Show up for Democracy!
On Oct. 18, approximately 7 million people participated in No Kings 2.0 rallies across the U.S. The goal was, again, to protest against President Trump and his authoritarian actions, e.g., locking up thousands of undocumented immigrants — the majority of whom have committed no crimes — in detention centers across the country. Seven million may sound like a lot of people, but it is far short of the 12 million, or 3.5% percent of the population, needed to make a serious attempt at saving our Democracy.
Historian and author of “On Tyranny,” Timothy Snyder, explains: “We know that non-violent protest works. It helps to stop authoritarian takeovers … Protest shows that their supporters are in the minority, that the majority will not be silent.”
About 3.5% of the population taking to the streets led to both the enactment of the Civil Rights Act of 1957, and later to the end of the Vietnam War. It is now imperative that 12 million of us show up for Democracy at No Kings 3.0. Saving our Democracy is not the job of a few — it’s the job of everyone who wants to keep it.