The People Of Portland Should Protest From Their Homes....

[global1]

This way they ignore Trump's goons and leave them standing around with nothing to do. Eventually Trump would have to pull them out cause they would not have anyone to beat up on and arrest. Imagine them having to stand around all day with nothing to do.

Ignore the goons. That would be a very effective way of protesting and getting Trump to back off. It would be another one of his failures.

Any city where Trump sends these goons should do the same.

Don't dignify Trump's actions. Take away another one of his attempts to campaign for re-election.

[Eliot Rosewater]

1. AGREE I say nobody leave home till Nov 3, other than work and shopping

They are going to postpone the election if ONE protester is on the street, if you know what I mean.

[progressive nobody]

2. no. You don't stop Tyranny by staying home. That is what Tyrants wants.

[Ferrets are Cool]

5. This x 1000

[Drunken Irishman]

8. Tyrants want conflict.

They want a reason to bulldoze through and send a message. You better believe Trump is hoping some protesters instigate just enough to push for some extreme retaliation. He isn't doing this to get the people off the streets. He's doing this hoping more and more people will flood the streets so he can have a reason to send more and more of his federal troops into these cities and declare that the American city has been lost to the radical and that we must do anything at all costs to save the city.

[tinrobot]

14. Tyrants want conflict so they can oppress. If people stop coming out, the tyrant wins.

Don't forget, we outnumber them. People need to keep turning out in larger and larger numbers.

[msongs]

16. yeah lets go out on the streets at 3 am and throw firecrackers at nuts with guns nt

[tinrobot]

24. Or maybe protest peacefully, like most have since this started.

I agree, firecrackers are a step too far. That needs to stop.

But having everyone "protest from home" solves absolutely nothing.

[progressive nobody]

23. If we don't come out now than when? Trump refuses to accept results?

Maybe we wait until December when a possible Lame Duck republican control Senate refuses to validate the results.

Maybe we should wait until Jan when Trump is suppose to leave and a new House and Senate is suppose to be sworn in?

If we aren't out now protesting the Federal Kidnapping thugs now then when they start popping up in other towns it will be harder to rail against them.

[Drunken Irishman]

32. You will never outnumber them.

That's the problem. The idea should not be to initiate conflict with these people. Trump wants mass-arrests, violence and instability so he can sell that narrative to the white suburban moms who have deflected from him the last few months. The only way he can even hope to get that is by having chaos in these cities, especially if his forces roll through and dominate the streets like he suggest.

I don't think these protesters need to relent but they need to move back from the federal buildings. But these sites are too hot and there's too much potential for massive unrest and that's what Trump wants. At this point, Trump is getting what he wants with the continued presence of protesters outside the federal building. Move to another site away from the federal building. That's what they need to do. Because then it becomes less acceptable and justifiable to keep the troops stationed there.

[tinrobot]

40. I think Portland migt disagree with that. They're getting the numbers.

From tonight:

Link to tweet

[Drunken Irishman]

43. That was from last night - and it ended with gassings.

Link to tweet

Link to tweet

The protesters are giving Trump's campaign the optics he wants by continuing to stand by the fence and pushing against it.

A lot of what triggered this was some protesters tossing fireworks and water bottles over the fence.

I am starting to think both sides want a conflict.

[Hortensis]

19. Also +1000. Lesson 1 of "On Tyranny": DO NOT OBEY IN ADVANCE.

Rachel had the author back on last night. Citizens staying home and not reacting is exactly what they need.

And

13. Practice corporeal politics. Power wants your body softening in your chair and your emotions dissipating on the screen. Get outside. Put your body in unfamiliar places with unfamiliar people. Make new friends and march with them.

https://scholars.org/contribution/twenty-lessons-fighting-tyranny-twentieth-century

[Hortensis]

20. Also +1000. Lesson 1 of "On Tyranny": DO NOT OBEY IN ADVANCE.

Rachel had the author back on last night. Citizens staying home and not reacting is exactly what they need.

And

13. Practice corporeal politics. Power wants your body softening in your chair and your emotions dissipating on the screen. Get outside. Put your body in unfamiliar places with unfamiliar people. Make new friends and march with them.

https://scholars.org/contribution/twenty-lessons-fighting-tyranny-twentieth-century

[Sunsky]

38. Exactly nt

[handmade34]

3. no

the storm troopers must not win

[global1]

15. How Do The Goons Win By Standing Around With Nothing To Do....

Last edited Sun Jul 26, 2020, 01:33 AM - Edit history (1)

and with no one to beat up on?

[Bettie]

44. They win by forcing inaction of the populace.

It shows that they have pacified the population.

They get to declare victory and know that they caused everyone to go and cower in their homes.

[SouthernCal_Dem]

4. How does one protest from home?

[global1]

22. It's A Silent Protest....

It's taking away Trump's justification for sending in the goons in the first place.

If no one is out in the streets - what reason does he have for the goons being there.

It's the ultimate middle finger to him.

[Thekaspervote]

6. Agree. ...he wants violence, people hurt for it to escalate so he can declare martial law

No we do not want that!!

[Grasswire2]

7. whose streets? OUR STREETS.

whose streets?

OUR STREETS.

Passivity never won against march of tyranny.

