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[Liu Kang Baking A Pie]

Numbers really do not matter at this point anyway.

I get that people are protesting ... but it wont change anything.

I have no time for people who still say anything is impossible politically after watching Trump get elected.
If anything, he's shown that mobilizing people on the ground level through their anger is incredibly fucking effective.

 

[Massive Duck. C.M.]

Numbers really do not matter at this point anyway.

I get that people are protesting ... but I don't want change

We get it

 

[Siegcram]

Numbers really do not matter at this point anyway.

I get that people are protesting ... but it wont change anything.

What is it with Americans being fundamentally unable to understand protesting? You'd think a nation jerking it over freedom of speech 24/7 would be able to understand why people voice their disagreement and sometimes do so in groups even.

 

[Liu Kang Baking A Pie]

What is it with Americans being fundamentally unable to understand protesting? You'd think a nation jerking it over freedom of speech 24/7 would be able to understand why people voice their disagreement and sometimes do so in groups even.

Pure fucking privilege. The privilege to look at a history book in elementary school and separate that world as another, thinking it has nothing to do with them and never will.

I can't think of another way we have so many apathetic people with such disdain for the politics that gave them the country they love for how it is now (or at least, what we imagined we collectively wanted).

 

[NotMyUsername]

OK, I won't pretend to know the intricacies of how people organize in the US, but based on my experience with the anarchists in Denmark, they are closely related to those on the far left, which are also those most likely to protest, since they are much more engaged than the right wingers.

But it feels as if sometimes, the anarchists, as a group, are used as scapegoats when shit like this happens, since noone wants to admit it was some of 'their own' who acted like this.

Just from my own experience I was walking to and from getting dinner on my break at work when I passed a couple groups that were the more troublesome element in Portland. The first group were about 10-15 punk-looking teens/early-20s with one of them exclaiming, "I'm going to make them call the SWAT teams!" And this was right before it was declared a riot and people just down the road from my work started destroying things and attempting to light stuff on fire.

This wasn't the main peaceful protest group. This was just an offshoot that didn't seem intent on being peaceful. They just wanted to fuck things up because they could more easily get away with it when there's already chaos and a lot of people on the streets. In the same anonymity makes people act likes idiots online the same thing can happen in a city when these people join in.

 

[Amalthea]

What is it with Americans being fundamentally unable to understand protesting? You'd think a nation jerking it over freedom of speech 24/7 would be able to understand why people voice their disagreement and sometimes do so in groups even.

You mean those people who are generally seen as prudish but voted somebody that has bragged about sexual assault to be their president? The people who wanted to take a stand for the poor and the middle class against the etablishment and the elite by voting a notorious billionaire tycoon to be their president?

I think common sense and logic aren't their strong points.

 

[TBiddy]

Just from my own experience I was walking to and from getting dinner on my break at work when I passed a couple groups that were the more troublesome element in Portland. The first group were about 10-15 punk-looking teens/early-20s with one of them exclaiming, "I'm going to make them call the SWAT teams!" And this was right before it was declared a riot and people just down the road from my work started destroying things and attempting to light stuff on fire.

This wasn't the main peaceful protest group. This was just an offshoot that didn't seem intent on being peaceful. They just wanted to fuck things up because they could more easily get away with it when there's already chaos and a lot of people on the streets. In the same anonymity makes people act likes idiots online the same thing can happen in a city when these people join in.

Absolutely, there's a lot of those types around, using any excuse to destroy stuff. I just think, sometimes, it's used an excuse. "Oh it wasn't us, it was the anarchists!". I think, more often than not, the anarchists are likely the ones who incite the more violent and angry people in a protest, thus creating a negative atmosphere that leads to rioting. But I don't think neither the common left- and right-wingers are innocent in this.

 

[Infinite]

Absolutely, there's a lot of those types around, using any excuse to destroy stuff. I just think, sometimes, it's used an excuse. "Oh it wasn't us, it was the anarchists!". I think, more often than not, the anarchists are likely the ones who incite the more violent and angry people in a protest, thus creating a negative atmosphere that leads to rioting. But I don't think neither the common left- and right-wingers are innocent in this.

It's not even always folks who identify as anarchist. I've seen many marches and protests co-opted by groups who wasn't part of the organization.

 

[Waldini]

We get it

Do you?
Changing my post? For what reason? If America wanted change and are against the man that is now President they should've voted for Clinton. Or voted for someone else. Change is coming now, that's for sure. And it's not the change most wanted ...

