WHY AND HOW WE PROTEST AND WHERE WE ARE GOING

Indivisible Chicago recently sent out the following email on the current state of protesting - why it's important and why planning, promoting and participating in protests is a very imperfect process. It is well said and we thought we should share it as we share their views and concerns:

As Indivisible Chicago continues to organize, prepare and engage in protest actions, we believe it important to take stock of where we are and to share our thinking on why and how we protest and on where we are going.  

Our country, society and world are at a crisis point that calls on each of us to speak up, protest and resist.

Millions of people are taking to the streets to protest the Trump-Musk-MAGA regime’s catastrophic policies and unrelenting assaults on all that we believe in and value. We expect this agenda of hate and fear to continue. We also expect more actions by this regime that violate the Constitution and undermine the rule of law in order to seize absolute power and destroy our country’s democratic system of governance. 

Why we protest

We will not remain silent in the face of attacks on our families, neighbors, communities and values. We take to the streets to repudiate this regime and resist its evil, corrupt, and immoral agenda with every fiber of our being.

Protesting shows others they are not alone and reminds us that together, we have the power to choose how we live. Courage is contagious. Protest sends a clear message that this is not normal, this is not right, and we will not accept it. It shines a light on the harm caused by Trump and the MAGA right—and mobilizes people to take action.

Protest is how we defend the resilience of our democracy—protecting our rights to due process and free speech, voting rights, an independent judiciary, and academic and scientific freedom. These rights are essential for the future fair elections that will end this reign of destruction and be strong enough to resist the inevitable attempts to undermine the will of the majority. Throughout history, protest has been key to bringing down tyrants—and we’ll be ready to do the same.

How we protest

There’s a lot of powerful protest energy right now, and it’s critical. At Indivisible Chicago, we focus on strategically deciding when to lead, co-lead, support, or amplify actions.

We prioritize protests tied to broad coalitions or national mobilizations—like the International Women’s Day March, the April 5 Hands Off Rally and March, multiple Tesla actions, and the Trump is Killing Democracy action on April 23. We also support protests led by communities most directly targeted by Trump’s regime, such as the Trans Day of Visibility and this week’s May Day rally and march. We believe in both large mobilizations and well-planned, creative smaller actions.

We also love supporting and amplifying actions organized by others, depending on our capacity to help at any given time. When we do, we aim to understand who’s organizing and ensure they share our commitment to non-violence and de-escalation. We know that we don’t always get this right, and there may be a lot of good actions happening that we just don’t know about or have enough information on.

Because we often work with partners and in coalitions, we may at times have only limited input about things like logistics, messaging, speakers, or graphics. Even when we do have input or even some degree of control, people come into protest spaces with their own views, voices, and priorities. We insist on the commitment to non-violence and opposition to the policies and actions of the Trump regime, but when we attend diverse protests, we know that we may not agree with everyone on every issue. Our priority is that we find common ground in our commitment to our democracy, to protecting our communities, and in resisting tyranny.

On understanding risk

Over the past three months, we’ve built a strong marshal team and we are focused on additional training and de-escalation to help plan safe protests. We have made this a priority so we can protest in ways that are planned and minimize and isolate risks. However, no one can eliminate all risks in anything, and that certainly includes protests. We encourage everyone to assess their own comfort levels and attend protests with friends or in community. We will always share relevant information and resources as you sign up to join us at a protest or event. 

With this regime’s increasingly reckless and destructive behavior and its authoritarian actions, the urgency for the people of this country to respond is increasing daily. The time is approaching when we may ask people to take greater risks with us as we join together to stand up for our values. But we will do this at a time that is strategic and we will be transparent about what those risks mean for each of us. 

Finally, our capacity to lead, marshal, plan and mobilize for protest actions depends on all of you. Please be active, turn out, and reach out when you have experience or skills to offer. Bring your creativity and energy, passion and courage – it is contagious and can make all the difference in the world.