Can you imagine, in 1776, people simply waving at the British from their porches?

No. The people. The ragtag people, made good trouble for the King's men.

[Blecht]

9. FUCK THAT

You can stay home. I'm not.

[Drunken Irishman]

10. Trump wants conflict. Anyone who thinks he doesn't is naive.

He wants just one protester to lob a rock or set something on fire so his goons can go full-throttle on 'em.

I disagree that the protesters should go home. But they should move away from the federal building.

If they continue, they're going to give Trump exactly what he wants.

[Ms. Toad]

17. I agree with this suggestion.

Staying home gives Trump a win - see? I sent in my stormtroopers and the protesters were afraid and stayed home.

Protesting where there cannot even be a pretense of damage to federal property removes his excuse to use his private army - without giving in to his demand to stop protesting.

[Kyblue1]

11. Couldn't the protesters organize a march or demonstration away from the Federal Courthouse?

Take away the phony excuse for this mugging by Trumps goons. Have a national figure such as Rev Al or Jesse Jackson have a rally somewhere else in Portland. If the stormtroopers show up, it would be crystal clear that Trump just wants to create violence.
I’m afraid that the nightly clashes in the streets in front of the federal building could hurt Biden

[Ms. Toad]

18. That's exactly what needs to happen. n/t

[fierywoman]

34. And/or far away from any federal building.

[Steelrolled]

42. You are exactly right

The protesters are being played as fools. The Feds put up a fence around the courthouse, and the protesters act like a bunch of zombies and mindlessly go attack it. The federal courthouse has no relevance to BLM, and in many cases this courthouse is more protective of civil rights than city courthouses.

Meanwhile, the city of Portland is making little progress on police reform, but what the hell, what does that have to do with BLM? /s

[Brother Buzz]

12. What in the Sam Hill, and let the orange anus take a fake victory lap?

[MichMan]

13. Haven't the protests been going on for 2 months now?

[DSandra]

21. The right wingers will see it as weakness and their shark-like predatory instincts will come alive

It also sends a message that liberals are weak and won’t fight back.

[global1]

33. Was Gandhi Weak?....

This would be a form of a 'non-violent resistence' - a symbolic protest. You let the RWer's know what you're doing and why you're doing it. A big FU to Trump. Take the wind out of his sail. Make him dead in the water.

[fescuerescue]

41. who cares what the right wingers think?

why should we cater to what they think is strength?

That's just letting them set the rules.

[KPN]

25. Tyranny thrives when people are passive. Around

the globe and over time, people have not always won over tyrants. But I don’t know a single time when they did by being passive.

[Sogo]

30. Ever heard of Ghandi?

[KPN]

45. I said passive. Ghandi was not passive, he

espoused non-violent protest not pacifism.

[Sogo]

48. Gandhi and the Passive Resistance Campaign 1907-1914

https://www.sahistory.org.za/article/gandhi-and-passive-resistance-campaign-1907-1914

[KPN]

49. Yeah, resistance. Resistance by nature is not passive. But

have a merry.

[Jirel]

26. Wrong in so many ways.

It is more importantly than ever for people to be on the street.

Krystallnacht was Hitler’s experiment to see if the German people would sit still for atrocities.

Portland is our Krystallnacht.

[Binkie The Clown]

27. If nobody is in the streets, Trump will declare victory

and use it to justify sending more troops everywhere he wants to intimidate the people.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

28. From Kevin M. Kruse

Well this startled me

Link to tweet

[maxrandb]

29. I keep pointing out that

there could be a much bigger impact if we left the federal buildings alone and began blocking the streets and sidewalks outside Hate Radio stations in every city in the country.

Make sure there are lots of signs that list all their local and national advertisers as well.

[Sogo]

31. I like that idea....

[fierywoman]

35. Oooooooooo! Great idea!

[LeftInTX]

36. The problem is the anarchists who throw firecrackers

and frozen water bottles and dismantle the fence every night.
Both Portland and Seattle are known for this. They see the federal courthouse as a symbol of oppression.

[KPN]

46. That is a problem. But everyone else staying home

does not seem like a good solution for that. Nor is it a good solution to Trump’s muscle flexing. Pacifism will only play into his hands. He will spin it as a personal victory for “law and order.”

[LuckyCharms]

37. I would like to see...

More people protesting, with the tactic of turning their backs to the goons and remaining absolutely silent. Not one word. Not one cough. Completely silent. Signs held high, facing the goons.

Placing your back toward them disrespects them, makes them seem less important. Your silence shows that they can't bring you to their level, and silence indicates seriousness.

When they attack silent people from the rear, the horror of their mere existence will be on display.

[Midnight Writer]

39. We didn't beat the Nazis by staying home. Tyrants love apathy, good people doing nothing.

[bigtree]

47. the people of Portland should do what they think is best for their state

Last edited Sun Jul 26, 2020, 08:23 AM - Edit history (1)

...what you're suggesting, at this point, is basically surrender to a fascist government.

That's the message your strategy would send.

You should realize, also, the people participating in vandalism or other disruptive acts aren't going to follow protesters indoors. Of course, surrendering is easy when you forget or don't appreciate WHY they are out there in the first place. Sheltering indoors is where we started this.

Link to tweet