They have every right to protest and every right to show that they are against Trump. I never said they shouldn't go out there and voice their concerns, did I? I said that, right now, it won't do any good. Resulting to violence is never good ... but that might be just me.


Again, I'm not American. I despise the man who became your President as much as any other. Hell, maybe he will do good ... but right now, I don't have much faith in that.

Let me get this straight. I'm not here to start a fight over something that can't be changed. I'm here because I understand WHY those people go out on the streets and FAIL to understand what this march will eventually change?

 

[Liu Kang Baking A Pie]

Do you?
Changing my post eh? If America wanted change and are against the man that is now President they should've voted for Clinton. Or voted for someone else.

Protesting against an elected President won't change shit. Sure, they have every right to do so and every right to show that they are against Trump. I never said they shouldn't go out there and voice their concerns, did I? I said that, right now, it won't do any good.


Again, I'm not American. I despise the man who became your President as much as any other. Hell, maybe he will do good ... but right now? Don't have much faith in that.

Maybe you don't have bad intentions, but people are going to see through you putting limits on their political expression. We know what that is. Maybe you don't see it, maybe you see yourself as communicating something different, but it looks like instead of saying something positive or incisive about the story you wanted to tell hypothetical others how to act.

 

[Massive Duck. C.M.]

Do you?
Changing my post eh? If America wanted change and are against the man that is now President they should've voted for Clinton. Or voted for someone else.

Protesting against an elected President won't change shit. Sure, they have every right to do so and every right to show that they are against Trump. I never said they shouldn't go out there and voice their concerns, did I? I said that, right now, it won't do any good.


Again, I'm not American. I despise the man who became your President as much as any other. Hell, maybe he will do good ... but right now? Don't have much faith in that.

Why do you care about the protests if you don't even have to worry about them?

 

[Liu Kang Baking A Pie]

Let me get this straight. I'm not here to start a fight over something that can't be changed. I'm here because I understand WHY those people go out on the streets and FAIL to understand what this march will eventually change?

Why did people vote for Trump? What have black Americans said for centuries? Maybe people feel so hopeless that they're just taking a chance on anyone hearing anything they say. It's possible for other people to be compelled to act on their survival even if you feel fine.

 

[Waldini]

Maybe you don't have bad intentions, but people are going to see through you putting limits on their political expression. We know what that is. Maybe you don't see it, maybe you see yourself as communicating something different, but it looks like instead of saying something positive or incisive about the story you wanted to tell hypothetical others how to act.

True. It might be because I'm Dutch and have a "hard" time trying to translate what's in my head to that on the screen. Hell, I could type it in Dutch but then GAF would forward me to a doctor.

Again, I understand the reasoning behind the protest. But it feels ... mixed. I'll just leave it at that. Don't want to piss anyone off.

Why do you care about the protests if you don't even have to worry about them?

Apologies. Never wanted to offend anyone. Who am I to decide what one should do? My bad.

Why did people vote for Trump? What have black Americans said for centuries? Maybe people feel so hopeless that they're just taking a chance on anyone hearing anything they say. It's possible for other people to be compelled to act on their survival even if you feel fine.

Unheard for years ... wanting change. Got the change but it might not be the one they wanted. It's a bitter pill to swallow for alot of Americans.


I understand all of you ... and, yes ... I have a hard time trying to explain myself. My sincere apologies, again.

 

[Liu Kang Baking A Pie]

Also if anyone didn't know, we've had ongoing nationwide prison strikes and protests for months. The largest in our history. These people are living the shittiest lives America currently offers, and they're risking everything, and no one seems interested.

Protests are only going to get bigger in America. Watch footage from Standing Rock, and watch for the aggressors. History isn't over.

http://www.latimes.com/nation/la-na-prison-strike-snap-story.html

 

[TyrantII]

I have no time for people who still say anything is impossible politically after watching Trump get elected.
If anything, he's shown that mobilizing people on the ground level through their anger is incredibly fucking effective.

Except that's not what happened.

They won with fewer teaparty voters than McCain or Romney.

Obstruction, suppression, years of framing their opponents as the Antichrist worked.

Democrats and moderates stayed home because X. The suppression campaign worked and they took all power with a small number of voters.

 

[neorej]

Except that's not what happened.

They won with fewer teaparty voters than McCain or Romney.

Obstruction, suppression, years of framing their opponents as the Antichrist worked.

Democrats and moderates stayed home because X. The suppression campaign worked and they took all power with a small number of voters.

