Hey, awesome people.
On Saturday, March 28, the world watched as roughly nine million people took to the streets. From the flagship rally in St. Paul to our own corners of Michigan, the message was deafening: No Kings. It was officially the largest single-day protest in human history, a massive, vibrant tapestry of defiance against the war in Iran, the escalation of ICE raids, and the creeping authoritarianism we face every day.
But as the signs are tucked away and the crowds disperse, a familiar tension has started to settle in.
If you spent any time on Leftist social media or in community group chats this week, you’ve seen the “post-protest hangover.” The critiques are sharp, and for many of us, they ring true. There’s a worry that these mass mobilizations are becoming a “liberal carnival”—a way to vent steam without actually dismantling the engines of power. Critics argue we lack infrastructure, that our demands are too broad, and that we’re being funneled into a “Vote Blue” trap that ignores the systemic rot underneath.
Here’s the thing: I agree with them. I agree because those criticisms aren’t just complaints; they are a roadmap. If we want to move from “protesting” to “resisting,” we have to treat these gaps as our greatest opportunities for outreach. Nine million people showed up on Saturday because they are scared, angry, and ready for change. Now, it’s our job to show them that the “No Kings” movement isn’t just a day in the streets—it’s the beginning of how we reclaim our communities, our labor, and our future.
The Opportunity: Turning Critique into Community Power
Here is how we take those five common arguments and flip them. Instead of seeing them as reasons to stay home, let’s see them as the “To-Do” list for our next meeting.
1. From “Spectacle” to “Infrastructure”
- The Critique: “Marching for a day is just a performance; it doesn’t build long-term power.”
- The Opportunity: If Saturday was the “grand opening,” then Monday is when the real work starts. We use the massive turnout to build the infrastructure we’re missing.
- The Outreach: Use your local network to start a “neighborhood watch” for ICE raids or a mutual aid fund. We don’t just show up for the rally; we show up for the rent strike.
2. From “No Demands” to “Specific Demands”
- The Critique: “The message is too broad. ‘No Kings’ doesn’t tell us what to actually do.”
- The Opportunity: Use the “No Kings” banner as an umbrella for hyper-local demands.
- The Outreach: In our Michigan communities, that means demanding a ceasefire in Iran, protecting our local schools from state interference, and ensuring our neighbors have food and housing. We take the “No Kings” energy and apply it to the specific “Lords” in our own backyards.
3. From “The Vote Blue Trap” to “Independent Power”
- The Critique: “This is just a way to funnel people into the midterms without changing the system.”
- The Opportunity: We can use the platform to talk about labor power and the general strike energy that started in January.
- The Outreach: Remind people that while we may vote, our real power is in our labor and our collective refusal to comply. Use your blog to highlight union-made goods or local co-ops.
4. From “Leaderless” to “Community-Led”
- The Critique: “Without clear leaders, the movement is easy to ignore or co-opt.”
- The Opportunity: Decentralization is actually our strength if we use it to empower the individual.
- The Outreach: If there is no “King” of the movement, then you are the leader of your block. Encourage your readers to take ownership.
5. From “Personality Politics” to “Systemic Change”
- The Critique: “It focuses too much on Trump and not enough on the billionaire-first politics that got us here.”
- The Opportunity: Use the “King” metaphor to deconstruct the entire castle.
- The Outreach: Talk about the “Epstein files” or the military-industrial complex as the walls of that castle. By focusing on the systems that allow “kings” to exist, we move the conversation from one man to a better world.
Seize the Momentum
We don’t need a “perfect” movement to make progress. We need a massive one. Saturday proved the numbers are there—9 million people is a heartbeat that cannot be ignored. Now, our job is to take those 9 million hearts and plug them into the local “means of production.”
If you met someone Saturday who was out there for the first time, don’t judge their “liberal” sign. Invite them to your next organizing meeting. Give them a “Resist Fascism” sticker and a reason to stay engaged on Monday morning.
The march was the spark. We are the fire.
Stay sparkly (and radical).
Read the previous post here.
Visit my Etsy Shop.