Another photo from the Los Angeles #HandsOff demonstration that didn't get enough love on social media following April 2025.
Large balloon of Corporal Bone Spurs rises above the crowd that turned out for the Saturday protest.
https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-features/trump-musk-protests-democracy-hands-off-indivisible-1235312482/
#HandOff #Indivisible #USPolitics #BoneSpurs #Protests #Demonstration #AntiTrump #TuckersBalls
"The crowd easily numbered in the tens of thousands, starting with an afternoon kickoff in Pershing Square, followed by a march to City Hall and a sunset rally there that filled the street and adjacent Grand Park.
The #demonstration was peaceful, colorful and creative, but there also was a palpable and diverse sense of outrage"
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2025-04-05/rump-protests-kick-off-in-l-a-and-around-the-nation
Super exciting and inspiring to see so many people out there yesterday. Truly historic numbers of participants. And in spite of my following comments, I think demos like these are critical. If nothing else, they show the world that we are not sheep, that we oppose the fascist regime. It gives the government a taste of how strong we can be. Large demos like these provide a forum for activists to communicate with each other, share ideas, agitate for more radical changes. And it is empowering to be part of large demos, particularly for those who haven't done it before, instilling some hope in these dark times.
But here are a couple of things to consider:
(1) "Hands Off" is a liberal, not a leftist, slogan, devoid of anti-capitalist critique. Consider that the posters included "Hands Off NATO." That piece suggests that at least some organizers and participants actually support imperialist wars and interventions. NATO is one of the most anti-working-class organizations there is. Its entire purpose (contrary to the propaganda) is to pit working-class soldiers against each other in order to protect existing, and acquire new, territory, markets, and workers for the benefit of capitalists.
(2) "Hands Off Medicare, Social Security, libraries, immigrants, trans folks, etc." are necessary and existential short-term goals. But, at best, success brings us back to the pre-Trump status quo, which wasn't particularly good for most working-class people, nor for members of most marginalized communities. We need to be demanding a lot more (which many activists at yesterday’s demos were calling for).
(3) Some of the posters demanded "Fair Elections." But what does this even mean in a representative democracy? Yes, the Republicans have certainly exploited gerrymandering, the electoral college system, and voter suppression to win elections, sometimes even in spite of losing the popular vote. In fact, there are some who think Texas, with the 7th & 8th largest African American communities in the country (Dallas, Houston), would vote blue if not for gerrymandering and voter suppression. But then what? We'd still just be voting for who gets to rule over us and those rulers would still be primarily rich people, whose interests and policies align much more with the CEOs and corporate bosses than with working-class people. If the past is any indication, Democrats would still be supporting Zionism & Genocide, government suppression of strikes and worker movements (e.g., the recent train strike), imperialist & NATO interventions abroad. We'd still have millions living in the streets and millions dependent on food stamps and food pantries. We'd still have snowballing climate change and a government hamstrung by its subservience to capital. Let’s not forget, under Clinton, a Democrat, we got NATO bombing of Yugoslavia, the anti-worker NAFTA, and an “End to Welfare as We Know It.” And under Obama we got drone assassinations of U.S. citizens living abroad and a continuation of Bush’s mass deportations and imprisonment of immigrant children.
Optimistically, there were many people at yesterday’s demos who ARE thinking about these issues and fighting for far more than just a return to the pre-Trump status quo. There were lots of anti-genocide signs and posters and solidarity with Palestinians. Many demanding bodily autonomy for all, including both access to birth control and abortion, as well as access to gender affirming care. There were many demonstrators calling for a General Strike, which has far more potential to achieve results than do mass demonstrations. (Direct Action gets the Goods!)
So, let’s continue with these large mass demos. But let’s also start organizing direct actions that hurt the rulers’ bottom line. And let’s also remember that the most enduring North American General Strikes (e.g., Saint Louis, 1877; Seattle, 1919; Winnipeg, 1919; Minneapolis, 1934) all involved incredible organization and coordination, including the delivery of free food to residents; worker control of policing and emergency services; shutdown of corporate media and worker control of mass communication; worker control of transport and shipping.
Today I am off to my local #demonstration here in Málaga, aimed at pressuring those in power to prioritise citizens and their right to decent housing.
I do hope my American friends are preparing to turn out for their protest too.
It really doesn’t matter if you don’t have a sign. Or you don’t want to chant. Just be there with your body - even if only for a while - to let each other know you are present in the moment of protest.