Exactly. years of actively restraining the president to the point where he couldn't get shit done, filibustering bills, essentially neutering the government at every single turn and then come electionseason they turn and point: "what has Obama achieved? Nothing! He promised change and he brought nothing." And everybody went "YEAH!" and nobody bothered to ask "yeah, why was that?" The republican campaign for this presidency has been running ever since they lost in 2012.

 

[Squalor]

Guy was arrested in Baltimore for trying to stab protesters outside the football team's arena.

 

[NimbusD]

Can someone give me a rundown, I live in a REALLY red state, and all over my facebook they are berating the left for rioting. Is there actual rioting going on, I've only seen protests?

There's been some rocks being thrown at police in la. Nothing I'd call a riot but certainly disappointing behavior.

But if all protestors are rioters because of a few assholes, I think the gop has to accept that they're all racists.

 

[NimbusD]

I have no time for people who still say anything is impossible politically after watching Trump get elected.
If anything, he's shown that mobilizing people on the ground level through their anger is incredibly fucking effective.

Really? It was way more effective at suppressing voter turnout tha. Mobilizing a great number of people. Obama did that, trump sort of did the opposite. The numbers are so low all around, except of course where it mattered, the Midwest.

 

[wumster3000]

If you are conservative, any gathering with a substantial amount of brown people is a riot.

I've seen a lot more white people than brown. They are more pissed off than brown people.

 

[Liu Kang Baking A Pie]

All the hippie, socialist, and feminism insults and dismissals come right from the Nixon era, so expect our new political activists to be labeled very strategically in a way that'll discredit their causes for generations. It's been Trump's strategy on Twitter and the debates already.

I think in five years, white people won't have any more excuses to not understanding a dog whistle or coded language.

 

[bob_arctor]

What is it with Americans being fundamentally unable to understand protesting? You'd think a nation jerking it over freedom of speech 24/7 would be able to understand why people voice their disagreement and sometimes do so in groups even.

Pure fucking privilege. The privilege to look at a history book in elementary school and separate that world as another, thinking it has nothing to do with them and never will.

I can't think of another way we have so many apathetic people with such disdain for the politics that gave them the country they love for how it is now (or at least, what we imagined we collectively wanted).

Love these two posts. So much truth.

Edit: For what it's worth, me and my family are headed to DC on January 20th to do our part.

 

[Damerman]

Going to a ny against trump protest on tuesday... cant wait. Its from 6:30 to 8.

 

[wumster3000]

Going to a ny against trump protest on tuesday... cant wait. Its from 6:30 to 8.

Be careful out there. If you see things going to hell, bail on it. I hope everything is peaceful.

 

[Brawly Likes to Brawl]

KKK or another recognized hate group is holding a rally or march?

"It's their right, Free Speech is a two way street."

Major figurehead of a harassment campaign breaks ToS on a social media site multiple times by organizing his goons to attack others, and finally is banned for it?

"I'm sorry, I thought we had the right to Free Speech*, don't you understand that you're harming discourse?"

People who just witnessed a man that spent over a year attacking and throwing them under the bus during a vile campaign reach the highest office in the land with his party getting a stranglehold over the government are afraid? And want to take to the streets to air their grievances, and maybe, get others around the country and the world to realize that they deserve to be treated like human beings and can't abide by everything their new leader stands for?

"Aren't you being petty?"

This is what we have to work with.

*

Spoiler

What happened to Milo was not a violation of Free Speech, no matter how you spin it. If he tried to take Twitter to court over it, there wouldn't have been a single judge in the country that wouldn't have laughed him out of there, and he knows that. Do not cite the constitution without actually reading it. You're on the internet, you have no excuse.

 

[Skellig Gra]

All I can say is there should have been more of this before the fucking election.

 

[Dubbedinenglish]

Going to a ny against trump protest on tuesday... cant wait. Its from 6:30 to 8.

He is in NY today, make that shit loud.

 

[Audioboxer]

All I can say is there should have been more of this before the fucking election.

There was protesting, but I get what you mean. This kind of passion in more people before the vote ends.

Sadly some only get switched on when they are angry. Complacency and laziness is the default when they aren't. Shame.

"Someone else can do it, my life is too busy just now".

 

[Tal Shiar Agent]

He is in NY today, make that shit loud.

They should trap him in Trump Tower.

 

[maquiladora]

They should trap him in Trump Tower.

That would be amazing.

 

[marrec]

There was protesting, but I get what you mean. This kind of passion in more people before the vote ends.

Sadly some only get switched on when they are angry. Complacency and laziness is the default when they aren't. Shame.

"Someone else can do it, my life is too busy just now".

