through a break with the Democratic Party and a struggle against the capitalist system.
On April 5, 5.2 million people across the country stood up to say HANDS OFF our democracy.
We are committed to building our peaceful People’s Movement and achieving 3.5% participation. History shows that when just 3.5% of the population engages in sustained, peaceful resistance—transformative change is inevitable.
Follow to join our Movement, and save the date for our next national day of action on April 19th.
#50501movement #PeoplesMovement #FiftyFiftyOne #50501 #April5 #HandsOff
I'm reading an estimated 5 million people showed up to protest the #mumpregime
To the 20 million Americans who voted in 2020 but didn't vote in 2024, you actually did vote. You're non-vote was a vote for this crap!
Lest you want to wake up in the New North Korea, your presence is requested in the streets!
sustained protest by 3 to 4% of this country stops this Shite
Big ThinkTo overthrow a tyrant, try the 3.5 Percent SolutionA study of 323 uprisings against repressive regimes yields stunning insights.
so much creativity - I love it
That's how we Do! That's American. Expressing ourselves
kind of felt like yesterday was a mental health day! a lot of people voiced that openly! not those exact words but ...
April 5: Millions Take to the Streets for a National Day of Action
#april5 $#HandsOff #Democracy #demonstration #TheContrarian
https://contrarian.substack.com/p/april-5-millions-take-to-the-streets
Good morning.
#April5 was a lot, but in the most spectacular ways! Y’all have no idea the power of a car horn over a group of thousands walking in the street, or the boos and middle fingers as we walked passed our local Fox affiliate. So. Great!
Today is riding bikes and a few outside chores. After I hit the journal, and possibly the blog.
Continued thread
Pictures from the Hands Off protest march in Louisville, Kentucky, a thread:
The crowd marches, signs and umbrellas held high.
Continued thread
Pictures from the Hands Off protest march in Louisville, Kentucky, a thread:
"FUCK DONNIE."
#HandsOff in pictures: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/gallery/2025/apr/05/anti-trump-hands-off-worldwide-protests showing the amazing #creativity of the protests.
"When you have a popular-resistance strategy and an effective legislative strategy, it wins more than two-thirds of the time.": https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/05/trump-hands-off-protest
the Guardian · Anti-Trump protests hit cities worldwide – in picturesThousands of ‘Hands Off’ protesters – in the US and across major European cities – took to the streets on Saturday in a show of defiance
#April5 #HandsOff #uspol #democracy #RMOL #UK
More UK coverage from Sky News. At the end of this report Trump’s press secretary unsurprisingly claims Trump isn’t listening. Maybe not, but the rest of the world is.
The fact Trump may attempt to modify the system in order to extend his presidential term (journalistically known as “pulling a Putin”) is a massive red flag. Consequently, these protests are very important and really do count…
https://news.sky.com/story/thousands-protest-against-trump-and-musk-at-rallies-in-every-us-state-13343002
Sky · Thousands protest against Donald Trump and Elon Musk at rallies in all 50 US states
The Comice pear, the oldest Gravenstein apple, an early blooming peach grown from seed, and the Harcot Apricot. I saw quite a few apricots blooming when I was out and about today. The Japanese type plum here is a couple of warm days away from starting to bloom and it doesn't look like it's died much more. It's more than 50 years old.
