I Went to a No Kings Protest. What Else Can I Do?

Millions of people across the country and in our own communities marched together last month in No Kings protests. We demonstrated that we don’t tolerate the unconstitutional power Trump’s administration uses to avoid justice for their crimes and terrorize our communities.

Cass County residents told us that holding our beliefs can feel isolating, but attending protests and finding out how many neighbors were like-minded all along is exciting. Plus, protests are great for business when they end and everyone needs a bite to eat.

However, the purpose of a protest is primarily to demonstrate our collective power. More effort is required to actually use this power to care for one another and to resist oppression when the government neglects or turns against us.

Resistance to authoritarianism requires multiple facets, functions, and talents, and it’s up to us to keep the momentum going and turn it into direct action. Below are some ideas our neighbors shared.

Deepen your connections

While we’re working to achieve a government that represents the real 99% of American people, we have to depend on each other.

Cass County residents have found success by simply gathering in fellowship with people they met at protests or other actions. Neighbors Talking with Neighbors meetings, held at the DFL office in Hackensack, is one group getting together to discuss civic issues, share about past or upcoming community actions, commiserate their fears and celebrate their achievements, and simply enjoy each other’s company. 

Visit CassCoDFL.org to learn more.

Hang out with the DFL

County level DFL parties (like the Cass County DFL) are full of friendly people who are passionate about local government. There are also tons of events throughout the year that you can get involved in:

·       Public committee meetings

·       Neighbors fellowship nights

·       Fundraisers

·       Volunteer opportunities—knock on doors or walk in parades for DFL candidates, help people exercise their right to vote, pick up trash.

Visit mobilize.us/dfl and search for your county or use the map to find events near you.

Call your representatives

Calling your elected officials, whether in support of or against their stance, is the most effective way to ensure they hear your voice—more than emails, faxes, or letters, which take time to read and process.

·       Visit 5Calls.org for a list of your officials and call scripts for various issues.

·       Your message will be extra impactful if you share why the issue matters to YOU.

·       Some Cass County residents find joining a group call bank helps making calls feel less intimidating.

Disrupt the cash flow

“Voting with your dollars” is easy, daily resistance to both corporations and the politicians they hold in their pockets. Boycotts become more effective as more people join in. Find a list of current boycotts and their reasons at ethicalconsumer.org/ethicalcampaigns/boycotts and consider whether and where you can spend your money elsewhere.

These movements work! The boycott of Target—because they removed DEI protection and share security footage with the ICE, among other things—notably hurt its profits and caused its stock price to drop.

Mutual aid

Different than charity, mutual aid is direct redistribution of resources among people. It comes with an understanding of reciprocity—"I have the means to help you now, and in the future, if I need help, you will support me.”

Mutual aid comes in many different forms:

• Food/household necessities drives and shelves

  • Visit 2harvest.org for food drive information

• Cop watching and community safety

• Support groups

• Transportation

• Rent relief

• Childcare and elderly care

• Emergency medical care

• Community education

Visit BLAindivisible.com/donate-locally or contact the DFL to find more formalized local mutual aid opportunities. You can also provide informal mutual aid to your own community simply by coming together and learning about each other’s needs and coming up with different ways to help each other.

Vote

Healthy democracies where lots of people vote create healthy communities because elected officials, especially at the local level, are accountable to those voters.

It’s especially important to complete every section of your ballot. The end of the ballot is where you will find local races like city council and school board members, and ballot measures like amendments, repeals, or proposals for legislation. The effects of these votes likely won’t be flashy on the news, but they WILL be some of the most impactful

in your everyday life.

To look over your ballot before going to vote, visit the Secretary of State website at sos.mn.gov/elections-voting.

Protests are effective, even if it’s not immediately obvious. We have come together to demonstrate how much we care about each other and that we can achieve liberty and justice for ALL. Now, it’s time to prove it.

by Barbara Keinath