Also it's not like the other candidate was inspiring. I love me some Hilldawg and enthusiastically voted for her but she wasn't the most exciting candidate. She bored a lot of dem voters into complacency and a drop in turn out.

 

[McLovin]

Time to start the US over from scratch.

Pretty sure that's why the other side chosen trump lol.

 

[Timedog]

Fucking anarchist losers trying to ruin it every god damn time.

 

[grimmiq]

Seeing the videos and photos of people smashing car windows in cities with 70%+ Democratic votes, I wonder if they're looking for stickers or just smashing every window they see..If they aren't, they're likely smashing a lot of Clinton supporters' cars.

 

[Damerman]

Be careful out there. If you see things going to hell, bail on it. I hope everything is peaceful.

I hope so too. I just think i have to voice this frustration, maybe it will all jist be cathartic, and thats fine. I'll try to be as careful as possible.

He is in NY today, make that shit loud.

Will do my best

 

[Garryk]

Some of the roughly 1,000 protesters in Oakland broke store windows, left graffiti on buildings and threw M-80 firecrackers, Molotov cocktails and bottles at police officers, authorities said.
Eleven people were arrested in Oakland, including someone who had seven Molotov cocktails in his possession, police said. Some of those arrested are accused of assaulting police officers.

Glad I'm going to Oakland for work next week....

 

[The Boat]

I really think this isn't the time to just conform and accept. Blindly accepting everything because "hey that's how democracy works in US" is a bs argument. If we always followed every rule and accepted everything, we would still be in the dark ages.

 

[Audioboxer]

Also it's not like the other candidate was inspiring. I love me some Hilldawg and enthusiastically voted for her but she wasn't the most exciting candidate. She bored a lot of dem voters into complacency and a drop in turn out.

True but the irony is there is probably at least some of those out protesting now who didn't vote and easily could have.

 

[gutter_trash]

They should trap him in Trump Tower.

does he have a helipad.?

 

[Timedog]

Seeing the videos and photos of people smashing car windows in cities with 70%+ Democratic votes, I wonder if they're looking for stickers or just smashing every window they see..If they aren't, they're likely smashing a lot of Clinton supporters' cars.

The people smashing them are unlikely to be Clinton supporters.

 

[marrec]

True but the irony is there is probably at least some of those out protesting now who didn't vote and easily could have.

There absolutely is, on NPR on Wednesday a reporter was talking about speaking with a protester who admitted to not voting and then feeling angry about the result.

I was like :lol what the fuck did you think was going to happen you shitbird?

 

[Massive Duck. C.M.]

True but the irony is there is probably at least some of those out protesting now who didn't vote and easily could have.

Is this just an assumption you're making for fun, or do you have some kind of fact to back it up?

ed: dammit marrec

Ok, I guess you can use his anecdote

 

[grimmiq]

The people smashing them are unlikely to be Clinton supporters.

Fair call.

 

[E92 M3]

:lol

lmao should have hit the books instead of protesting.

 

[Audioboxer]

There absolutely is, on NPR on Wednesday a reporter was talking about speaking with a protester who admitted to not voting and then feeling angry about the result.

I was like :lol what the fuck did you think was going to happen you shitbird?

Is this just an assumption you're making for fun, or do you have some kind of fact to back it up?

ed: dammit marrec

Ok, I guess you can use his anecdote

Yeah MD it is going to happen. With Brexit we even had voters who voted leave on national TV the next morning saying "I think I made a mistake, I didn't know what I voted for until now". At least those people actually voted, albeit it arguably stupidly if they regret it hours after the vote closes.

Nearly half of America didn't vote, and that 6m drop of Dems is going to include some now probably out protesting.

 

[manakel]

I went to the one in Columbus, Ohio.

I was there as well. It was amazing to see.

 

[Kimawolf]

Yeah im already hearing and seeing people say stuff like" I didn't think he'd actually win", or " I didn't know Steve Bannon was into nazi stuff". It's like wtf people... So ya protest, and protest hard. I was at one here in Kansas City a few days ago.

We need to shut this country down.

 

[Kthulhu]

:lol

Not as bad as this IMO

 

[marrec]

Is this just an assumption you're making for fun, or do you have some kind of fact to back it up?

ed: dammit marrec

Ok, I guess you can use his anecdote

To be fair, a lot of these protests are happening in Blue States where not voting is totally a viable option.

But if I go to a Pittsburgh protest and I here some shitbird talking about being angry now but not voting I'm going to have an apoplexy.

 

[KageMaru]

Went to the Columbus protest last night, it was amazing seeing so many people there.