#protest
Tausende demonstrieren in der Slowakei gegen geplantes NGO-Gesetz
Die Regierung der Slowakei will die Finanzierung von NGOs durch ein neues Gesetz stärker kontrollieren. Gegner sprechen von einem "russischen Gesetz" gegen Kritiker und gehen zu Tausenden auf die Straße.
huge #chicago demonstration yesterday 
in the rain no less 
https://www.chicagotribune.com/2025/03/30/photos-transgender-rights-rally-held-in-chicago/
#Demokratie #Rechtsstaat #IFG #Türkei #Demonstration #GenZ #Netanyahu
Autokraten agieren immer unverfrorener, weltweit. Selbst in - eigentlich - demokratischen Ländern wird autoritäres Gehabe salonfähig, wie etwa die Zusicherung von freiem Geleit für einen mit Haftbefehl des Internationalen Strafgerichtsfhofs gesuchten Regierungschef.
Da ist es doch sehr ermutigend, wenn die viel gescholtene Gen Z sich massenhaft und mutig für Demokratie einsetzt.
Hoffen wir, dass das auch in USA, Frankreich, Italien, Ungarn und überall sonst, wo es Not tut, Schule macht - und zum Erfolg führt.
Und wie immer gilt auch hier: wehret den Anfängen. Wer Transparenz staatlichen Handelns untergraben will, wie etwa durch Abschaffung von Informationsrechten (IFG) oder durch Einschüchterung der Zivilgesellschaft, sollte frühen scharfen gesellschaftlichen Gegenwind spüren.
https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/asien/demonstration-tuerkei-100.html
#demonstration : especially, proof beyond the possibility of doubt
- French: manifestation
- Italian: manifestazione
- Portuguese: demonstração
- Spanish: demostración
------------
Fill in missing translations @ https://wordofthehour.org/r/translations
Die Türkei geht weiter hart gegen Protest vor
Der Protest gegen die Inhaftierung des populären Oppositionspolitikers İmamoğlu geht weiter - für Samstag ist eine Großkundgebung geplant. Wieder gab es Festnahmen: Es traf einen Anwalt İmamoğlus sowie ausländische Journalisten.
VIDEO
Protest march against #racism & #fascism leaving Dam Square, #Amsterdam , #Netherlands .
Vertrek #demonstratie tegen #racisme & #fascisme .
14:51 CET, 22-2-2025. (Rond 15:30 was staart van demo de Dam af)
#DeDam #Dam #DamSquare #protest #protests #protestmarch #demonstration
#tegenRacisme #againstRacism
#tegenFacisme #againstFascism
#manifestatie #vrijheid #freedom #democratie #democracy #links #left #rechts #right #radicaalrechts #extreemrechts #farright #altright
#neonazis #nazis
Mass protests as Turkey detains Erdogan's main election rival •
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k-ypY0VwfIo #Turkey #Istanbul #Imamoglu #protest #demonstration #Erdogan #tyranny #oppression #dictatorship #elections #politics
Einsatz einer Schallwaffe gegen Demonstrierende in Serbien?
In Serbien geht eine Protestwelle gegen die Regierung durch das Land. Jetzt verdichten sich die Hinweise, die Polizei habe eine verbotene Schallwaffe gegen die Demonstrierenden eingesetzt. Von Oliver Soos.
Caught some 
speeches on youtube from demonstrations in the US last weekend.
Großdemo: Mehr als 100.000 Menschen fordern ein "besseres Serbien"
Es sind längst nicht mehr nur die Studierenden, die demonstrieren. Der Protest gegen Serbiens Regierung zieht sich durch alle Generationen und trieb mehr als 100.000 Menschen auf die Straßen von Belgrad. Von W. Vichtl
3) Wir freuen uns deswegen dieses Mal besonders über Spenden, damit wir auch in Zukunft auf Demos für euch da sein können.
Spendenlink: https://www.paypal.com/paypalme/demosanisddorf
#E1503 #Demonstration #Demosanitäter*in #Duesseldorf #StreetMedic #Demosanis #Demosani #GegenRechts #Antifaschismus #Retten #Ehrenamt #RiotMedic
Live video from Washington DC Veteran’s March to stop Donald Trump
https://www.youtube.com/live/5wOZEEARFbc
#live #breaking #demonstration #washington #usa #resistance #veterans
Not sure if the #Ukraine Solidarity Campaign (#USC) is organising anything official this weekend, but it is at 2pm on Sunday at Lancaster House that #Starmer is hosting 18 #European Leaders incl. #Zelensky to discuss approach to supporting #Ukraine. Maybe a popular #demonstration of solidarity may help leaders find a backbone. Whether #media coverage is there or not.
