We had a situation evolve at my small local no kings. After an hour chilling, a trump supporter pulled up in a truck, unloaded a giant MAGA flag and planted himself right in the middle of the group. He was non violent, said very little, and mostly just stood there.
The supervising police would not remove him, and told us he had “the same right to be there that we have”.
Obviously we were all quite uncomfortable having this shit flag overshadowing us, but no one was sure what could be done about it, so we sucked it up and continued on as if he wasn’t there.
How would you have handled this situation? Is there anytime that can be done in the future to prevent this?
Ps Fuck trump and his cult.
In chicago there was one guy with a bullhorn off to the side at one point of the march and the crowd pretty much just drown him out chanting shame but I mean this is a big city with a lot of people although there is only so many people passing by the spot at any particular time. Its inspiring though having so many voices out volume the machine.
Eh you handled it right for that situation. He was there hoping someone would start a fight so he could shoot back and claim “leftist violence”. No reaction and ignoring them like a child having a tantrum is right.
Actually, it is supposed to be a dilemma position. You get called a coward-lib if you don’t react and a dirty violent immigrant if you do.
I always make an extra sign that says something like “Doesnt Wash Ass” with an arrow pointing or “Pillow Princesses For Trump”. Just switch signs and stand near them for a few minutes. The laughing and negative attention usually drives them off.
Encircle them with backs twords them so their view is completely obstructed.
Alternative, encircle facing them and all begin to chant something about them.
Make them embarrassed to be there.
Surrounding them may be a problem as there’s a potential legal justification for them to use violence.
From what you described it doesn’t sound like he was agitating anything. Freedom of speech goes both ways. Just because his opinion is wrong doesn’t mean you can silence it. Don’t act like them.
Paradox of tolerance much? What if he has a Nazi flag, people are just supposed to sit there and protest under a giant fascist symbol?
Your viewpoint is wildly out of touch. You can’t tolerate the intolerant.
His position is antithetical to our movement and maga symbols taint everything around it. Inserting himself as he did is an aggression. There are three other corners on this square he could have occupied with the asshole sized flag… no one is silencing anything. There was only agitation and reaction in this behaviour.
This stuff works both ways. If he was non violent, can’t do shit.
There are always options. He absolutely was an agitator.
Maybe everybody could have moved location, likely having to repeatedly do so over time, but then illustrating how maga is, at it’s very core, reactionary and pointless.
Maybe could have all changed signs to something really bad like “maga ducks children yeaaaahhhhh” so that when magas come by and try to take pictures of bigflag being dominant, there’s some cheeky bastards grinning and photobombing.
Mainly to op: Protesting and symbolism is very much a battle of wits, and you are never helpless and without option. Sometimes you just gotta take a deep breath, get creative, and outsmart the buggers. They vote for Trump, they really aren’t that smart. If you can outsmart a tantruming child, you can outsmart a maga.
But you also have to take into account the overall image/optics of the bigger situation: the goal is to show of force and support in order to grow the confidence of the people. So even though you worry that you may have lost your little local battle, it did not stain the day of overwhelming victory that Day 1 of no-kings protest. Bigflag may have momentarily pissed you off, and set his bigflag down in a way, but it is still such a small island that this little pissing match looks very similar to the big truck thing: overcompensation for a small
penisturnout.I’d laugh and know he’s a dickhead hostile, and not turn my back on him, because these guys can be actually immediately dangerous. But, let it roll off your back like orange sweat down Trump’s face when he sees how many people mobilized for the first major protest against him, on his birthday, despite his attempt at a show of military might, and despite his threats to try to detur people. Victory was had that day, and you did not get hurt and can go on to continue to fight for what’s right, stronger and wiser.
I appreciate the kind words and advice. He absolutely bothered me, but there was no taking away that ~200 people gathered in a deep red, rural town of 5000. That’s near or over the 3.5% and I consider our protest a success regardless of bigflag’s presence. Very proud of the community coming together, hopefully we can start seeing change
That’s absolutely power.
At our pride festival entrance they used multiple chains of balloons tied together to create a curtain blocking the protesters and their signs from view.
Physically box them out. Form a line and expand it so they have to use force to get past you.
Can you elaborate please, or maybe there’s a video or something demonstrating? If we made a line and advanced we’d eventually reach their position and then… what? Assuming this guy still wouldn’t move, we’d either have to push inward or abandon? Is it still “non-violent” to lock arms and progress foward? Nobody wants a charge, but seemed impossible without physical contact in some form.
Box him in on 3 sides, everyone link arms and take one step forward. Another step forward, he can step back or be moved by the flow of traffic.
Second best thing is to just move away from him like an unbathed person on a hot day.
Thank them for coming out to support your cause.
Not directly to the troll, but I would shout and chant any leftist and liberal slogans and talking points, and then get the crowd to go along with you to make him uncomfortable.
Point, laugh, and move on. They’re there to make you feel uncomfortable, draw catcalls and insults, but above all to be taken seriously. Treat them like a joke and, if they don’t actually skulk away, you’ll at least put everyone else at ease.
We had an agitator trying to shout over the crowds at ours, and someone had brought out really loud bell and just started going to town until they left.
You know how the British do their football chants? Do that, but mock that flag. Make it almost seem like he took it so it could get mocked.
Point and laugh. Then laugh some more at him. Have fun with it.
The idiot wants you to be violent, or angry. That’s all these types of people want. That’s what gets him off.
But what he doesn’t like, what he would hate, is people thinking he is a fool and a laughing stock.If it happens again show them just how pathetic and laughable they are.
Learn from a master?
